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Toronto, Ontario native David Monsalve is a 27 year old goalkeeper who is expected to side with Finnish 1st division side FC Inter Turku in the coming days. After making his professional debut with his home town club Toronto FC during their inaugural Major League Soccer campaign, Monsalve moved on to professional stints in Finland with Inter Turku and AC Oulu, NASL side FC Edmonton, storied Colombian club América de Cali and Guatemalan football club Club Deportivo Suchitepéquez. He won the Finnish Cup with Inter Turku in 2009 and won the Liga Nacional Championship in Guatemala in 2016.
At the International level, Monsalve has represented Canada at the U-17, U-18, U-20, U-23 levels and a member of the Canadian Men’s National Team.
In this interview, RedNation and Monsalve discuss his pending return to FC Inter Turku, his development as a Canadian goalkeeper and his experiences playing in Colombia and Guatemala.
RedNation Online: You have signed with Finland 1st division club FC Inter Turku. How did the deal the come about and what are the things you like about the opportunity to continue your career there?
David Monsalve: Just to clarify, I haven’t been signed yet. They are bringing me and my family over with the idea that I will be okay physically. So pending my physical, it will be a signed deal. Obviously, I feel good and there is nothing wrong with me that I know of, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
It is something that happened through the goalkeeper coach there. We’ve always kept in touch. After every season he has congratulated me or said hello to ask how the season went. In this case, he congratulated me because it was coming off of winning in Guatemala. That’s how we started talking and then he told me about the possible opportunity that they might be looking for a goalkeeper. That was a couple of months ago. In the last weeks, it has been a case where they were really looking for a goalkeeper and they had a few in mind, one of them being me. After some decision-making, they ended up contacting me to let me know there was a spot available and to find out if I was willing to be a part of the team. Obviously for me, not having a club at the moment and it is getting to that deadline where if you don’t have one soon it is likely not going to happen, I decided to go for it. With that being said, it is a great opportunity and I think if they had called a few months ago I would have been happy with that situation regardless.
RNO: You have played in Europe previously. Since that time you have played professionally in North America, South America and Central America. Do you feel you are going back to Europe now as an improved player from these different professional experiences?
David Monsalve: 100%. I think every contract, every team and every country brings different experiences. You would have to be very closeminded not to absorb everything and learn from everything that happens. I started in my early years in Turku with Inter and I think I am going back as a much better goalkeeper and player with a much better soccer understanding. I have also matured as a person as well. I was there almost 8 years ago and now I have a family and I’m in a different space. It’s nice and I’m looking at things in different ways. I think I can really bring some leadership to the team and the club, as opposed to before where I was really just trying to soak everything in.
RNO: The first time RedNation had a chance to interview you was back in 2009 when you had won the Finnish Cup with FC Inter Turku. What are your memories from that period in your career? What is the state of the club as you head back to rejoin?
David Monsalve: I think it is a totally different situation now. Back then I was going to a club that was coming off a year in which they won the league and after spending a year there I was lucky enough to be part of a team that won a Cup and that following that playing in the Champions League and the Europa League. Now they are fighting relegation and they are in lower part of the table. So it is a different situation. From my understanding, I will be going in to push the number one keeper and, unless the number one keeper gives them a reason to make a switch, he will probably play most of the games. It is a different situation but it is still something I am looking forward to – being part of that environment again and being back in Europe knowing that it is an easier step from Finland to somewhere else in Europe compared to being at home in Toronto waiting for a call or sending resumes out. I’m excited – it is something different compared to the last few contracts that I have been part of. I’m excited to be back there and for my family to experience the professionalism of the environment and the society in Finland. I’m looking forward to it for sure.
RNO: At 27 years old you are now hitting what many people characterize as the prime playing years for a goalkeeper who has accrued considerable experience. How do you evaluate how you have evolved as a player over the course of your career?
