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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
December 18, 2012 |
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Email Steve Bottjer
Twitter @BottjerRNO |
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With the Vancouver Whitecaps announcing on Friday that their star right back and 2012 team MVP Young-Pyo Lee will be returning for the 2013 season, many Southsiders are likely breathing a major sigh of relief. That said, the return of the soon to be 36 year old South Korean legend is occurring with several qualifications, as the Whitecaps having reportedly pledged to limit the amount of minutes he plays, as well as the amount of miles that he travels for away fixtures. Thus, it looks like the Whitecaps are going to need another player to shoulder the load for the Whitecaps at a position that was one of the team’s strongest in 2012.
With that situation in mind, it looks to be a smart move on the part of the Whitecaps that they are now endeavouring to bring in one of Canada’s most promising young players to fortify the right back position.
Andres Fresenga, who impressed greatly with his play with Canada’s U-23 Olympic Qualifying Team last March, will join Vancouver on trial early in the new year.
See also: RedNation Interview Series - Andres Fresenga
RedNation recently had a chance to speak with Fresenga to discuss his MLS ambitions, his career to date and to get his thoughts on International football and the Canadian National Team program.
Asked how the opportunity to trial with Vancouver came about, Fresenga admitted that it had its genesis in his participation with Canada’s U-23 Olympic Qualifying Team that was lead by Tony Fonseca.
“I had sent Tony Fonseca an email to congratulate him on his new position as CSA Technical Director and all of a sudden the next day I got an email from Vancouver that stated that they were looking for a right back and that Tony had recommended me. So I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity and hopefully it works out,” said Fresenga, whose rights are currently owned by Racing Club de Montevideo of Uruguay.
“I’m going on trial in January, but, if everything goes as planned, it will be a year long loan. They want to see me because outside of my playing with the U23’s, they have not really seen me play. The trial will start the first week of January.”
Asked to describe what he hopes to achieve by playing for one of Canada’s most important soccer organizations, the young right back/central defender was quick to state that he is aiming to raise his profile after playing and developing as a player in Uruguay for the last six years.
“I want to make a name for myself by helping Vancouver to achieve their goals. I hope I can open some eyes here in Canada. That’s what I tried to do with the U-23’s. I tried to show what I have and what I am about – which is about playing with heart and leaving everything I have on the field. I’m not Lionel Messi with the ball at my feet, but every time I come off the field I guarantee you that my jersey will be soaked with sweat.”
According to Fresenga, he is particularly excited about the chance to return home and play soccer in his home country. He also admitted that he would be happy to stay in Canada long term should things work out positively with his trial and then what would be the ensuing one year loan.
“Coming back to Canada to play is an honour. Just like whenever you put on the Canadian kit, you will be playing for and representing your country. Hopefully everything works out and goes well and I will be able to stay here.”
The scenario in which Fresenga joins Vancouver, for what is likely to be Y.P. Lee’s last season as a player, is one that makes a lot of sense in terms of easing the load of an aging player and grooming a heir apparent for a performer who set the bar very high in his first season with Vancouver. Even though he has gained plenty of experience from his time playing and training in the soccer hotbed that is Uruguay, Fresenga was also quick to admit that he could learn a lot from a player who has played in three World Cups and competed at the highest levels in European club soccer with teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund.
“You can learn a lot from a player like him. I hope I can sit down with him and learn from his experiences. I learned a lot in Uruguay when I was in similar situation when I was 17 years old and I was playing with guys who were in their thirties and who had played everywhere in the world. They teach you how to be in the locker room and how to play on the field in certain situations in games. So, yeah, I can certainly pick up some stuff off of a player like him. It’s going to be something of a rivalry to play, but I’m obviously going to respect him and his experience. I’m just going to keep trying to learn and aim to get better as each day goes along.”
Outside of his determination to continue to learn and develop as a young player, Fresenga is confident that he can adapt his game to the MLS and thrive as a player in the North American top flight.
“I have been watching the MLS. It is a very quick game with a lot of running. I think that with some work I can fit into it. Plus I want to also bring my game into the MLS and use the things I learned in Uruguay.”
Andres Fresenga speaks with RedNation at the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament:
When asked if he believes the training that he has received during his six years as part of one of the top clubs in Uruguay gives him a leg up on players who played during their formative years in Canada and the United States, Fresenga is pragmatic in describing how he has benefited from his experiences in the soccer hotbed that is South America.
“I don’t think I can say that I am a step up from the average Canadian player, but I have probably seen different things. The changing rooms in Uruguay are much different from here. You have a lot of experienced players who sit down and talk with the younger guys. Even if you aren’t playing, you just watch them and you learn. I think I have seen different things for sure. I learned a lot in Uruguay. You learn different techniques, how to mark people, how to make runs and how to be in a locker room. Here you train 1-3 times per week. In Uruguay you train every day and it is a different atmosphere. It is all about soccer and you live and breathe soccer. It was a big change for me coming from Canada.”
In addition to being back in Canada, a move to the Whitecaps would also represent a chance for Fresenga to once again play with several of the teammates – Russell Teibert, Bryce Alderson, Ben Fisk – that he has played with in the Canadian National Team program, not to mention several of the players who are considered as possible cornerstones along with him for the Canadian National Team in the years to come.
