ASN: Battle-tested in Portugal, Cannon arrives in USMNT camp after serving to Boavista to a powerful begin

With the U.S. nationwide staff now assembled in Germany forward of its pleasant in opposition to Japan, Reggie Cannon is likely one of the gamers who arrived in camp enjoying nicely. Taking part in out of place in central protection, Cannon has helped Boavista to its greatest begin since 2004. Forward of camp, ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke at size with the previous FC Dallas homegrown concerning the distinctive nature of enjoying in Portugal, the U.S. staff, and Berhalter’s current go to on his scouting journey. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
September 21, 2022
9:45 AM

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WITH THE 2022 WORLD CUP now lower than two months away, the competitors to make the USA roster to go to Qatar is intense at a number of key positions. That is true particularly at proper again the place Gregg Berhalter named 4 gamers at this place to present September roster.

Reggie Cannon, 24, is likely one of the 4 together with Sergino Dest, Joe Scally, and DeAndre Yedlin and there are execs and cons with every participant.

Dest is the closest to a lock as a consequence of his expertise with three prime European groups, however his enjoying time at Milan within the coming months is murky. Scally is gifted however has but to play in any necessary video games for the U.S. staff. Yedlin is essentially the most internationally skilled participant on the U.S. staff however has not stood out since shifting to Inter Miami after falling out of favor at Galatasaray.

For Cannon, there are additionally loads of execs, and some cons. For the professionals, he’s enjoying nicely for Boavista and has been the U.S. staff’s backup proper again behind Dest for many of this cycle. On the flip facet, he not often performs proper again anymore and as a substitute is enjoying without any consideration central defender in Boavista’s three-man backline.

However regardless of that positional change, Cannon insists his position at Bovista has solely made him higher.

“I haven’t even played right back since the last time I’ve been in national team camp,” Cannon informed American Soccer Now. “It’s always good getting new experiences and learning how to play the game from a different perspective. That makes me a versatile player and it helps me in the long run.”

Cannon admits he misses the reps he will get in making attacking runs without any consideration again, however has discovered that his protection has improved in his present position. He nonetheless hits attacking passes to his wingers and midfielders, however he has to regulate to having no cowl behind him.

“This position forces you to be aggressive but also cover the space behind, which is something I’m developing pretty well,” Cannon stated. “It’s something that you may not get reps at fullback as much. It’s given room for me to develop and play those line-breaking passes, to learn how my position can affect playing through lines. I think all of that is something that Gregg values. I think that is why I keep getting called in even though I’m playing, you can say, out of position. But this is my position as of now.”

Along with his new versatility, there may be additionally the inherent aggressive instincts which have discovered one other stage in Portugal. Cannon notes that the Portuguese league is just totally different when put next with each MLS or some other European League.

The league is thought for its prime golf equipment – Benfica, Sporting CP, Porto, and Braga, however many of the league is much totally different. Whereas there may be nonetheless high quality, there’s a tenacious sense of desperation that’s core to the league’s smaller groups.

“It is very tactical, but a big chunk of the percentage of games is just intensity,” Cannon defined. “It’s how hard you go into tackles. It’s literally a war – benches clearing, usually have a member of staff getting a red card every one or two games. That’s just what Portugal is – whether people like to admit it or not. I think that does help me.”

That uber-intense nature of the Portuguese recreation helps Cannon and it was one thing that Berhalter received to witness earlier this month throughout three-day scouting journey to Europe. Berhalter spent the ultimate day of his journey with Cannon and was in attendance to observe Boavista’s 1-0 win over Pacos Ferreira on September fifth.

The sport was eye opening for Berhalter to understand what a real battle this league is in contrast with anyplace else. Yellow playing cards have been handed out often together with one to Cannon who performed nicely and was an necessary a part of the cleansheet win.

“The Portuguese league is crazy competitive, especially when you’re looking at these mid table teams playing against each other,” Berhalter stated. “It is an absolute war, and that was good to see. Reggie embraced that side of the game. The first half of the game – six yellow cards probably could have been about eight yellow cards. It was one car crash after another, and just really a competitive game. That was good to see, and then see how Reggie is coping with that.”

This additionally highlights one in all Cannon’s strongest instances to make the World Cup roster. The extreme nature of the Portuguese league intently resembles the worldwide recreation at highest ranges.

The worldwide recreation generally could be uncooked as nationwide groups, not like golf equipment, are collectively solely sometimes. However on the World Cup, there’s a have to win in any respect prices as loses could be catastrophic. Like in Portugal, the video games are sometimes a battle of wills. That is now an space the place Cannon is well-tested.

“Gregg saw firsthand how intense this league is as compared to other leagues,” Cannon stated. “I’m an intense player. Gregg even told me when he was here that he likes that aspect of the ‘warrior Reggie’, who is intense, supportive, a good teammate and all that stuff. I think this league is a lot more intense than some of the other leagues in Europe, because a lot of the other leagues are about quality and technique. You can still have that in this league, obviously, but a big chunk of it is intensity. You see with the defenders – how many fouls, how many yellows, how many PK’s are given up each week. It’s definitely different.”

However Cannon has discovered a technique to not simply survive within the weekly battles on the sector, but additionally to thrive. Via seven video games, Boavista sits in fifth place with 15 factors. It’s the membership’s greatest begin since 2004 and it’s a far cry from 2020/21 when Cannon first arrived, and the membership wanted a late surge to keep away from relegation.

“Our coach [former Portuguese international, Petit,] had a vision from day one of the type of team he wanted and to compete in every single training,” Cannon stated. “You had a lot of people in the past couple of years who just didn’t really commit… But everyone in this team is fully committed to the team and to the coach.”

“We’re not dominating games,” he added. “It’s not like we’re winning 3-0 or 4-0. That’s never going to be the case in the Portuguese League unless you’re Porto, Sporting, Benfica, Braga. It’s about how hard is the team willing to fight when something goes wrong, to come back from mistakes from errors, from goals.”

However for a lot of gamers in Portuguese league outdoors of the normal powers, they hope it will likely be a steppingstone for larger issues. A part of what makes the league so intense is the tough monetary conditions for many of the midtable and decrease desk groups.

On the whole, there simply isn’t some huge cash in Portugal. Gamers are enjoying to get observed. Whereas promotion and relegation is widespread all through Europe, the implications of relegation are much more dire in Portugal because it places golf equipment getting ready to survival due the specter of decreasing income to already struggling golf equipment.

Cannon is completely satisfied in Portugal, however even he is aware of at a succeeding Boavista staff, he’s enjoying for a brighter future.

“The league in general, like a lot of teams have financial problems and it creates a lot of difficulties,” Cannon stated. “I think all of us are kind of like accepting where we are and pushing to make the best of this situation to focus on becoming a better player for whatever may happen in the future.”

For now, Cannon is just completely satisfied to be again in with the nationwide staff. He’s very shut with many of the staff and had a superb relationship the employees together with Berhalter and his assistant Luchi Gonzalez who was the FC Dallas academy director who introduced Cannon into that group.

He welcomes the competitors at proper again and feels ready for the approaching video games to cement his spot.

“It’s going to be a very important time for the group,” Cannon stated. “There are two games left until it’s the real thing. It’s going to be the same mentality because this group has had the same mentality from the beginning that ‘I’m here to earn a spot every single camp.’ Because we always know how competitive it is with how many players playing in Europe, playing in MLS, – all over the place. Everyone’s trying to compete for that spot. It’s going to be a very intense camp to get those final touches in before we get the show on the road.”