USL PRO Feature
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Last offseason was an anxious one for Charlotte Eagles coach Mark Steffens. As the veterans that had made up the core of his squad began to find opportunities with other sides in USL PRO, it appeared a season of rebuilding was in the cards for a side that hadn’t made an appearance in the playoffs since 2009.
“That was one of my big concerns, coming into the season with 18 new players,” Steffens said by phone this week. “Knowing that the league seems to get better every year, knowing the Richmonds, Orlandos and Charlestons and some of the other teams have a lot of veterans … to lose so many last year and to have 18 new guys, a few things really made me anxious.”
As it turned out, Steffens need not have worried. Not only did his side jell well enough to earn a place in the playoffs, it is now one of four teams still alive in the pursuit of a championship.
At the heart of this success have been a number of rookies, one of the more notable being midfielder Stephen Okai. A former standout with Reading United in the PDL, where he was twice named an All-Eastern Conference selection, and the 2012 NAIA Player of the Year for the University of Mobile, Okai was an MLS SuperDraft selection of Reading’s MLS partner, the Philadelphia Union, in January.
When that opportunity, and another tryout with the Seattle Sounders, didn’t work out, though, Okai knew where he wanted to be to start his professional career.
“One of the coaches [in Charlotte] had been watching me for three years,” Okai said of Eagles assistant David Dixon. “I told him what was going on, and they wanted me to come and play for them, and that’s how I ended up playing for the Charlotte Eagles.”
Unlike many of the rookies who joined Charlotte following the club’s combine earlier this year, Okai was signed as soon as he became available to the Eagles. In his first few days of practice, Steffens was immediately impressed with the young talent Dixon had recommended he sign.
“When we first got him, the first couple of days, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, this is like getting a 22-year-old veteran player’,” Steffens said. “He’s so mature, so calm on the ball, that’s the neat thing about a couple of our rookies, and I think the reason why our rookies have done well, most of our rookies have a lot of composure and don’t panic in difficult situations or tight spaces.”
Okai has quickly fit into a side that has also seen fellow rookies Christian Ramirez, Fejiro Okiomah and Ben Newnam play significant minutes, and make significant contributions toward the club’s success. Okai attributes part of that to the bond the players share due to the club’s ministry and work off the field in the community, but also to the veterans that have helped him learn how to be a professional on and off the field.
“Guys like Drew Yates and Matt [Gold], they’re cool guys and I’ve really loved the way they started the season,” Okai said. “Someone like Drew, he didn’t get much playing time, but as a professional player he showed that you don’t have to be sitting out and talking, all you have to do is fight and keep pushing. I saw all of these things from these two guys, and it has really helped me a lot because I think perseverance always leads to success.”
Okai has also built new aspects to his game. While Steffens noted that Okai is a player who prefers to pick the ball up deep in midfield from the Eagles’ defense, the veteran coach has encouraged his young midfielder to try to become more proactive when the Eagles are on the attack. While not known for his finishing, Okai contributed four goals this season as he improved his ability to read where situations could open up offensively from his central position.
“He’s also extremely good with the ball, he’s a very good passer, and when he wants he can get into the attack and do some damage too,” Steffens said. “He doesn’t do it a lot, but he has that ability to pick the right time to get into the attack and be creative and dangerous in the attacking third. … He doesn’t get into the attack as often as I’d like, but when he does, he’s good, no question.”
Okai will face a big test this Saturday night as the Eagles take on the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium (7 p.m. ET, USLNation.com) for a place in the USL PRO Championship Game. With the veteran group the Kickers possess, and their undefeated record at home this season, the Eagles will likely need to find their biggest performance of the season if they are to unseat the regular-season champion.
For Okai, though, the opportunity to play for a championship in his rookie season is one he’s ready to grasp with both hands.
“That would mean a lot,” he said. “That would be the biggest accomplishment for us, especially for the first-year players. You’re a rookie and you’re going to play in the championship - that would be a huge accomplishment, so we’re praying and waiting to see what God has in store for us.”