January is an important time for college soccer players. The first month of the year houses the two combines that can lead a player into the professional game in the United States. The InfoSport Pro Soccer Combine is the lesser known of the two and occurs a few days prior to the televised spectacle that is the MLS Combine.
“I definitely think had I gone to the InfoSport Combine I would have felt more pressure to stand out,” says Cameron Porter, whose dramatic late equaliser sent Montreal Impact into the Concacaf Champions League semi-finals earlier this month (it looks like they’re heading to the final after a 2-0 first-leg victory over Alajuelense on Wednesday night).
During his time at Princeton, Porter was surprisingly left out of the initial selection for the MLS Combine and after conversations with his agent was set to attend the InfoSport Combine. A striker with 15 goals in 17 games, his absence from the initial list of those invited to the more prestigious gathering was surprising.
So why did one of the highest-scoring forwards in Division I soccer fail to earn an invitation? “The Ivy League doesn’t get a lot of press and exposure in terms of their soccer. I think the hardest part [for me] was we [Princeton] had a good season,” he explained.
Princeton recorded an 11-3-3 record overall and in a confusing set of circumstances saw a win at Yale in their final game of the season harm their chances of making the NCAA tournament. “It drops us 10 spots in the RPI [Rating Percentage Index],” Porter explains. “If you’re not in the tournament you’re not getting the national exposure. Honestly there’s nothing I can do to control that so there’s no point getting too frustrated about the situation.”
While Porter remains somewhat level-headed about the situation, frustration is a natural by-product of such a bizarre situation. Perhaps the more pertinent question is why an institution like Princeton seems to be a vacuum for media coverage and exposure? “I think it’s part of the culture,” Porter says. “People think of them as academic institutions which they are first and foremost.”
“One of the big reasons I went there is because I do take pride in my academics,” he adds. “I think it’s surprising especially when you look at a sport like soccer. The amount of quality teams that have been produced in the Ivy League and just how competitive the league is from top to bottom.”
@SoccerByIves Should have included Princeton senior and leading scorer in the country Cameron Porter.
— Jesse Marsch (@jessemarsch) December 31, 2014
There was one man that championed Porter’s cause - Jesse Marsch, the head coach of the New York Red Bulls. Porter admits he had not seen Marsch’s tweet stating he should have been chosen. “The guys actually made me get a Twitter in the locker room after the game against Pachuca,” he laughs.
The Red Bulls coach had worked with Porter while volunteering at Princeton. “We’d spend a lot of time after practice just working on peeling off a set of cones and doing that opening up run, giving us that separation,” Porter explains.
It was that very movement, peeling away from his marker, that found Porter in behind the Pachuca defence earlier this month. His equalising goal helped the Montreal Impact become the first Canadian side to win a two legged tie against a Mexican opponent.
Not just a cool head and a smart touch, the goal also displayed his analytical approach to soccer. Told on the day of the game he would be in the squad, he used his vantage point from the bench to study and evaluate his opponents.
“I was very conscious of [the opposition],” Porter says. “I noticed the wide backs and even the midfielders push forward and when they do they’re very open to the counter. They didn’t have the work-rate to get back that late in the game. That’s why when their team pushed up a little bit I knew there was room for me to drift out.”
Given his explosive introduction, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that Porter’s idol is the laid-back Monaco forward Dimitar Berbatov. “He just always made it look so effortless,” Porter explained. However he also admits to watching highlights of Didier Drogba on the day of the Pachuca game, before beginning to laugh.
Such is the life of a striker that Porter’s focus is now on scoring his first goal in MLS. His level-headed nature comes to the fore once again when we discuss his potential trajectory. The transition from Princeton star Montreal substitute, could be difficult. “I think you have to adjust your game accordingly,” he said. “When you’re a star player you have to last the 90 minutes on the field and make a difference. Coming off the bench you’re looking to give all your energy in a short space of time. Wherever I got drafted I knew I’d have to adapt my style of play.”
Even his momentous goal comes with an evaluation of how his game could improve. “I’m definitely a player that goes for the toe poke,” he said. “Maybe more than I should. It was something I consciously did [against Pachuca]. I’m probably not as good at curling it inside the far post so when I saw his legs open I decided to go for it.”
Porter has now moved into an apartment and expanded his wardrobe to more than a duffle-bag’s worth of clothes, and he can now begin to settle in Montreal - all while completing a thesis.
“In order to graduate as an undergrad from Princeton you have to submit a thesis,” Porter said. “I’m a computer science major and so currently I’m doing my best after training to finish my thesis so I have more time in the fall to finish up my classes.”
Eager to continue his learning on the field, it already seems that with the 45th overall pick, Montreal secured a player not just sharp with his feet, but also with his head.
