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For Akeem Garcia, every successful soccer squad needs a teammate like Kodai Iida.

“That’s my best friend, man,” Garcia, the HFX Wanderers’ leading scorer, said of the sprightly 24-year-old midfielder from Ishikawa, Japan.

“We have a good understanding of each other. But I think his best attribute is that he's very humble. He never argues, he’s always listening. Whatever pressure is on him, he’ll just say, ‘OK, I’ll do better next time.’ He’s just an amazing guy.”

Not only is Iida a good teammate, the five-foot-six speed demon is versatile. He can play as an attacking midfielder, out wide or behind the strikers.

“He can play a number of positions," Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart said. "He has high energy, but sometimes it’s too much. But he can slow down and pick his moments. That's part of the whole learning process.

"He probably came from an environment where he had to do everything on the team. And now he has to learn that responsibility is shared and that he has to wait for the right moments to use his abilities.”

Iida and Garcia teamed up on a sweltering Saturday afternoon for the game's only goal as the Wanderers opened the fall season of the 2019 Canadian Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory over the York9 FC at the Wanderers Grounds.

After Iida forced York keeper Nathan Ingram to make an in-close save, Garcia followed and calmly put away the rebound at the 55th minute.

It was Garcia's team-leading fourth goal and Iida's third assist, which tops the Wanderers.

“Kodai’s quick, he can score, he can pass and he’s technical," Garcia said.

“He has played a big part with this team. He has the most assists on this team. He has assisted on (three) of my goals. He comes up big and he’s always there when we need him. He’s a big part of this team.”

Iida signed with the Wanderers after playing at the amateur and semi-pro levels throughout the U.S.

He started with the Yamanashi Gakuin University squad in Kofu, Japan, before moving overseas to pursue a professional career.

“I couldn’t play as a professional in Japan,” Iida said. “There wasn’t a team for me. But I found U.S. soccer and it was interesting. I decided to try the U.S.

“It’s different here than in Japan. In Japan, there’s a lot of passing of the ball. But it’s faster here in North America and a lot more shots. It’s more aggressive here than in Japan.”

His first foray in North America was two years ago with the Kitsap Pumas (based in Bremerton, Wash.) of the National Premier Soccer League, a fourth-tier semi-pro circuit.

He moved on to the NPSL’s Clarkstown Eagles later that season and scored three goals in six appearances before returning to Washington state last year to play in the American Evergreen Premier League.

Looking to land a professional gig, Iida attended the CPL’s open trials camp last September in Montreal.

“This was my chance to become a professional soccer player,” Iida recalled. “I played pretty well. Played my best at the right time.”

Iida earned his spot on the Wanderers squad after a series of outstanding performances, including a pair of goals in the final game of the trials.

Hart offered him his first pro contract to play for the Halifax-based squad in February.

“I saw him at the trial and besides the fact that he scored two goals in the final, more importantly he had qualities that I really admire in players,” Hart said.

“He has the ability to beat his man, to make that final pass. I knew it would take a while for him to adapt to a new country, to adapt to being a professional and training every single day. But you knew that this boy deserves an opportunity and that he would be beneficial to this team.”

Iida made his debut as a substitute in Halifax’s inaugural match on April 28.

On Saturday, he played 77 minutes and tested the York9 back-line for much of that time.

“Little by little I’m getting used to the pro game,” Iida admitted. “The first time was very tough, it was high-pressure and more speedy. It was hard but I’m getting used to it. It’s a tight schedule and you get tired more. But I’m adjusting to it.

“Of course, I’m not satisfied yet. We need to play well and we need to win more. I’m trying to score. If I want to go further I need to score more.”

Iida isn’t shy about how far he wants to climb the ladder in pro soccer.

Although appreciative of his opportunity to play in the Canadian Premier League, he has loftier goals.

“I want to play a more high level,” Iida said.

“This league is very, very good. But why I came here is that I want to be a professional soccer player in the U.S. I want to play in Major League Soccer. That’s my dream. After that, I want to try Europe and then some time go back to Japan. I want to keep moving up.”

Notes: Jan-Michael Williams posted the shutout on Saturday. He made six saves. ... The Wanderers return to Canadian Championship action Wednesday evening against the Ottawa Fury at the Wanderers Grounds.