David Monsalve: Like I said, I think you would have to be really a closeminded not to absorb everything and to get better from all of your experiences. I think I have become a better keeper and player. I’m more mature in how I play and I can handle the game a lot better and read situations. I also know how to treat myself in terms of what I eat and what I do during the day – the overall wellness of my body. With that being said, different experiences bring different skills and attributes to my game and I’m looking forward to using all of them for good when I go over to Finland. Hopefully I get some games in and do well enough to win another contract, if not there then hopefully somewhere around there.
RNO: You are born in Toronto, have many ties to the Canadian soccer community here and played for Toronto FC in their inaugural season back in 2007. Are you excited to see how the popularity of TFC as a professional team continues to grow and how the sport continues to evolve and increase in popularity here in Toronto?
David Monsalve: Definitely. I got the opportunity to see them play about a month ago. There were some mixed emotions. I’m excited as a fan and a Toronto native to see football finally get what it deserves and what everybody wants to see football be like here. The team is doing well and they are in first place at the moment. It’s an exciting time. It’s nice to see my friends out there too – Tosaint Ricketts, Jonathan Osorio, Will Johnson- these guys who I have played with over the years. I know them very well and it is nice to see them getting the opportunity to play and represent a Canadian team in the MLS.
But at the same time, it is mixed emotions because it is where I started my career and everyone dreams of playing at home and never leaving the club of your heart. For me I would love to be back there one day, hopefully sooner rather than later. Or when it happens, it happens. As long as I get a good time there and get to enjoy and appreciate it for what it really is. I think when you are younger, especially when it is your first professional experience, you don’t tend to enjoy it as much in the moment and you start to appreciate stuff after the fact. This time, if I do get the opportunity to go back, similar to my experience in Finland, it is something I would like to do, enjoy it in the moment and not so much after the fact.
RNO: You are Canadian and a Canadian International. At the same time, your parents were both born in Colombia and you obviously have some ties to that country. Was it a special experience for you to play football there?
David Monsalve: I can’t begin to tell you how much of a dream it was, especially playing for such a big club with so much history and one of the most popular clubs in all of Colombia. So for me it was a dream come true and it was nice to see my Dad make the trip to Colombia to watch my debut. It was a wonderful experience. It was something I always dreamed of and I got to live it. Unfortunately, it was shorter than I hoped for, but at the end of the day it was something I got to check off my list. I was happy to be part of it. It is something I hope more Canadians get to experience, to go home to the countries of their family and gain the experience of being part of a really passionate and experienced football culture. I think we have it here and there is the potential for it to grow. It just needs the generations to really feel what it is like to feel that ownership of a club – like it is part of you. It was an amazing experience.
RNO: Earlier this year you became the first Canadian goalkeeper to play professionally in Guatemala. Not many Canadians play in Central America and many of us here in Canada have someone tainted views of those countries due to some of the craziness the Canadian Men's National Team has faced when playing in that region of CONCACAF. How was the experience for you playing professionally in Guatemala?
David Monsalve: It was good. You are right and even I had that misperception about it there. I thought it was a lot worse than it really was. As you said, we go through things – referees, fields, stadiums, opposing fans – when playing there at the International level. However, in a lot of ways it surprised me. The majority of the teams are very well organized in all senses. They had some good fields and some great players. Like I said, it is easy to talk about a wonderful experience when you have won, so for me it was a great situation on the field. Off the field we ran into a little bit of trouble in terms of wages and stuff and we protested in what I think was a quite positive way – we didn’t stop training or playing. We just wore our jerseys inside out to get the attention of the public, but with the goal of wanting to win the Championship. We accomplished that and also ended up getting paid the total amount that we were owed. Like I said, it is something that can happen in Guatemala, Italy, Finland or anywhere that professionals play football. It was an experience that I enjoyed and that pleasantly surprised me. If any Canadians get the opportunity to experience something like that, I would recommend it. It humbles you and shows what they can do with such little resources, as well as the passion they have for football down there, even though Guatemala isn’t traditionally a powerhouse as a football nation.
