Watson finds familiar faces key to on- field success
‘ Balanced’ Whitecaps midfielder surrounded by former teammates, coaches from Carolina Railhawks
Matt Watson thrives in comfortable environments.
The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder — a standout in Tier 2 North American soccer the past four seasons – jumps to Tier 1 Major League Soccer this year and having familiar faces around in Vancouver makes for a smoother transition.
“I tend to succeed most when I’m comfortable,” the former Carolina Railhawks player said Tuesday in a phone interview from Florida.
“I don’t really enjoy being out of my elements too much so having [ former Carolina coaches] Martin Rennie and Paul Ritchie in Vancouver has made it a lot easier for me.”
The new- look Whitecaps squad also includes former Carolina teammates Brad Knighton, Jun Marques Davidson and Etienne Barbara.
Watson attracted interest from other MLS teams in the past but chose to stay in Carolina and improve his game under Rennie.
“He said it would be better to stay and work on some things so that’s what I did,” said the 27- year- old native of Redditch, England.
“Once he said he wanted to take me [ to Vancouver], it was a no- brainer to play at a high level and have some comfort in where I was going.”
Watson played in the Wolverhampton Wanderers youth system — with former Whitecaps midfielder Jonny Steele – before crossing the Atlantic to play college soccer at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
He reunited with Steele for a couple of seasons with the Baltimore Blast indoor team before joining the Railhawks in 2008.
Rennie said Watson is an effective box- to- box midfielder who should adapt well to the higher level of MLS play.
“He has upped his work rate and is really, really focused on his game and his fitness and everything else,” he said. “He is already doing well for us and he will compete hard to get on the field.”
Watson feels he’s a “balanced” player.
“I wouldn’t say I’m great at anything but I’m not bad at anything either,” he said.
Watson is working hard now to add more upper- body strength to his six- foot, 180pound frame as he feels the MLS game is faster and more physical, with players “a lot more mentally switched on” at all times.
“I’ll do everything I can to make sure I spend the rest of my career at this level,” he said. “I know I have to push myself and be at the top of my game every day. I’m definitely doing a little catching up but I don’t feel like I’m out of my depth.”
Steele, who will make the same Carolina- to- MLS transition this year after signing with Real Salt Lake, offered words such as “speed, dynamic, fit, strong and powerful” when describing Watson as a player.
“If he gets his mindset right, which I’ve talked to him about, he can be a big player in MLS,” he said in an interview from RSL’S pre- season training camp in Arizona. “Both of us have the ability to make that transition. We just have to keep working hard and doing the things we do and we’ll both get playing time with our clubs.”
SIDE KICKS: The Whitecaps have signed Maltese international striker Etienne Barbara to an MLS contract but an adductor injury will keep him off the field for about two months.
Barbara, 29, played for Rennie the past two seasons in Carolina, where he had 20 goals and eight assists last year and was named NASL MVP.
“He has a lot of pace and power and competitiveness to win and score goals,” Rennie said. “He can play anywhere as a forward and will push the other guys and compete with them for a spot.”
The signing pushes Vancouver to its full complement of 10 international roster players, with Scottish midfielder Barry Robson set to join the club in July. By then, it’s expected Barbara will have a U. S. green card that will make him a domestic player under MLS rules.
Midfielder John Thorrington has returned to Vancouver to rehabilitate a left quadriceps injury suffered in a 3- 0 win over Montreal last Friday and Rennie said it might take him “a few weeks” to fully recover. Midfielder/ forward Davide Chiumiento injured his back in the same game but trained with the team on Tuesday.
The Caps play Sporting Kansas City in the Disney Pro Classic in Orlando, Fla. today before playing in the tournament final on Saturday.