New arrival is eager to crack lineup
Sometime soon, home for Kekuta Manneh will not be a hotel within walking distance of the North Market.
As the 22-year-old forward has learned in the past few weeks, sudden cross-country moves tend to complicate things. Manneh, who has
made 101 Major League Soccer appearances over four-plus seasons, was traded from the Vancouver Whitecaps to Crew SC on March 30, and piece by piece the adjustment continues to grow smoother.
He said he expected to receive his car sometime this week. Most of his belongings will arrive next week. Manneh found a place in Italian Village and hopes to explore High Street and the rest of the city in the coming weeks.
To help in his transition, he has enlisted his mother, LaRhonda Niccum, who lives in Austin, Texas, with the rest of his adoptive family.
“I have to sign some papers and everything, but she made it a lot easier for me,” Manneh said. “If I had to deal with all that, it would be very difficult.”
Manneh is starting to find his way around Columbus. Finding his way in a Crew SC offense to which he is expected to contribute is likewise a dizzying, ongoing process. The 5-foot-9, 140-pounder made his first 18-player roster last weekend in a 2-1 win over Toronto FC but has yet to log a minute for the Crew.
Coach Gregg Berhalter has been complimentary of Manneh’s work ethic but said he has spent the last couple of weeks improving his fitness and familiarizing himself with a new style of play, preventing him from getting on the field right away.
“I can imagine it would be frustrating for a player to get traded and have not contributed yet,” Berhalter said. “So having said that, his mindset has been great, he has been Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey Ch. 53, Spectrum Sports WWCD-FM (102.5), WVKOFM (103.1, in Spanish) Crew 4-2-1; Red Bulls 3-3-1 — GK Steffen; D Afful, Naess, Crognale, Raitala; MF Trapp, Artur, Meram, Higuain, Finlay; F Kamara. — GK Robles; D Zizzo, Collin, Long, Lawrence; MF Felipe, Adams, Royer, Kljestan, Muyl; F Wright-Phillips. After going scoreless in his first two games, forward Bradley Wright-Phillips has scored in three of his last five games. … The Red Bulls are 2-0-1 in three
working hard and doing everything we ask.”
Manneh agreed there has been a lot of information to absorb but downplayed the difference in styles between the Whitecaps and Crew. Although Manneh wants to be on the field, he understands Berhalter’s point.
“I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t trust someone who just comes in,” Manneh said. “They didn’t bring me here to sit on the bench or not be involved, so for me, it’s down to me. I need to impress.”
To many casual soccer observers, Manneh’s most impressive trait is his speed. But he often sees the conversation stop there, which is frustrating.
“If I wanted to (worry about speed), I’d probably be a track star. I’d be trying to compete for the Olympics right now,” Manneh said. “You use what you have, your attributes, and speed is one of them, but it’s a bit disappointing that people home games this season. … New York reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation last Saturday against D.C. United, resulting in a 2-0 win.
Defender Jonathan Mensah (hamstring) returned to team drills this week after missing three straight games. … Fullback Connor Maloney is out after suffering a concussion on Tuesday. … Midfielder Federico Higuain is tied for the MLS lead with four assists.
The Crew is tied for the MLS lead with four wins, but just one has come on the road. New York looked comfortable last week in a 4-2-3-1. Will momentum for players like Wright-Phillips, Sacha Kljestan and Alex Muyl continue to build? focus on that more than my actual qualities.”
One feature he takes pride in is his versatility. Berhalter said upon Manneh’s arrival that he is capable of playing each of the front four positions.
Manneh explained with a laugh this week that his history of variety in soccer positioning goes deeper. As a young kid in Gambia, he said he primarily played defensive positions, including goalkeeper, before coaches recognized his athleticism — and frame.
“They’re like, ‘You know what? You’re too short, we might switch you to forward,’ ” Manneh said. “It turned out good, yeah.”
Manneh said he is working to show the Crew’s coaches he’s a “go-to guy” on the game-day roster. Today’s game at the New York Red Bulls might be his first with Crew SC.