

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

October 22, 2014 Email

Steve Bottjer

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@BottjerRNO

It’s been a tough year for Calgary, Alberta native Issey Nakajima-Farran in light of the fact that his desired return to Canada to play professional soccer in the North American top flight has not panned out quite how he expected it to.



After signing with Toronto FC in March, he was unexpectedly traded on his birthday to the Montreal Impact after only five appearances with the Reds and before all of his belongings had even been shipped to Toronto from Europe. Following the type of forced move that was alien to a professional player who had previously played the majority of his career across the pond, he then found himself on the outside looking in on a struggling team, making only four starts under Impact Head Coach Frank Klopas.



Interestingly, even though he finds himself soured somewhat with regard to his overall MLS experience, the 30 year old midfielder is not sure whether or not he will be back with the Impact next season.



“Things didn’t really play out too well for me,” Nakajima-Farran told RedNation. “As soon as I settled down in Montreal, I haven’t really been playing. I’ve played a little here and there but no more than an hour in the last 10-15 games.”



“I don’t know how all this stuff works with option years,” he continued. “I’m kind of disappointed in how things do work out for players with the trade situation. When certain players are happy in certain areas they are then brought to other areas and then get treated poorly, like myself for the last twenty games. For that I am very disappointed. I could understand if the club was doing well, but we haven’t done well apart from the Champions League obviously. I think it has been a very bad season for Montreal.”



“We’ll see what comes along,” he added. “Actions speak louder than words. I see what is going on with Montreal and how they have treated me. I’m not very satisfied there, but we will see what happens with this option thing. It just isn’t allowed over in Europe.”



While Nakajima-Farran is not shy in making it clear that it has been a disappointing year for him at the club level, he is also quick to express that playing with the Canadian Men’s National Team has sustained him and that is has been something of a save grace for him during a trying year at the club level.



“Our season is done here (with Montreal) and we have seen the coach’s preference and these are the results we get,” Nakajima-Farran explained. “In Europe a losing team always changes, but we don’t win games and it is still the same team. Everybody can see what is going on here. I’m not very happy here but I’m extremely happy with the national team and that’s where I want to keep my focus.”



“It’s been a frustrating and unexciting time for me, but everything has been going great with the national team,” he added. “So I’m very thankful to Benito and all the guys on the national team. I’m definitely excited for the Canadian National Team. Next year will be a big year for us with the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying. We only have a few more games for preparation. Obviously, I want to stay fit and ready for those games.”



Nakajima-Farran is one of the players who has looked very good in Canada’s recent matches while playing under Benito Floro and it is clear that the attack minder winger has developed a strong sense of belief in the difference that the Spanish head coach has made while being at the helm of the Canadian squad for just over a year.



“I think it has been a big difference and a big change with respect to how things are progressing with the national team,” he explained. “The way that Benito teaches us his philosophy, it’s more than I have ever experienced with any other coach. It’s not just high pressing – there are stages in the high press and plan B’s during those high presses, when to fall back and when to re-press. We do two training sessions per day and two video sessions per day.”



“It was never like that previously with the national team,” he added. “It was just morning training and then the afternoon off, just like it is at the club level. But Benito really puts in the time to teach us his philosophy and he is trying to spread that to a lot of players instead of just the core that used to come in with various coaches.”



In the estimation of the 32 times capped Canadian International, better days are around the corner for the Canadian National Team and he is excited and focused on being part of that future.



“We all believe in Benito’s football and the results are showing,” Nakajima-Farran said. “Even though sometimes the players ourselves are sometimes skeptical about whether or not we will really be able to pull something off, he really makes us believe in his system and he shows us that we are capable of doing it.”