RNO: Speaking of the Canadian Men's National Team, what are your thoughts on Canada’s progress as a program and the upcoming WC qualifiers?
David Monsalve: They are in the position where it is in their hands. I hope they do well. I have a lot of friends on the team, so for me I would be so happy to see them progress to the next stages of qualifying and eventually book their ticket to Russia. It is another thing where I have mixed emotions. I want my friends and the country to do well. At the same time, I wish I was there with them. I feel very passionately about being Canadian and wearing that jersey. And I hope to wear it again soon. I wish them all the best and I can’t wait to see them succeed.
RNO: Now that you have had these experiences playing at the club level in Central and South America, what do you think are some of the keys to performing well playing as a keeper while playing in Central and South America?
David Monsalve: It is a different kind of pressure. You really feel the fans passion there, especially when I was in Colombia. In Colombia I was at a club that was normally at the top of South American teams and not just Colombia. To see them in the second division, the fans were very agitated, vocal and disappointed that they were in that spot. So their only expectation was for us to move to the top league. You felt that every day and the pressure was not just to win, but to perform well and make sure that we got to the next level of football in Colombia. It opened my eyes to what real football passion is and feels like and it made me a better person and player. It really got me to dig deep and work through difficult times and to play to the best of my abilities. I think it helped me when I made the transition going from Colombia to Guatemala. It made it a bit easier even though the fans are just as passionate in Guatemala. The club I was at had not won a championship in 32 years – and they only won one before that. So for us to win a championship was a big deal. I think those experiences will now make it easier for me to go to Finland this time around and have me bring something else to the table for the club to enjoy from having me around compared to the previous time I was with the club.
RNO: As your career has illustrated really well, football is the world’s game and there is opportunity everywhere and there are really interesting and unique experiences that come with that. At the same time, it can be hard for Canadian players to access those opportunities. I’m wondering if you could talk a little about your experience with Lank Experience* and the work they do.
David Monsalve: Most times it is difficult to come by those opportunities. As a Canadian, it is not easy whether you are a top striker or a goalkeeper. We see it all the time where guys come off a great season and then don’t have a club for another six months. It is unfortunate, but it is the reality of being a Canadian footballer. Any other country would have more than a handful of teams that you could go to in order to continue your craft. You would go away and have a good season and, if we were from anywhere else, you would come home and be welcomed with open arms for at least some good training. Unfortunately, we don’t have that same experience because we don’t have many professional teams and they are really spread out by a lot of distance. That is the reality and we have to deal with it and it is what makes it even more special when you come across success.
Lank have been a group of people lead by Adrian (Johansson), who have the greatest of intentions for Canadian footballers. I spoke to him late last year before I went to Guatemala with intentions of working with them. However, something came up before they had a concrete deal for me. So I decided to take something that was guaranteed, as the security was important for my family. It was same situation this time, as I got an opportunity through an old colleague. So they did not really have the opportunity to get me to a club but I know they have been working hard. It is an organization that I enjoy. I have read a lot about them and I have seen what they are doing. It is something that I want to be part of in the future. In the meantime, I know they will be exceeding themselves working to make connections and contacts in order to get me over to Sweden or wherever they might have a contact. It is a lot easier that way when you have an organization that is respected to help you out and give you a hand. As I mentioned before, it isn’t always easy being a Canadian footballer. I look forward to working with them. They are very well organized with sponsors like New Balance and other sponsors that help them out. When they make relationships with these other brands that are strong, it is something that you look forward to being a part of and wanting to work with.
*About Länk Experience:
Länk is football management group providing Canadian athletes with unparalleled access to international football opportunities. Our unique suite of service offerings, including player management and academy experiences for clubs and players, are strategically designed to best position footballers, coaches, and clubs to elevate their profile and surpass personal expectation. We are committed to provided athletes with the highest quality professional experience and to fostering player development through elite training, educational, and showcase experiences.
For more information please visit www.lankexperience.com, or contact peter.raco@lankexperience.com.
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