Nashville Metros Feature -- www.metrossoccer.com
Monday, May 14, 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Desmond Armstrong distinguished himself as a player with his air-tight man-marking of Italian strikers Salvatore Schillachi and Gianluca Vialli in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Hassled by Armstrong throughout, neither found the back of the net in the United States’ narrow 1-0 Group A defeat.
In an 11-year professional career, Armstrong also held his own against other international legends such as Roberto Baggio, Bebeto and Junior. Today, he still owns a jersey from Marco Van Basten after swapping uniforms with the former A.C. Milan offensive wizard.
But 10 days before the start of the Nashville Metros’ 2012 season, Armstrong wanted to focus more on his achievements after his playing career ended. In the 16 years since his retirement, Armstrong’s extensive resume includes a stint as a commentator for the World Cup, a spot on the Board of Directors for U.S. Soccer, a brief foray into sports management, a wide range of coaching and scouting responsibilities at the nation’s top youth soccer academies and even a position as director of marketing for a Women’s professional team in North Carolina.
The diverse experiences provide Armstrong with a unique skill-set as he encounters his next challenge: new general manager of the Metros.
“Over the years I’ve been able to do the patchwork,” Armstrong said. “You do the camps, the small programs, the private lessons, the teams, the clubs. You are wearing several different hats, you figure out what you can do and what you can’t do.”
Armstrong is now spearheading the revitalization of the longest running franchise in the USL Premier Development League – one that hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2004. The Metros have a new logo, a new home field (E.S. Rose Park) and a new coach in 1987 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Brent Goulet. Armstrong is confident the changes will help instill a new attitude.
“I’m not interested in what happened prior to us arriving. It has no relevance,” Armstrong said. “The reason it has no relevance is because things change every year. We want to get some stability first and foremost and with that create an environment by which we can bring in talented players and nurture them.”
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Less than an hour after being one of the final cuts from the 1994 U.S. World Cup team, Armstrong displayed stunning resilience. Instead of remaining down from the shocking news, the veteran defender called several tournament sponsors to inquire in commercial opportunities for former national team members. He quickly received a call back from ABC/ESPN. Within a week, Armstrong was in New York to audition for a position as a studio analyst for the event.
During the month-long tournament, Armstrong shined. Despite having no prior broadcasting experience, Armstrong provided strong analysis and established instant chemistry with Award winning broadcaster Jim McKay. At tournament’s end, Armstrong received decent reviews from the Baltimore Sun – his hometown newspaper. Jack O’Hara, a former Executive Producer for ABC Sports, gave Armstrong stellar marks and described him as having a natural flair for the camera.
Armstrong stayed with ABC/ESPN for three years before focusing on helping develop youth soccer throughout the country. With his legacy as a player already cemented, Armstrong shifted his focus on giving back to his community. In the early 1990s, Armstrong founded Soccer Beats – an urban soccer ministry in the Baltimore-area – to provide kids with the potential of attaining the same experiences he had as a player. The club later morphed into Heroes FC, a talented youth team which captured a youth soccer national title in 2004. In 2000, Armstrong was named national coaching director for Soccer in the Streets, an organization dedicated to teaching kids to make positive life choices through the sport.
Over the past two decades, the Washington D.C. native has become heavily involved in scouting. From 2006-2008, Armstrong served as the head scout for Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academies – the first full-time residential soccer academy in the nation. Armstrong has also spent considerable time mentoring the top youth players in the country at the Adidas Elite Soccer Program and the U.S. Club Soccer select id2 camp. Armstrong’s time with D.C. United’s Youth Academy could yield immediate benefits this season. Iyassu Bekele, a former striker from the academy, could be one of the Metros’ top scoring threats.
There may not be a general manager in the league with the wealth of contacts or the ability to acquire young talent as effectively as Armstrong. The relationships Armstrong has forged with some of the top youth coaches in the country could provide the Metros with the most talent the team has had since winning the A-League’s Central Division in 1998.
“He knows how to get things done administratively, but more importantly for us right now he knows how to find players from being on the ground so long,” Goulet said. “If he brings quality players, I’ll coach them and we’ll be successful. It’s a great combination.”
Armstrong’s list of contacts extends far beyond the United States.
“I have contacts in South Africa, South America, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Zambia, Gabon, Cameroon, not to mention England, Germany, France and Belgium,” Armstrong said. “We can find players, I can find players.”
Armstrong will be aided by Goulet and Eddie Davidson, the Metros’ marketing director. Goulet remains in contact with a number of professional teams in Germany after spending close to two decades in the country as a player and coach. Davidson is a former scout and business consultant for Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga.
Several weeks into the season, Armstrong will be honored for his lifelong contributions to the sport with his induction into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. In a twist of irony, the ceremony will take place before a Brazil-U.S exhibition on May 30 at FedEx Field in Maryland. In 1991, Armstrong became the first player in United States’ history to sign a contract with a professional team in Brazil when he agreed to terms with Santos, Pele’s former club.
“It’s going to be USA-Brazil, in my hometown,” Armstrong said. “There’s nothing better than that.”
“He had a terrific career as a player, it’s great he’s being inducted in the Hall of Fame,” said Sunil Gulati, the head of the United States Soccer Federation. “He should be very proud of his accomplishment.”
By then, Armstrong will be five games into his latest project and well on his way to accomplishing his next goal.
“The biggest goal for this year is where the team will be 10 years from now,” Armstrong said. “The issue is to bring stability with credibility. We want to come in and do it professionally.”