Boakai: If I do well in Germany, it looks good on FCE (A Plastic Pitch preview)

Hanson Boakai PHOTO COURTESY FC EDMONTON

(The 11 is temporarily coming out of hiatus to preview a story that is planned for the first issue of PLASTIC PITCH. After some thought, I realized the best way to show readers what PLASTIC PITCH can be is to show the kind of stories that will be featured. So, we look in depth at Hanson Boakai’s temporary move to Dusseldorf, and what it could mean for FC Edmonton and Canadian soccer. It’s the kind of story that goes deeper than the “wow, the kid got a training stint in Europe.” If you like this, please take the time to support PLASTIC PITCH by clicking the link and reserving copies. Our funding drive ends at the beginning of February.)

The FC Edmonton coaching staff refers to him as the “wee man.” But, the shoulders on Hanson Boakai’s five-foot-four body will have to carry a lot of weight. On Sunday, Boakai will leave Edmonton for Germany, where he’ll begin what’s officially being called a one-month training session with Fortuna Dusseldorf of Bundesliga 2.

But for both the 17-year-old midfielder and his hometown team, there are hopes that this trip to Europe is the gateway to something more. For Boakai, the chance to play with in Europe would be the realization of a dream. For FC Edmonton, if Boakai’s trial can lead to a loan or even a sale, it establishes the NASL team as a talent supplier. And if the Eddies are proven as legitimate cultivators of young talent, that means sales and needed revenue in the future. For a club that began play in the North American second division just three seasons ago, and hosts league matches at Clarke Stadium, which doesn’t quite hold 5,000 people, there has to be other revenue streams. There has to be the ability to develop relationships with clubs that have large pocketbooks and decades of history. And, if FCE can show itself to be a team that will help its young prospects realize their dreams, it makes the club more attractive to parents and teenagers who are fretting about whether to join the program or not.

So, think of Boakai, who last year became the youngest ever player to appear in a North American Soccer League game, as the first edition off a team’s soccer assembly line. How he does in Germany will have a bearing on how FC Edmonton is seen in Europe.

“The pressure is on me,” Boakai says after training with FC Edmonton’s youth players at the Commonwealth Fieldhouse, an indoor venue with windows that allow players to look out into a snow-covered parking lot. “If I do well in Germany, then it looks good on the club. But, if I do bad, I know what will happen. They will think, ‘why do we ever want to bring another player from here?’”

Jeff Paulus, FC Edmonton’s assistant coach, worked with Boakai since the kid was in the club’s reserve ranks.

“It’s a natural fit for him to go to Germany, “ says Paulus. “(Fellow Canadian) Samuel Piette is at Dusseldorf. And, the idea of Hanson staying has not been discussed, but the option is always there. It’s 20 days at this point, but anything is possible. I’d love it if Hanson stayed there till June, till the end of their season, playing with their under-19s and under-23s.”

“My dream has always been to play in Europe,” says Boakai. “If I go there and they like me as a player and want me to stay, why not? If they want to take me on loan, I’d want to stay.”

Boakai is the most-recognized prospect to come out of the FC Edmonton fold. Born in Guinea-Bissau, he came to Canada via civil-war-torn Liberia. And, while he’s one of the smallest men on the pitch at the Fieldhouse, he’s already developed the reputation of being the next great hope for Canadian soccer supporters. At last year’s CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Panama, Boakai scored twice, including a vital screamer from outside of the box in a group-stage game against Costa Rica. The Canadians entered that game against the Costa Ricans knowing that they needed to not lose by two goals or more in order to advance to the knockout phases. But, in the second half, Canada was in a familiar and troubling place; it was down 1-0 to the junior Ticos, and had seen another Costa Rican effort go off the woodwork. But Boakai conjured up a goal, taken from outside the area, that drew the game level and sapped the will from the Costa Rican side. The equalizer, a goal created from nothing, was vital.

Boakai made his NASL debut at 16 years of age, becoming the youngest player to appear in a game in either the modern or classic incarnation of the league. And, at the U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Boakai was a regular part of coach and fellow Edmontonian Sean Fleming’s team. In a stadium packed with scouts and agents, the kid’s ability to dribble through defenders and pick out clever passes was there for all to see.

One of the believers was Montreal-based agent Nick Mavromaras, who believed that Boakai was good enough to get a European shot. The problem? Boakai and his family had seen plenty of agents before. A lot of people had approached the Boakais, made great promises, and then faded away. Anyone involved in the elite levels of Canadian soccer have encountered agents who have FIFA licences, but hand out cards that were run off at the nearest Staples and can be contacted at Hotmail accounts. So, when Mavromaras first told the Boakais that there was a chance for Hanson to train in Europe, he was met with skepticism. But eventually, he won the family over.

“So far, every agent we’d seen just comes and goes,” says Boakai. “But then this one came to us and acted very professionally. He contacted my family. He contacted my club. He contacted my school.”

Now, Boakai has to be ready for a different kind of schooling. The football pitches in Germany will be tough enough; but he’s also got to get used to the culture. Smiling, he admits that he only knows one word in German. “Scheisse,” he says, putting his thumb into his chest.

“Actually, I don’t really know what the word means. I just know that you say it when you make a mistake. But I know that I have to take a German class when I’m there, in case the team wants to buy me or something. I know off the field will be tough. You go there, train, and then you go to your home and you are by yourself. But I will have Samuel Piette there and it will be a big help for me.”

Fleming spoke to Piette, another midfielder who has hopes of national-team greatness, and hooked him up with Boakai. When he gets to Dusseldorf, Boakai will become Piette’s housemate, which will help reduce the cultureshock. It’s too early to say if Piette and Boakai will become permanent teammates. But Boakai, and FC Edmonton, have a lot at stake in the next month. A good performance from Boakai will open more than a few doors for not only his career, but for his hometown club.