Posted by

Harjeet Johal ,

May 10, 2016 Twitter

@HarJournalist

Read this on your iPhone/iPad or Android device





VANCOUVER, B.C. - When you think of the Vancouver Whitecaps, a young squad of gifted, up and coming talent comes to mind with a strong backbone down the middle and outstanding goalkeeping. The Whitecaps organization has built a core foundation featuring players from Central and South America. Since the Vancouver Whitecaps first took to the pitch for an MLS match on March 19, 2011 vs Toronto FC, supporters have seen many players come and go. Some were exceptional footballers and others not so much. Throughout that time one player has primarily been a vital presence on and off the pitch. Jordan Harvey was acquired by the Vancouver Whitecaps for allocation money on July 7, 2011 from Philadelphia. On Wednesday at BC Place vs Chicago Fire, Harvey will pass Gershon Koffie for first place in Whitecaps all-time MLS regular season appearances with 134 appearances. "It's a huge honour," said Harvey. "This club has had a lot of great players and to have the most appearances, is really truly an honour and a privilege to be here, playing in front of these fans and this organization." The Mission Viejo, California, native would be the first one to admit to you that he might not be the most flashy and exciting player on the pitch during those 133 appearances. Harvey brings a hard work mentality and leaves everything he has to offer on the pitch. A strong family upbringing is reason why he is consistent professional and a positive example for his teammates and others around the league. "From day one, my parents, coaches preached hard work, work ethic, and practice, practice, practice," revealed Harvey. "That's been my mentality. My fitness, I feel like is one of my better attributes and getting up and down the line and doing whatever I can to help the team, it's what I do. I'm not going to be pinging balls across the field like Pedro (Morales) or scoring goals like, (Masato) Kudo. I'm going to get up and down the line and work as hard as I can to defend well, get forward, help in the attack, and just do what I can." If it was up to Whitecaps Coach Carl Robinson, he might just add a few more Jordan Harvey's to his roster. He may have to quickly hurry as the MLS primary transfer window shuts on Wednesday, May 11 at 10:00 p.m. PT. All kidding aside, Robinson has been delighted by Harvey's contributions this season and believe he should be getting a lot more praise and credit for the teams overall success. "Character wise he's a top guy and we know that", said Robinson. "He's loved around the city, he's very important to the supporters. He wears his heart on his sleeve. If you have eleven or ten Jordan Harvey's on your team with the amount of fight, determination, and work ethic he has... you won't go far wrong." "He's been a pleasure since I've taken charge here. Even when I was an assistant with Martin (Rennie) and he was behind Alain Rochat. He conducted himself very very well. People don't see that, they only see the good times and not the difficult times. He deserves a lot of credit, he's been fantastic this year for us. He's set the standard. When teams play well full-backs don't tend to get much credit as what the attacking players do. When the teams struggled, he's actually stepped up this year and that's credit to him. On Wednesday I'm sure he will break the record of appearances." Vancouver Whitecaps President, Bobby Lenarduzzi recalls what happened in July, 2011 when the club was looking at obtaining a quality full-back with MLS experience. Lenarduzzi believes Jordan Harvey has blown those initial expectations out of the water and surpassed what the organization first envisioned. "The one thing that we knew very well about Jordan was his ability in the changing room," said Lenarduzzi. "Clearly he's a seasoned left-back, but he's the kind of guy that had MLS experience and was a very good MLS player. That's something that we were looking for, having said that. I think his level of consistency and in fact, I would suggest that he's actually gone beyond being consistent and he's been a very good performer for us." The 32 year-old Harvey didn't play his first home match in a Whitecaps kit against an MLS opponent. If you still have your ticket stub from the opening season, you may remember a friendly at Empire Field. From that moment forward, Harvey knew he was in a city that loved football and could potentially grow, and support a football team from the bottom and all the way to the top of Major League Soccer. "It was exciting," Harvey reflected. "I remember those games at Empire (Field). My first appearance was actually against Man City and coming in to that kind of debacle with the rain and everything, but the fans were still there in numbers. That's what I remember watching from a distance, when I was in Philly. It was just the energy, you could tell from watching highlights. There's such a great energy in the city surrounding the Whitecaps." "When I first got here, that's what I was most excited about, and the players. We had some really great players in (Eric) Hassli, (Alain) Rochat, (Davide) Chiumiento, that I loved playing with. Starting with those guys and kind of transforming with the Gershon Koffie's and now Russell's (Teibert) still hanging on strong with me. It's exciting and the city has got more into the Whitecaps. It's helped with the success that we've had and hopefully we continue to have more success. It's a Whitecaps city." Harvey took a moment to pause before digging deep to share one of his favourite moments with the Whitecaps. Playing in playoff matches, scoring goals, or making a goal-line clearance might come to mind for most, but not Jordan Harvey. His biggest and most memorable time came in cup competition. "Oh wow. I would have to say winning the Canadian Championship here, last year," admitted Harvey. "That was one of the best experiences, definitely as a Whitecap. Being at home, although we lost the first playoff game here, the energy surrounding the city and the stadium at the beginning of that game was unmatched. I'd definitely say the Canadian Championship. Just being able to hoist the trophy in front of your home fans was definitely a highlight." While Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, Brad Rusin, Carlyle Mitchell, and Greg Klazura have all patrolled the back-line at some point during the Jordan Harvey era. There are two players who come to mind that Harvey is most fond of and has enjoyed playing with on the left-side of that back-four setup. "There all so different. Alain Rochat, I loved playing with him because he was so cool, calm, and collected. He taught me a lot. Not just playing at left-back, but just playing soccer in general. I loved playing with him and I really enjoy playing with Tim (Parker). He's got that youthful exuberance that makes me lose a few years here and he's a guy that I get along with off the field, so we communicate really well. Win, lose, or draw, we're always on the same page." Statistically speaking of course, Jordan Harvey isn't just sitting back in his own half preparing for opposition attackers. In his 133 Whitecaps MLS regular season appearances, Harvey has the same amount of goals scored as Gershon Koffie with 9 goals. Harvey also has more assists with eight, compared to Koffie's seven. Upon learning of his offensive exploits up the pitch, Harvey wasn't buying it at first. "That's a lie, no chance. You know what, if you go through those goals and I know that's not your question, his goals were way more exciting than mine, I think he hit some screamers. Mine were probably, 90 percent inside the six (yard box). I think I need a few highlight reel shots like he has to surpass that." If Jordan Harvey maintains his level of fitness and continues to perform and provide a stable option for Carl Robinson, there is no reason why he can't continue to play for the Whitecaps for years to come. His healthy is always at top levels, his teammates love playing with him and he has a lot to offer and share.