“It is really exciting, especially to have the chance to play with Russell again. I met him with the U-20’s and we got along great. I met Bryce with the U-23’s and he is a really good kid. And Ben is great as well. It’s going to be fun to be training with them again. The soccer world is small and you often end up playing with your friends again and with the teammates you played with on the national team. I think it could be good for the national team program because we can work together and really get used to each other. We were only together for two weeks for Olympic Qualifying and we achieved what we did. If we had years of working together, I think we could do really well. I didn’t really know anyone before the U-23s and we all met up and became friends really quickly. You could see it on the field – even when things weren’t working out the way we wanted them to, we were working hard and playing together. That needs to be the principle – that everyone works hard together.”
Talk with Fresenga at any considerable length and it becomes clear that playing for Canada at the International level is something that he treasures.
“It’s a dream come true to play for Canada. When I was little I used to go to the Soccer Centre (in Toronto) and see all the pictures on the wall of the Canadian National Teams. I think all players want to work to get there. I don’t think anyone starts playing soccer because they don’t want to get somewhere. Everybody has their own goals and I thank God that I was able to achieve my goal of playing for the national team with the U-23’s. It was a great experience seeing my parents crying tears of happiness and being there for the Olympic Qualifying tournament. It was a bonus to beat the U.S. It was a dream come true. It is just a different atmosphere when you are playing for your country. You walk into the stadium and sing your national anthem and it makes you want to run through a wall for your team and your country.”
Like many Canadians, Fresenga is eligible to play for multiple countries at the International and he is still eligible to suit up for both Canada and Uruguay at the senior national team level. As is often the case with any promising player who has not yet been officially capped by Canada, this has caused a certain level of consternation among a portion of the Canadian National Team’s most ardent supporters. For those who worry about his future International allegiance, the Toronto native has a simple message.
“Yes, I am tied to the Canadian program for sure. My heart is here in Canada. I could be playing in Uruguay but my heart is here in Canada. I owe Canada for opening its doors to my parents, so I’m always going to be here for the Canadian team.”
Fresenga made his International debut for Canada when he was 18 years old when he represented Canada at the 2011 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in Guatemala and played for Head Coach Valerio Gazzola. He then turned more heads when he played for Tony Fonseca earlier this year with the U-23 Olympic qualifying team that defeated the United States and finished four overall in the tournament. With the Canadian Men’s National Team recently often resorting to playing natural central defenders and midfielders at right back, Fresenga openly admits that one of his goals is to earn a spot on the Senior National Team.
“Obviously that is a goal. But I think first you have to focus on your club soccer. Because if you aren’t doing well with your club soccer, you aren’t going to get called up to the Men’s National Team. So right now I am focusing on my club and, if I get called up by the senior men’s national team, I will have to go in and show who I am and what I’ve got.”
Thus, while Fresenga does feel that he still has plenty to prove in order to earn his spot on the senior national team, he is willing to admit that, with his trial with Vancouver Whitecaps just around the corner, he was buoyed by how well he played in Olympic Qualifying while defending against one of the top young players in the MLS.
“Brek Shea was a tough player. He is quick and he is tall. You can tell that he is an all-around athlete. But today you could put Messi in front of me and I will do whatever I can to stop him. (Shea) was a tough challenge for me and thank God I did my job well. I think I can take on anyone in the MLS and around the world. At the age I am at now, you have to be confident. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, no one else is going to give you any help.”
Related Article: Standout players from the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tourney
Even with his impressive performances for Canada in Olympic Qualifying, Fresenga is still likely to be something of a mystery player for a lot of Whitecaps and Canadian National Team fans. However, when asked to describe himself as a player, Fresenga sounds very much like the type of spirited hard working character and team oriented leader that Canadian sports fans generally love to cheer for.
“I’m a vocal type of guy. I like to sit down between games and talk to players. At the U-23’s, we had a meeting after the Cuba game that we tied 1-1. Nana (Attakora) and I saw that everyone was down ahead of us playing Mexico. So we had a meeting and then everyone was ready for that game. I do like to talk with the guys. Some guys are shy and they don’t like to talk and you always have to have a couple of guys on a team who will talk and get everyone involved. When you get to the professional level, obviously there will be rivalries with other people that play your position. But on game day you have to remember that you aren’t only playing for yourself, but also for your family and your teammates and their families. It’s all about the group and, if we win, everyone wins. If we lose, everyone loses. I don’t believe it can be a case of I played well as an individual but the team lost. If you lost, you lost. If everyone is united, it is better for everyone, even when you do lose games.”
Ultimately, Andres Fresenga is a player to watch for Canadian soccer fans. To date he has really been a player that national team supporters have speculated about more than they have seen play. In that sense, his trial with Whitecaps is genuinely exciting because it will mean that Canadian soccer fans could have more opportunities to watch and learn about a rising talent who appears to have all of the right ingredients – character, heart, technical ability, athleticism and maturity - to be a solid future International for the Canadian Men’s National Team, not to mention one of Canada’s MLS clubs. In his own words, Andres Fresenga wants nothing more than to succeed as a Canadian player while representing both club and country with distinction.
“When I was young I used to sit down in my family’s basement and watch Canada play. I appreciate a lot of the guys who came before me and what they have achieved. Julian de Guzman was playing in La Liga when I was younger and you would see him achieving that and then you ask yourself ‘Why can’t I do that?’. Today I am working to fulfill those dreams that I had back then.”
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