As the Vancouver Whitecaps rapidly approach the business end of their 2019 MLS regular season, I took the opportunity to sit down with the Whitecaps’ Development Squad Head Coach, and former TSN analyst, Nick Dasovic after a midweek training session at the National Development Centre.

Nick is always willing to chat, and usually full of great insights (as well as a good story or two). Like many, I was very disappointed with the dissolvement of VWFC 2 two seasons ago, and perhaps even more disappointed with the ill-fated partnership with Fresno FC last season. In light of those stuggles, and given that we’ve heard so little from the development ranks this season (the curse of a non-league exhibition side), Nick was able to provide some valuable perspective on how some of the Whitecaps’ key prospects have been coming along this year. He also shared his views on the ideal structure for the Development Team in the long term (hint: he wants them back in a league), including a breakdown on how BC Soccer has regressed over the past 25+ years, and what it will take to get young BC players involved at the MLS level.

Sam: You’ve had a lot of different roles in football over the years (on both the coaching and playing side) how are you enjoying being back with the Vancouver Whitecaps? And how is your first season going as Development Team Head Coach?

Nick: “I mean, coming back to Vancouver, it’s always special. I’m from the city, grew up here, and then obviously had my travels around the world. When Marc came into the team, he asked me if I’d like to get the development team rolling, and because I know Marc, and I know the way Marc works, it was something that I really looked forward to. Also, it was the chance to work with a group of players at an age I’m familiar with, and where I’ve had a lot of experience with the National Team back with the U23 and U20’s. So given that, it was something that was in my wheelhouse, per se, so it was something that I was excited about. I know it’s something that we in Canada have struggled with [that age group] - and there’s not a lot of opportunities. Now obviously, with the introduction of of the CPL, that’s given a platform for younger players, but for the ones that aren’t there yet, this is a great platform to be involved in, as well as the opportunity to be in a club and grow within it.”

Sam: The Whitecaps development ranks have been in flux over the past few seasons, first there was VWFC2, then the partnership with Fresno FC. What made a non-league development squad the best choice for the club & it’s players this season? And are there plans to join a league in the future?

“To be honest, we do need to play in a League.”

Nick: “There are pros and cons to both options. The pros to playing in something like the USL for example, is that it’s a league. The cons are that if you’re in partnership with a group, let’s say Fresno, and your players aren’t playing, that’s not ideal. So is it better to have your own club? Obviously. But there’s financial constraints about being a team in a league. It’s not cheap. But I think for us, a big thing was the ability to have our kids in our own backyard and we get to work with them. The one thing Marc, myself and the first team staff have talked about is to continue to work in a type of philosophy and methodology that is continuous throughout the club. This means that when a player is prepared and ready to play for the first team, they at least know the language, they know the habits and they know the philosophy of the club. And I think that that’s a big thing, having them in our house and to be able to work with them. Then again, we don’t have a set schedule, but when you look at this group [the development squad] I think that when the 2019 Calendar year finishes, they will have played 30+ games and this will have included two games in Korea, three games in Mexico and three games in England. And then also some good local teams and all-star teams as well. So I think we’ve done a decent job trying to create a schedule. Obviously, there’s no points for the matches but that’s the way it is. It’s something where people will look from the outside and go “that doesn’t make sense, they should be playing in a league” and to be honest, we do need to play in a league. But at the same time, it’s not there right now, and we’ll make the best of it as we get these kids some games. It’s also worth mentioning that we play the first team in balance games once every two to three weeks...If tomorrow we could have a team in the CPL for example, that would be great. But until something like that actually happens, if it does happen, we’re going to continue working in this environment and going in this direction. I think we’re going to make the best of it. For example, I think we have seven players right now who made the final roster for the U-17 national team, and a lot of that has to do with the experiences they got through the development program playing against high level opponents. So the players are getting a lot out of it, which is exactly what we need them to do.”

Sam: Theo Bair is the only academy player who has seen first team minutes this season and Marc Dos Santos has praised his work ethic and commitment in training sessions. What have you seen from Theo this year?

Nick: “When I took this job, Theo and I talked about the strength and weaknesses of his game. And when he came down to me from the first team I was very open and honest with him. Theo and I came to an agreement that every time he had done something we would put a line in the sand, and what was behind that line was in the past. A lot of players that have played youth football, they go back and say “I scored 30 goals in this youth league”, but that means nothing to me as a coach, or to Marc as a coach, or to anyone. The bottom line is, what did you do for me today? When I said that to Theo, that’s when I think the penny dropped and he realized that the past didn’t really matter anymore. Once he realized that, you can see that he’s started to get a run of games with the first team. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t scored a few goals, but he got called to the MLS homegrown game and he’s in a good moment right now.”

Sam: Should Whitecaps fans be concerned that Theo is the only academy product getting first team running at the moment? And are the players on the development squad as a whole progressing as well as you’d like them to?

Nick: “I don’t think so. I just think that Marc’s new here and with that he’s brought his own philosophy. So it’s going to take a bit of time. We’ve got a few really good young players coming up. And I think that over the next 12-18 months, we’re going to see a few more players trickle through to the first team. And I think that if at any club you get one player a year that’s a huge thing. Personally, from what I’ve seen of the talent of some of these kids, I think it’s just a matter of time. But it’s not just the talent, but also the mental part of the game. Do you understand what it takes to be a professional footballer? Are you prepared to sacrifice? Do you understand that you might not play? Can you be patient? So once they get that, I think they’re going to be fine.”

Samuel: Simon Colyn received a lot of buzz near the end of last season after he made his debut in the 2018 MLS season finale, how has his year been going so far?

