ASN: After making the transfer to Portugal, Cannon holds daring future ambitions

Final month, Reggie Cannon lastly earned his lengthy sought-after switch to Europe when he moved from FC Dallas to Boavista. Now settled in Portugal, Cannon acknolwedges combined emotions on his former membership whereas additionally aiming excessive together with his new membership. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the fullback from Texas in regards to the transfer and different matters such because the U.S. nationwide staff, Lille, and life off the sector. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
October 13, 2020
12:00 PM

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WHILE 2020 has been a tough 12 months for a lot of gamers on the earth of soccer because of the COVID shutdowns, the shrinking of budgets for a lot of golf equipment, and the diminished variety of worldwide video games, in the long run Reggie Cannon bought what he most wished – a switch to Europe. Now at Boavista, the US worldwide proper again is settling into the Portuguese prime flight.

Cannon, 22, arrived in Portugal in early September after his switch from FC Dallas was finalized and scored in his first preseason recreation. Every week later he began within the opener – a 3-3 draw towards newly promoted Nacional. After a troublesome 5-0 loss to Porto, Cannon had his greatest recreation, thus far, for Boavista in a 1-1 draw with Moreirense FC.

Reggie Cannon: Uncooked # for Boavista in 1-1 draw vs Moreirense90 mins58 touches1 shot2 key passes0 aerials2 dribbles (3 attemps)1x fouled2 tackles (2 attemps)4 interceptions4 clearances5 duels gained, 2 lost72.4% passing (21/29)1/2 correct lengthy balls1/2 correct crosses

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 2, 2020

Whereas Cannon is trending up, he’s hoping that this present worldwide window will assist enhance staff chemistry as his squad continues to be looking for its first win in 2020/21. In its two attracts, Boavista let leads slip away with late equalizers.

“That is something we are definitely looking to rectify – especially with this week and half here,” Cannon informed ASN from Portugal. “We have performed so properly – whether or not or not it’s the primary half towards Porto or the primary half towards Nacional, or giving up a late aim within the final recreation. It has been reoccurring and this staff must learn to shut out video games.”

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“Right now, there are just a lot of new players coming together with zero chemistry,” Cannon added. “Now is a good period to just play with each other and learn each other’s habits. We haven’t had much time to do that yet. So this is good….We have players from literally everywhere – Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, America. It’s a great squad. We just have to get the chemistry down. But I am excited for the future.”

As with every American participant shifting overseas, there’s a required adjustment interval – each on and off the sector. Up to now in Portugal, the off-field adjustment has gone properly. He and his spouse love Porto the place they reside with a seashore view and benefit from the meals.

On the sector in Portugal’s prime flight, Cannon has been extraordinarily impressed with the extent of play in Portugal – and whereas he notes that it isn’t thought-about one of many prime 5 leagues on the continent, he’s significantly impressed with the youthful starvation among the many gamers that are searching for their technique to the highest ranges of the European recreation.

As has been extensively reported, Boavista share a typical possession with Lille OSC, usually a prime 5 finisher in France’s Ligue 1 – which is without doubt one of the greatest leagues in France. There may be huge hypothesis that if Cannon performs properly for Boavista, he may make a fast transfer to Lille. Cannon admits he has spoken a number of instances with Lille’s sporting director, Luis Campos (who’s from Portugal), however insists he’s attempting not to consider what lies past Boavista since he has discovered the Portuguese league difficult.

“I know people want to say this isn’t a top five league but honestly, the first game I played against Nacional was the toughest competition I faced since, I can’t even remember when,” Cannon stated. “It’s continued ever since. That is not a slight to MLS.. I’ve always had that dream of getting to Europe and becoming one of the best fullbacks in the world one day.”

“Everyone is trying to get to the top level in the top five leagues here,” Cannon continued. “This is where dreams are made. I really believe that everyone here has something special. There is not one player here who is average. I am learning a lot here and I am growing.”

This previous week, Cannon made headlines together with his look on The Crack Podcast the place he mentioned his current time at FC Dallas and the largest takeaway got here from the tip when Cannon selected to kneel throughout the taking part in of the U.S. nationwide anthem – for which a few of the Dallas followers booed. On the podcast, Cannon revealed that some inside FC Dallas tried to get him to apologize for that.

Cannon admits he appears to be like again on his time with Dallas in a combined gentle. He very a lot appreciates his two head coaches, Luchi Gonzalez and Oscar Pareja, and acknowledges he discovered loads there after he signing a homegrown deal on the finish of 2016 and was a starter from the start of 2018 via when he departed in August.

“Dallas in every right prepared me for this step,” Cannon stated. “They wanted to get me to Europe as quickly as possible. It was obviously difficult for reasons I won’t get into….There are a lot of positives and negatives for my time at Dallas. There are some things which really left a sour taste in my mouth from the club. That is just me being 100% honest. But my time at the club, was great. I made some many friends and I learned so much – from Luchi and especially Oscar. I grew so much in that time frame. I thank the club for everything they did for me. But there are a lot of things that kind of come to the surface, especially during the ending times during the negotiations but I couldn’t have asked for from the club. It was a great experience there.”

Additionally on the highest of Cannon’s thoughts is a return to the U.S. nationwide staff. The November window is quick approaching and it might be the primary time most of the European-based gamers have been with the staff since November 2019. Cannon’s final look got here on the conclusion of the 2020 January camp when he drew the decisive penalty in a 1-0 win over Costa Rica.

Throughout his transition to Boavista, Cannon has been in common contact with nationwide staff head coach Gregg Berhalter and Cannon has requested him for feed again on his performances. He has additionally been in contact together with his buddies within the nationwide staff pool about getting again collectively.

“I have that feeling and I know everyone in the pool agrees, the strides this pool as taken in the past six months is insane,” Cannon stated. “These players have made so much happen. We are playing for each other, even though we are in different clubs and different countries. When we reunite, I can’t want to see everyone – Christian, Sergino, Weston, Tyler, Josh, Antonee. These players are all in different environments and have changed over the past six months. It is going to be a really exciting time and there is going to be a lot of depth. It’s going to inspire even more competition and integration.”

The November friendlies for the U.S. nationwide staff haven’t been introduced and the growing COVID instances in Europe may doubtlessly jeopardize that. Via varied experiences, nevertheless, the plan is for the U.S. staff to play Wales and presumably Australia in the UK. The roster will doubtless consist completely of European-based gamers because of the challenges of importing gamers based mostly in different continents.

When talking of the nationwide staff, Cannon turns into excited – he even acknowledges that the opportunity of taking part in with the U.S. U-23 staff on the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo could be the “honor of a lifetime.”

However he is also fast to level out that competitors inside the present U.S. participant pool, from MLS to the perfect leagues on the earth, is extraordinarily useful. He even notes that his personal potential competitors with Sergino Dest, now a proper again for Barcelona, is “exactly what the player pool needed.”

With that, he believes that the staff is actually going to get a recent begin when it subsequent will get collectively.

“I think it’s almost a completely different start,” Cannon stated. “There has been a heavy foundation set by Gregg within the past two years. Within the player pool, it is almost a fresh slate because you have so many people taking big strides – from MLS, to overseas, to lower European clubs, to some of the best clubs in the world. It’s crazy and it is just going to inspire a lot of integration and competition. But even from a fan’s perspective, we are going to have so many different lineups. You have options in how we can play in the national team – and this is something that should be celebrated. We have a very deep, deep team and it is only getting deeper. The national team pool is in a very good place right now.”