USL PRO Feature
Friday, January 25, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. – John Viscosi had completed his summer with the Des Moines Menace, but before he returned to the University of Buffalo for his senior season, there was a brief stop to make.
“One of the reasons I came to America, because I am from Canada, to play school and to play PDL was to get an MLS opportunity,” Viscosi said after Friday morning’s goalkeeping session at the USL PRO Combine. “I was able to train with the New England Revolution over the summer for 10 days with Remy Roy, the goalkeeping coach over there, and that was great, I loved to be in that atmosphere.”
Viscosi, also formerly of the Ottawa Fury, is one of 12 goalkeepers at IMG Academy this weekend hoping to make the jump to the professional ranks. After having played at two of the top clubs in the PDL, Viscosi believes he is ready.
Part of that confidence comes from the time Viscosi spent with the Menace. Through the guidance of Coach Laurie Calloway, Viscosi learned lessons he is hoping will stand him in good stead this weekend.
“Laurie Calloway was a great coach, he taught me a lot,” Viscosi said. “He would sit us down for about half-an-hour before every training session and share his knowledge with us, so there was definitely a lot of learning, training was great and there was something to be learned from every training session, every game, so I took a lot from him, and I was happy to play for him.”
Viscosi is also looking forward to catching up with one of his former teammates with the Menace, Logan McDaniel. A standout defender who earned PDL All-Central Conference honors with the Menace in 2010, McDaniel will also be in attendance this weekend.
“I haven’t seen him since the end of July, since we last left Des Moines, so I’ve been keeping in touch with him,” Viscosi said. “He’s looking to have some good results from this as well, so it would be good to see us both go on and get signed.”
Viscosi is also eager to keep learning. One of the main focuses of the goalkeeping coaches attending the combine this year has been offering advice on how they might stand out for the USL PRO, MLS and overseas coaches and scouts in attendance as they look to impress during the weekend.
“They’re seeing me for the first time, and they’re talking to us about how to make a good first impression and how to show what you have in such a short time,” Viscosi said. “I think that’s going to help me wherever I go, into any preseason or any team’s training camp, making a good first impression and showing off the tools I have and making a good impression on people there.”
The experience, and confidence, he gained training with the Revolution last summer, however, is something that Viscosi has carried with him through the past fall, and with him to Bradenton.
“I was able to get into the changing room, go to training every single day,” Viscosi said. “Actually, their second goalkeeper was injured at the time, so I had a big role when I was there, playing in all of the small-sided games and literally every part of training. Even on the Saturday of the Kansas City game, I was warming up in front of 25,000 fans, because they needed an extra ‘keeper.
“It worked our really well, it was right before I left for school for preseason, so it was nice to have that experience, and it gave me some good confidence going in.”