“I believe everything happens for a reason.” That’s how Nigel Reo-Coker explains a 13-year career path that has taken him from central London and the Premier League to the Canadian city of Montreal and Major League Soccer.
A precocious talent at Wimbledon, spells in the Premier League with West Ham and Aston Villa have been followed by a stint in Major League Soccer, where he now sits just 90 minutes away from collecting the Concacaf Champions League crown.
“It’s the first time we’ll play in front of 60,000, I think the second highest we played in was 45,000. I think it’ll be an electric atmosphere,” he tells the Guardian. “Its been a great journey so far and this is what dreams are made of. There’s an opportunity there for us to take.”
The midfielder is used to seizing the moment. He did so in making the move to MLS, despite having offers in the UK. “I’m a very simple man and everything just fell into place,” he explained. “The manager at the Vancouver Whitecaps worked with one of my best friends that I’ve known since I was 14. We had a conversation and it seemed like the right thing to do. I don’t look at life as mistakes, I look at it as an experience.”
His experience in Major League Soccer has been polarising. Traded by Vancouver Whitecaps, he joined Chivas USA only for the team to fold. It was not the legacy he was looking to leave in North America. “I’ve still got the same desire as when I was in England, that winning mentality is something I’ve never lost,” he says.
It’s why he is relishing the chance to take on Club America, despite Montreal Impact’s underdog status. “A lot of people wrote us off and I think expected us to go there and get beat four- or five-nil,” he explained. “To go there and play the way that we did and come back with a 1-1 result is great. I thought at times in the game we played some good football and I think we can still do better with the ball.”
A number of those in the opposition would contest claims that Montreal played ‘good football’ during the first leg. Noted for their defensive style they have won just once during this dizzy Champions League run that has often relied on away goals. “As a manager and a coach you have to use the players you have and you have to play to their strengths,” Reo-Coker says.
“People don’t realise Montreal as a team had nine or 10 new players come in this season so we still haven’t really got to know each other because we’ve had such a busy schedule from the start of the season with the Champions League and MLS. We haven’t really had time to develop our style of play. I think people need to give us a lot more credit given how quickly we have gelled.”
In the wake of last week’s first leg, Montreal were also deemed ‘lucky’ by Club America’s Rubens Sambueza. “That’s his opinion but I’m hoping that a man of that experience would know not to say silly things like that,” Reo-Coker says in response. “I’m sure there have been games that they’ve played where they were expected to beat a team easily and they’ve lost. That’s the beauty of football – nothing is guaranteed.”
What did seem a certainty last week was the dismissal of Osvaldo Martinez after he pulled Dominic Oduro back just before half-time. “I think anyone that could see the challenge on Dominic Oduro was definitely a red card. There’s no two ways about that, they should have played with 10 men,” Reo-Coker says.
Reo-Coker expects Oduro to once again be an important figure for Montreal on Wednesday. “I think Dominic did fantastic stuff in the first leg and I think this leg is really and truly when he is going to shine,” he says. “There’s going to be a little bit more pressure on Dominic to be the main focal point of the second leg. We’re going to have use his pace and he knows that. We just have to make sure this team doesn’t get too confident so we can catch them onto the break.”
Catching the favourite unaware is something Reo-Coker tried with West Ham when they faced Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup final, an experience he is once again drawing on. “I said to the boys this type of game isn’t so much about tactics it’s about desire,” Reo-Coker explains. “You can do all the tactics and team shape you want but it’s a cup final, it’s all about desire at the end of the day. I know that because I was lucky enough to play in an FA Cup final with West Ham.”
His eagerness to win is fuelled by the chance to make history, something he touches upon throughout our conversation, “It’s the Champions League, this is not a Mickey Mouse cup. It’s to go to the Club World Cup, to be the first MLS club to ever do that,” he explains.
With the pageantry and spectacle of Wednesday’s game fast approaching, many would seek to avoid playing the occasion - not Reo-Coker. “I think it’s something we should focus on to be honest. As professional footballers it’s what you strive to do to be the best you can be and to be remembered.
“For me that is the best motivation you need, you can impact this city forever. To be the first ever Canadian team to win the Concacaf Champions League and the first MLS club to go to the Club World Cup. There aren’t many people that can say they achieved something of such tremendous magnitude.”
On Wednesday evening Reo-Coker will face Club America aiming to make history - proving his unique journey from Croydon to Canada happened for a reason.
