VANCOUVER ā Many of the players selected by the Vancouver Whitecaps in Wednesdayās Expansion Draft probably held off on packing their bags. However, one player who can start gathering his snow gear is goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
āHaving someone like him certainly gives us a player that has proven heās capable on the field, but also has proven that heās a leader,ā said club President Bob
Lenarduzzi. āThatās the kind of player that weāre looking for. That was something that went along with the [Jay] DeMerit signing, and a guy like Cannon also offers that leadership that I think we need to continue to add to our squad.ā
Whitecaps brass were very impressed by his pedigree and felt that he added a dimension that most other players available in the draft could not.
āWeāre excited about Joe,ā said Whitecaps FC Director of Soccer Operations Tom Soehn. "One thing you canāt emulate is a guy whoās been through championships. Heās a winner. Iāve scouted him quite a bit and watched him win games for his team by himself.
This will not be Cannonās first visit to Vancouver. In fact, Lenarduzzi met him 12 years ago during an A-League playoff matchup between his Vancouver 86ers and Cannonās San Diego Flash.
āHe actually got red carded in [the first leg] so he wasnāt able to play in the return game,ā remembered Lenarduzzi. āI stood beside him in San Diego and he could not stop talking about the Southsiders [supporters group] and the atmosphere at Swangard [where the 86ers and USL Whitecaps used to play], and the city itself. A long while after the fact heās now coming here.ā
Despite his three MLS Cup rings and two Goalkeeper of the Year awards, Cannon will have to battle to earn the starting job in net.
āI donāt like to pick who is my No. 1,ā said Head Coach Teitur Thordason. āI want to have three or four goalkeepers in my roster and the best one is going to play.ā
Soehn echoed those sentiments, insisting that Jay Nolly, last yearās USSF-D2 goalkeeper of the year, was very much still in the race.
āNo job is given,ā insisted Soehn. āWeāre excited with what Jay did last year, but we also want to be competitive at every position. We feel like weāve got two guys who are strong characters that will compete for the job, and I think itās a real positive.ā
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