High marks! - Mattocks impresses head coach at Vancouver

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

WITH the Major League Soccer (MLS) set to begin early next month, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie has given high marks to new kid on the block Darren Mattocks, the number two pick in the MLS SuperDraft.

"Mattocks has settled in really well with the team. I've been very impressed with his attitude and his ability. He's extremely athletic with good movement on and off the ball, and is always looking to get in on goal. I'm quite pleased with how he's done so far," Rennie told the Observer.

The 21-year-old Mattocks will be brought into the attack for the Whitecaps, boosting the strike force of regulars Brazilian Camilo and Frenchman Eric Hassli, who scored 11 and eight goals, respectively, last season.

The Whitecaps had the worst attack and most defeats of the 18 teams in the MLS last season and Rennie will look to the goal instincts of Jamaican forward Mattocks to improve the fortunes of the Canadian team for the new season.

An option would be to use the former Waterhouse player as an offensive midfielder, since he would be hard put to replace the Brazilian and Frenchman.

"From what I've seen of Darren so far, he certainly appears to be more of an attacker. He also offers something a little different than our other strikers in his ability to really stretch teams' defences.

"That's a valuable skill, whether it's from the start of the game, or further into the match. I think he'll have the opportunity to make some important contributions this season," Rennie asserted.

He is also not too concerned with the cultural diversity of the Whitecaps, with 93 per cent of the team being foreign nationals. He thinks Mattocks will fit in well.

"Darren has been in the US for two years and he has adjusted well to what it is like in Akron. From what I have seen, I think he is really enjoying Vancouver so far. He is real friendly, open, and familiar with North America culture," Rennie noted.

And is Mattocks coping with the cool temperatures in Vancouver?

"I think he is happy that it's a lot warmer than Akron!" Rennie revealed.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Scot is recommending young Jamaicans to follow in the footsteps of Mattocks if they want to play in the MLS and beyond, though there are other options.

"I think the route that Darren took proved to be very successful. He came over to play in US college, which gave him an opportunity to show how good he is.

"He created a lot of interest by scoring so many goals and being such an exciting player. As a result, he's earned an excellent contract to play professional in Major League Soccer.

"Similar things have happened for other players in the past. Omar Cummings attended college in the US and now he is doing very well in MLS.

"The other way would be to play in one of the lower leagues and if you do well, I think MLS clubs will give young players a chance to move up," he said.

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High marks! - Mattocks impresses head coach at Vancouver