Nick: “Look, if you’re Simon, you’re probably frustrated. He came on against Portland [last season] and he had two good opportunities to score a goal, and at that point you’re probably thinking “Okay, I’m ready to start”. But I still think that Simon has some growth to do, particularly physically. As you can see, he’s a thin kid, he’s not strong, but there’s still a lot of really good attributes. He’s a good technical player, his demeanor is very good, he works hard. But ultimately, probably the hardest thing to teach a young kid is patience. On the other side of things for Simon, he’s one of the mainstays on the national team [U-17], he’s been a captain, so overall, he’s in a good moment, there’s nothing to fret about at this stage.”

Sam: Chituru Odunze is a rather intriguing goalkeeping prospect who’s drawn a good amount of attention, largely for his 6-foot-7 frame at just 16 years of age. While his height obviously provides him with a certain advantage in goal - what are some of the areas that Odunze still needs to work on? (Note: Since this interview was recorded, Odunze was signed to an MLS contract and subsequently transferred to Leicester City, whom he was with on loan for a brief period in January.)

Nick: “He’s been on a few trips with us and been in a few games. He’s also been capped with the US Under 17’s, so he’ll be headed to the World Cup as well. He’s got a lot of upside and obviously, if someone that size walks into your office at 6’6” or 6’7”, as a coach you go “Ok, I can make this guy a goalkeeper”. So there’s a lot of good moments with him, and he came with us to Korea and got experience playing a game there. We always talk about keepers not getting any kind of maturation until they’re in their 20s, so he’s young, and anything could happen between now and 25.”

Sam: Vasco Fry made a move to the Whitecaps Academy in late 2018 from Peru and has enjoyed a decent amount of running with the first team in training sessions. What is Fry’s profile as a midfielder and how have you viewed his performances for the Dev. Squad this season?

Nick: “Yeah, the first team has had some sessions with him and they were happy with him. I think Vasco is the type of player that loves to be on the ball and loves to play with the ball. He’s very good at finding passes. His passing is excellent. There’s certain parts of his game he needs to get better at, like all of us as players, but I think there’s a real upside to him. And one big thing about Vasco is that he’s a great kid. He’s humble, he works hard, he’s always got a smile on his face. It’s going to be a big year for him now, because he’s with the development team for now and it’s all about him taking that step and getting in to the first team.”

Sam: Other than the players I’ve already touched on, who has stood out from the development squad in matches so far this season that Whitecaps fans might not yet be aware of?

Nick: “Both Marc and I, as you know, don’t like singling guys out like that, but our development teams offer a bit of a strange dynamic in the sense that it is about individuals, because my job as a coach isn’t so much to go win games as it is to promote individuals into Marc’s team. Without trying to name names, we’ve got two guys who have stood out to me. One is Gianfranco Facchineri who did an excellent job with the National Team. I believe he scored a penalty which brought Canada into the World Cup against Costa Rica (U-17s), so he’s had a very good run. Then another one, a local kid, Damiano Pecile he’s been doing well with the National Team as well, he’s playing in a midfield role with them and he looks like he’s got a bright future ahead of him. There’s lots of potential, but the big question for all of these guys is, what are they going to do between 17 and 21?”

Our very own Gianfranco Facchineri from @WFCAcademy scores from the spot to clinch Canada's berth in the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup!#canM17 | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/FNNZAPc9D2 — Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 12, 2019

Sam: Having been active with soccer in Canada and the Canadian National Team for such a long time, how do you think that Canadian Soccer, and Soccer in BC specifically, has progressed over the last 25+ years? What needs to be done at the grassroots and academy levels in order for us to see BC players starting at the MLS level, in say, 2025 or 2027?

“What we’re doing right now in BC obviously isn’t working.”

Nick: “We had a team back in the 90’s, I believe we were ranked 40th in the world at the time, and about 40% of the players on that team were from BC. And then when you look at the staff, 4-5 out of 6 of the staff were from BC as well. So I think for anybody involved at the highest level, which you can call the Whitecaps, it’s not just the work that you do, but also the work that’s done below us. So for me, everybody has to take a look and say we need to do a better job at the grassroots level. We need to train these kids differently, because what we’re doing right now in BC obviously isn’t working. But if you ask me exactly what the problem is, I can’t tell you. Personally, I haven’t done much of an investigation into that, but are we losing out? Are we not doing a good enough job here? I think it’s pretty evident - something's missing here. We’ve gone backwards from having 40% BC Players in the National Team in the mid-90’s to zero or one in the full squad. Which is an alarming number. At the same time, provinces like Alberta and Manitoba have been doing a great job. So we’ve got our work cut out for us, that’s for sure....”

[Nick continued to speak on the mentality needed at the academy level]

“Now if you’re 17 and you are in an MLS academy and you’ve been selected to the National Team, you think okay, this is going to be a rosy ride. But it’s not that way, it’s a bumpy ride, and you’ve got to be ready to deal with that. So I think again, it comes down to patience and understanding and perseverance.”

“If we look at Alphonso Davies, he’s the anomaly. But even so, he’s going to find his own issues being there now [at Bayern]. Is he going to be the same player, how long is it going to take him to get in to the first team? The bottom line is, Alfonso's is playing on one of the top 10 teams in the world right now. And that’s a huge thing to say. So for the kids in our backyard, we need to first and foremost think about how we can get them in the Whitecaps, and then if someone else comes in to make a deal for them, you deal with that, but there’s a lot of work to be done. Overall, I think the Club and the Academy are working in the right direction.”

...

Which Whitecaps prospect(s) are you most excited to see make the jump to the MLS level? If VWFC 2 was to be re-created, what league should they join? Do you agree with Nick and Marc’s patient approach to youth development? I hope you enjoyed the interview, and let me know your thoughts on what Nick had to say in the comments section!