Wes Knight joins FC Edmonton; combine invitees Okai and Mirabelli get trials

Wes Knight

Wes Knight is now an Eddie.

The former Vancouver Whitecap and San Antonio Scorpion has just been signed by FC Edmonton for the 2013 season. The American midfielder/defender was cut loose by the Whitecaps part way through the team’s debut MLS season in 2011, then played the 2012 campaign with the Scorpions, helping that team to an NASL regular-season title.

Knight spent two seasons with the Whitecaps in Division 2 and made the jump with the team to MLS. And, while in Vancouver, he played under a coaching staff that included assistant Colin Miller, who is now FCE’s head coach.

“We had a great season in San Antonio,” said Knight. “But maybe with the new stadium coming in, we couldn’t get a deal in place that was mutually beneficial. Then Edmonton came in with an offer, and I wanted to be in a place where my value was appreciated.”

And he said Miller told him that he “wanted to help build something” in Edmonton.

Miller has repeatedly said he felt the team was “soft” last season, and has said he wants the club to have more of a “compete” factor. And Knight is ready to be a general with the Eddies.

“I’ll have played four of my seasons in Canada. And I am at the stage in my career where I want to take a leadership role. And under a great coach like Colin Miller, I want to be a leader.”

Knight’s contract is subject to him passing a medical.

Knight can play in the back, on the right side or the defensive midfield slot. With Antonio Rago, Lance Laing and Edson Edward already signed, there looks to be some heavy competition ahead for fullback positions with the team. And with Neil Hlavaty already in the fold, the defensive side of midfield has been improved. Knight said the signings of Hlavaty — who he thinks is one of the best midfielders in NASL — and Laing showed him that the Eddies are serious about rising up from a last-place finish last season. And, like Laing and Hlavaty have already said, Knight believes that the Eddies weren’t nearly as bad a team as their record suggested.

“When we played down in San Antonio, FC Edmonton had us on the ropes. We were defending for large portions of the match.”

But the Eddies regularly got beat on set pieces — a department in which the Scorpions excelled last season. And Knight said making the team better at corners and free kicks comes down to attitude.

“The coach really can’t control those situations,” he said. “It’s about playing one v. one, and not getting beat It’s all about a change in the attitude.”

Of course, Knight is more than a little bit pumped that the Eddies will face the Whitecaps in the first round of the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship.

“I will have those dates circled on my calendar. It’s always nice to get a chance to play against a team that you once played for. But it’s not my primary focus. My goal is to help change the culture of FC Edmonton and build something special.”

Also, the team announced that two players who appeared at November’s free agent combine — Massimo Mirabelli and Michel Okai — will be invited to camp.

Mirabelli, a former Canadian national youth player spent 2012 in Finland, with Ekenas IF. He scored one goal, in the Finnish Cup, against FC Kuusysi.

Okai, who was born in Liberia but went to high schoool in New Jersey, was in the New York Red Bulls organization. He spent 2012 with San Martin of the Peruvian league.