Chris Agorsor primed for breakout, part II

By Charles Boehm, Potomac Soccer Wire Sr. Staff Writer

Perhaps it was fate, or melodrama, or just good fortune. His opponents were convinced it was poor refereeing. But after compiling one of the more dazzling prep careers in his nation’s recent history, it was eminently appropriate that Chris Agorsor conclude the first chapter of his career in storybook fashion last week.
 
Nursing a strained medial collateral ligament in his knee – which U.S. Soccer medical staff equated with at least a month on the sidelines – Agorsor came off the bench to inspire his Baltimore Bays squad to a comeback victory in the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy final in Los Angeles on Friday night. The young Marylander scored a goal and earned the late penalty kick that sent the match to overtime, where Baltimore surged past LAFC for a 4-2 win that hands them bragging rights as the top under-17/18 team in the country.
 
“It was amazing,” said Bays coach Steve Nichols. “Chris couldn’t walk for two days in the hotel room, and the doctor tells him he’s out four to six weeks, and we go down a goal, and he comes on…Chris gets the penalty kick with two minutes left and in overtime we just put our foot on the pedal and got two – we could’ve had three or four more. It was something dreams are made of.”
 
There was a time when the next step for a talent like Agorsor was clearly defined: head off to make the most of his scholarship at the University of Virginia, master the college level while enjoying all the perks of being a ‘big man on campus,’ and enter Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft or perhaps audition at a small- to medium-sized European club.
 
But as U.S. soccer has closed the gap with the rest of the world – slowly, but steadily – the path for promising players has grown more complicated. A yawning gap has opened up between the pro ranks and the youth level that Agorsor dominated so thoroughly, and to make the most of his substantial abilities, he and his family will have to choose wisely in the months ahead.
 
A few frank words from his international coach, U.S. under-20 boss Thomas Rongen, do much to quell the growing hype surrounding Agorsor’s promise and cast doubt on his decision to attend UVa this fall.
 
“There’s areas where he needs to get better to make a transition to the next level,” said Rongen, “and I think that choosing the right setting would clearly help him in that endeavor. Tactically, he can make strides: knowing how to play with teammates better, combine quicker, getting the ball at his feet depending on where he’s at. I still think technically he can get cleaner as well, better on his first touch. Shooting, he actually needs to become a better striker of the ball. I know he scores a lot of goals in close, but he’s not a clinical striker of the ball.”
 
Thus far Agorsor has been able to rely on his breathtaking speed and sterling one-on-one skills, having encountered few defenders with the savvy and athleticism – “tougher guys, guys that are smarter,” said Rongen – to expose his weak points. He’ll enjoy no such luxuries at the next level.
 
Rongen took one of the most talented youth squads in U.S. history to last year’s U20 World Cup in Canada a year ago, and he pulls few punches in describing the mountain Agorsor still has to climb.
 
“Let’s be real honest,” said Rongen. “My starting XI in last summer’s World Cup was pretty much all pro, with maybe one or two exceptions, and those guys were at least college freshman or in some cases, sophomores already. So for a high school senior that hasn’t played any college ball – a talented high school player, no doubt about it – to make a transition and think he can step in and perform and play next to Jozy Altidore or Freddy Adu, who are still ‘89s, which is the next age group, is not easy.”
 
Agorsor’s competitors for playing time on the U20 squad are already well into their pro careers: players like Brek Shea (FC Dallas) and Abdus Ibrahim (Toronto FC), who, despite their youth, spar against grown men every day. It’s a dramatic step up from the youth ranks, even a top-flight club like the Bays, as Agorsor readily acknowledges.  
 
“There’s really nothing like playing for the national team,” he said last week, “as far as the organization, the technical aspect that they have to just playing the game is amazing. Everything’s high-level, everything’s very intricate, if you will. It’s something that I look forward to every chance I get, because I always learn something.”
 
Freddy Adu, who also made his name in the Maryland club scene before embarking on his unique career path, offers an intriguing comparison to Agorsor. Both are physically slight, relying on skill, quickness and an intuitive nose for the game that can be traced to their West African lineage. While Adu emigrated to the United States as a child, Agorsor was born here – though his ancestral homeland undoubtedly influenced his style.
 
“Definitely, I think the large part of my game stems from my roots, because I think that natural flair, that audacity kind of comes from that lively, vivacious culture that resides in Ghana,” said Agorsor, crediting his father, who began teaching him the game at age three.
 
His club coach faced Adu’s teams in past years, and believes Agorsor has even greater potential than the teenager dubbed “Son of Pele” by the Portuguese media when he signed with Benfica last year.
 
“As great as Freddy Adu is, and he’s a great player, he can’t get away from people like Chris can,” said Nichols. “Chris is a special player. He’s as good as I’ve ever seen. To do what he did on one leg Friday night…He’s got something that I don’t think a lot of people in our country have.”
 
Now Agorsor and his family will have to decide whether he can afford to take advantage of the personal and educational development available in the college environment, to the likely detriment of his soccer career. Although it continues to produce a large share of MLS youngsters, the college game has been largely eclipsed by the proven success of the European academy model and its burgeoning counterparts in the United States like the USSF’s Bradenton Academy, where Adu honed his game from a very early age.
 
“My opinion, he probably should move overseas,” said Nichols. “He can make it big, big time. But I don’t know what he’s going to do. I know everybody’s trying to get him to go here, go there. If he heads to Virginia in three weeks, I’d be surprised. I just don’t know how somebody’s not going to swallow him up.”
 
Having already worked out with several European clubs, Agorsor was scheduled to travel back across the Atlantic for more trials in the coming weeks, though his knee injury could put a damper on those plans. He’s seeking out a second opinion on his MCL and soon enough, he’ll have to decide whether to follow through on a college career.
 
There’s plenty of hard work ahead if he is to maximize his potential. But his future hinges on the depth of his desire: is he prepared to sacrifice other facets of his life to make the most of his gift?
 
“He’s a very level-headed kid, he’s intelligent,” noted Rongen, who lists Agorsor among the top 25 players in his U20 talent pool. “He wants to get better. He asks questions, he probes. He listens. Which is good – I think that’s a very good makeup and as long as he can stay grounded and doesn’t get caught up in his hype, and understands he’s got a long way to go. He’s got a lot of very natural things that you can’t teach.”

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About the Author
Charles Boehm has covered D.C. United and the rest of the Washington-area soccer world for more than three years. A native of Dallas, Texas, Charlie made D.C. his home following a hard-working -- but hardly spectacular -- NCAA Division III college career and subsequent Peace Corps stint in the small, soccer-crazed, island nation of Grenada, where he also coached and played in the Grenadian Premier League (such as it is). He welcomes feedback at cboehm@potomacsoccerwire.com.

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