Show me the Manneh
Whitecaps need U.S. national team hopeful in prime condition to rebound in 2017
Whitecaps forward Kekuta Manneh, recovering from a broken foot, hopes for healthy return to the Vancouver lineup and a spot on the U.S. national team as the 2017 MLS season approaches.
Kekuta Manneh belongs on the field — dribbling, darting, pulling fans out of their seats. For the final four months of the 2016 season, though, he had to settle for a view from the press box.
Manneh broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot against Colorado in July. He watched the Whitecaps win their next game to improve to 8-84. Then, without Manneh’s pace, width and threat on the counter-attack, the Caps went 1-7-5, plummeting out of the playoff picture before a season-ending home win over Portland.
But Manneh believes he at least learned something from watching from up high. He’s ready to put that new perspective to use, first with the U.S. national team during this month’s training camp in Carson, Calif., and then with the Caps in February as they prepare for their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final and MLS season opener.
“It’s different how you see the game from up there and not on the field,” Manneh said. “I took a lot of positives, learned a lot of things, little things that can improve my game — how to create space for myself and improve the team. But you never want to be out for that long.”
The 22-year-old winger/forward returned to full sprints about a month ago. He spent the off-season at home in Texas and came back to Vancouver Jan. 1 to train out of the Fortius Centre in Burnaby under the guidance of Caps strength and conditioning coach Jon Poli and head of sports science Rick Celebrini.
“I’m getting there,” said Manneh. “It’s a struggle just to get the fitness back, but I’m very confident with the foot. It has healed up well.”
Well enough for new U.S. coach Bruce Arena, the longtime L.A. Galaxy boss, to call Manneh into his first U.S. national team camp.
Manneh was born in Gambia and at 16 moved to Texas, where his adoptive family lives. He’s talked for a while now about his desire to play for the U.S. During the MLS season, Manneh’s been living in Point Roberts, Wash., in order to become a U.S. citizen.
That day is surely on the horizon, although Manneh has only been cleared to train with the U.S. for now. He can’t yet be involved in their friendlies against Serbia Jan. 29 in San Diego or against Jamaica Feb. 3 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
He’s hoping to be eligible in time for their next round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March.
“Fingers crossed,” said Manneh, who has 22 goals in 100 MLS games for Vancouver since they drafted the speedster fourth overall in 2013. — THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
“This camp is an extremely good opportunity and I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully I’ll be fully fit. Not having played for six months, I might be a bit behind, but I’m just going to work hard to get to the levels and try and exceed expectations.”
Manneh will miss the opening days of Caps’ training camp in Wales. He’ll rejoin the club in Vancouver Feb. 4 and travel with them to the pre-season tournament in Portland.
The Caps face the New York Red Bulls away Feb. 22 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals. The second leg is March 2 at B.C. Place, followed by the Caps’ MLS opener at home March 5 to the Philadelphia Union.
While the Caps’ struggles were due to far more than just Manneh’s absence, it certainly didn’t help.
The Caps will not only need Manneh healthy this season, they’ll need him to improve on the five goals and two assists he registered in 17 games last season. His talent promises more. Perhaps the bird’s-eye view will help him deliver.