After stops in Louisville, Colorado, Vancouver and Montreal plus a two year spell in Europe, Thornhill native Adrian Cann is finally home. The Canadian international defender has become a key part of Toronto FC’s defence since signing for his hometown team early last month.
[inlinenode:3408]After a successful preseason trial, he made his debut in the home opener win over Philadelphia Union at BMO Field, and that was an experience he will never forget. The opportunity to pull on the Toronto FC jersey in front of his family and friends in his home town for the first time, capped by a strong personal performance and a 2-1 victory.
“I was totally thrilled. The fans were incredible and to get the result we wanted really made the night special. It was a dream come true to experience that atmosphere and it has been the same at every home game since then,” he says. “It is incredible to be able to play somewhere where you can have the support of your family. They have never been able to watch me play in a live game in the past so it’s wonderful to be back in Toronto playing in my home city. There is nothing better than this. No matter where I have played, I have always taken pride in my performance for my club, but to be successful here in Toronto would be a different level.”
Following a successful college career at the University of Louisville, Cann was drafted 16th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids. He was released midway through his first season with the Denver club and signed for Montreal Impact in the United Soccer League First Division. From there, he headed west to join the Vancouver Whitecaps where helped the team win the USL First Division Championship in 2006 and was named the team’s Most Outstanding Defender in 2007.
The 29-year-old was given the opportunity to earn a contract with Toronto FC during preseason this year and made two appearances for the team in the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston. He continued to train with the Reds during the first couple of weeks of the new season before finally getting the green light to join the squad on a permanent basis.
“I knew if I kept my head down and worked hard, then something would get done. It was just a matter of waiting it out and making sure it was the right move and the right decision. I love competing and especially for a job! I think that is the best thing about this career. You can’t take things for granted and always have to keep on your toes, because if you don’t there is another man behind you that wants your job. It is certainly important to maintain a strong work ethic day in and day out.”
Cann spent the last two years playing in the Danish Superliga with Esbjerg FB and believes he has become a better player from that experience. “Playing in Denmark was great,” he says. “There is a very professional mentality over there and there was a very good work ethic. It is a very tough place to play with very rigorous work, but it was a great learning experience. Hopefully I can bring things that I learned there to this team.”
Now it is another learning process. In recent weeks, Cann has been developing an understanding with those he is playing alongside on the backline, and with four clean sheets in a row it seems as though the hard work is paying off.
[inlinenode:3801]“We have been able to get some stability and it will continue to get easier as time goes by and we build up an understanding. There were a lot of new players brought into the squad so it has been a steep learning curve, but it is good to make an impact with the team. I know what my role is and I want to do that to the best of my ability. I like working with coach Preki because he has got a winning mentality. We have to make sure we have that same mentality throughout the team. We have to love to win and hate to lose.”
As well as now being able to represent his home town team, Cann is also proud to play for his country. He made his debut for Canada in friendly against Martinique in January 2008, and has gone on to collect eight caps with the national team including playing in World Cup Qualifiers and as part of the squad that reached the quarter finals at the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer.
“I really love playing for Canada,” he says. “The team gelled together quite well at the Gold Cup. There was good organization, communication and positioning. Everyone on the field knew their role and I think that’s why we did fairly well. Once you get used to the player beside you and develop an understanding between the players then it is much easier to play well as a team.”
“It is great to be able to represent the national team and also play a role in the growth of soccer here. To come back here to Toronto and see the stadium, fan base and atmosphere is amazing. Everything has changed for the better with the sport in this country and it is now going in the right direction.”
