Posted by

Harjeet Johal ,

April 27, 2017 Twitter

@HarJournalist

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VANCOUVER, B.C - Vancouver Whitecaps FC's Sheanon Williams grew up in Dorchester, just outside of Boston. He loves the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and cheered for his beloved Bruins when they beat the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. Now that he is on the other side of the continent, he is a world away from 'The Hub.'



Williams has found a home with his new club, and he's settling in after being acquired from the Houston Dynamo on December 13, 2016. Through five MLS matches with Vancouver, he's enjoying his teammates, the city, and being part of a new environment.



"Yeah it's been great," said Williams. "Everybody's been great. It's been an easy transition except for a little bit of the weather, but other than that, I'm happy. I'm happy to be a part of this team, and I think we have a good group here. I'm excited to continue on with the season."



The 27 year-old, has been away from his wife and daughter who are in Houston Texas. Williams met his wife, a Philadelphia native, when he played for the Union from 2010-2015. Following Vancouver's current four-match road trip they will be reunited in Vancouver. Getting his family together will no doubt help Williams on and off the pitch.



"It's been pretty tough on both me and my wife," admitted Williams. "It's going to be nice to have them here. They'll be here in about two weeks. It'll be good to get in the routine, and back with them. It'll make life at home a little bit easier. I've got one daughter, and she's going to be starting kindergarten in the fall, so definitely excited."



Despite the distance between him and his family, Williams is adapting and finding his form with Vancouver. He has closed the revolving door that was the Caps right-back position last season. Coach Carl Robinson is glad he was able to bring in Williams.



"I think he's been very solid," said Robinson. "He's come in and he's settled in very well. He knows a couple of the guys. I think last year was difficult for the two right-backs. We had Jordan (Smith) and Fraser (Aird) both came in and done very well at times, but both were more attack orientated. After losing Steven (Beitashour) to Toronto for whatever reason. We were unable to fill that on a consistent basis. In the off-season, my job was to try and find a solid right-back, we have that in Jordan Harvey in the left-back position, and Sheanon fitted that bill. Bringing him on board was very important."



There is one surprise characteristic that you might not know about Sheanon Williams, and Carl Robinson wasn't aware either. Like a true Boston athlete, Williams wants to win, and he will do whatever it takes to do that. If something isn't right, he wants to learn and educate himself, even if that means causing a bit of a stir with the gaffer,



"He likes to moan in training, which is brilliant," revealed Robinson. "He likes to question every decision, even when it's clearly not his ball, he actually appeals for it, and generally looks at me as if he believes it is his ball, so that surprised me. I thought he was a good honest lad. He wants to win, so I don't mind that."



As the 2-4-1 Whitecaps travel to Montreal to take on the 1-2-4 Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday. They do so looking to earn a result after a 2-1 loss to Portland on Saturday. Vancouver will also visit Colorado, and Houston before returning home to play Sporting Kansas City on May 20. Ideally the Whitecaps would love to pick up all 9-points, but that's easier said than done.



What would Williams consider a successful road trip?



"Yeah that's a tough question to ask," said Williams. "We're going to go into every game with the mindset that we want to get three points. It depends on the game. It depends on the situation of every game, and how many points we think we can get. I think the group is confident right now. Over the last five games, we've played well, except for the exception of the Real Salt Lake game. I think we're in good form, maybe the results haven't shown that, but I think that we're creating a lot of chances. If we can get zeroes in the back, will win a lot more games than we'll lose this year."



You can tell Williams is already fitting in well in Vancouver. He's already found the biggest topic Vancouverites enjoy complaining about after affordable housing.



"As the weeks go on, it's got nicer and nicer," said Williams. "I'm probably the biggest complainer in the locker room about the weather. Everybody tells me to wait until summer. It's been sunny the last couple of days, so as long as the sun's out a little bit, I'm happy."



If Williams can continue to bring a winning mentality, and a positive influence to the Whitecaps defensive, the Caps back-line will indeed put up plenty of zeros this season. We all know defence wins championships, and having grown up in Boston, Williams is well aware of what it takes to bring a 'Duck Boat' parade to a loyal fan base. Vancouver supporters are hungry for a championship and Williams solidifies his position.