KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ryan Smith was accustomed to the Arsène Wenger way. Brought up on one-touch passing and a flowing, attacking style of play as an Arsenal schoolboy, Smith was in for a rough adjustment when, as a precocious teenager, he was sent out on loan.
But after bouncing around the lower levels of English soccer without finding the right fit for his talents, the skillful, yet mercurial, winger has found a home in Kansas City.
“This has probably been one of the best experiences I’ve had so far in my career,” the 23-year-old Smith said, “if not the best.”
That’s in stark contrast to his stints with Leicester City, Derby County, Millwall, Southampton and Crystal Palace that the Wizards' dynamic left winger bluntly labeled a “nightmare.”
For Smith, indoctrinated by the Gunners from an early age, it all came down to the desire to play the game the right way, something he said is severely lacking below the Premiership. In the Championship and below, there is an emphasis on hard tackling and a tendency to favor the long ball doesn't suit Smith's skills.
And although he has struggled at times to stay injury-free, Smith has gotten that opportunity this season in Kansas City. With a goal and a team-leading eight assists this season, he is playing a major role in manager Peter Vermes' attempts to redefine the team's style of play.
“It’s tough to enjoy your football when the manager doesn’t want you or the team to play a certain way when you believe in a different way,” Smith said. “You come in here and [Vermes] wants us to play. That’s perfect for me, and that’s why I have been able to do quite well here.”
Fellow English transplant Craig Rocastle, who played at Forest Green Rovers last season in the English Conference, said he sees part of the traditional American sporting environment affecting the way MLS clubs, players and fans approach the game.
“All the American sports love results, love winning, love goals,” he said. “Every time you play a game, the general play on both sides is definitely to win. I would say it very attacking, and by the players they are attracting to the league they want to make it more and more exciting.”
Smith added: “You don’t have a Thierry Henry in the Championship. You don’t have a Freddie Ljungberg. You don’t have a [Landon] Donovan. For me, [MLS] is undoubtedly better.”
Rocastle, who has also plied his trade in Turkey and nearly every level of English soccer, said he found the comparison to be a little more abstract as different cultures, players and management styles come together. But what both agree on is that the league is steadily growing and MLS is more and more becoming a destination for foreign players, serving as both a building block and opportunity to thrive.
For his part, Smith wants to stick around. After a few years in the wilderness below the Premier League, he’s found a place willing to let him do what he does best.
“I want to play against the best players,” he said. “Long may they come here, you know. It’s a good test for me, and it hasn’t halted my progress so far. I’m enjoying it.”
