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Give & Go: Toronto's Marvell Wynne
Between the Olympics and a move to right midfield, it was a busy year for Marvell Wynne. Luckily, he has the speed to keep up with things, including a possible move to Europe. Andrea Canales caught up with the defender.
Dec 11, 2008 3:49:33 PM
Marvell Wynne, the son of a former professional baseball player, has an
athletic heritage that he has carried into his own sport, soccer. One
of the fastest players ever to set foot on the field, Wynne has often been considered a likely prospect for a move to Europe.
Andrea Canales: Marvell, looking back on your time with Major League Soccer, are you glad you decided to start your career here instead of going abroad early?
Marvell Wynne: I’m actually very happy about my decision to join MLS first. The whole part about feeling comfortable was true – I was playing with and against people who I’d played with in the past. I was able to jump in right away. I started my first professional game. I actually got some real experience and a lot of playing time. When it comes to going abroad, I do want that to be in my future. Knowing that soccer is the biggest sport in the world and played all over the world, I want to go and see it while I still have the opportunity. I’m not sure how soon Europe is in my future, but I would definitely like to take advantage of that opportunity somewhere down the line.
How was the move to midfield with Toronto this year?
It’s helped me to be more offensive, whether that’s dealing with pressure and a player on my back, or taking on a player one on one, or even working on my crosses moreso than I do coming out of the back. I think it’s good that I got that playing time. It’s always good to be a versatile player, knowing that a coach can look at you and say, “I don’t need a right back right now, but a right mid I could definitely use.” I wanted to put myself out there and learn as much as I can.
The best part of 2008 with Toronto FC?
I did make my first goal, which was exciting. That was a big highlight for me, my first goal after some seventy-odd games. That felt good. The last couple of games of the season were exciting for me. After I scored a goal, we went to New York, I believe and I got an assist to Chad Barrett – we went to UCLA together. I liked my assist better than my goal, by far. Then after that, we went to Dallas and I scored against Dallas, but they got the PK directly after. Then another first for me was getting knocked out by a shot from Blanco. It was fun – as a team we were getting more confident. Something sparked.
Worst part?
It would have to be not making the playoffs again. There were so many games where we had opportunities. We were, “we should have done better, how did they score that one, how did we not score this one?” Just why, why. We’d think about a point we could have gotten here, or two points we left behind there. It’s ifs, and buts, because this year we were especially disappointed to miss the playoffs. We definitely had what it takes, but it just didn’t happen for us.
What's the word on a move to Europe?
Nothing directly. I haven’t heard anything from a true reliable source. The rest has been hearsay. Fans seem to know more about what might happen than I do. They’ll ask me, “Are you really going to Europe? We heard Rangers wanted you, just like they wanted Mo.” I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything. But I like to hear that talk – it’s entertaining.
It's too bad you got sick and couldn't make the Generation Adidas tour, where you might have picked up interest.
It’s unfortunate. I don’t know if it was the weather change. Chelsea was setting up a whole thing for us. We would have watched a couple of games, played the Chelsea reserves. It would have been a really good time. Hopefully my name is out there from the Olympics or playing in the league year, even though that might have been another sparkplug this year.
What's your take on the Olympics?
There were some good times. My play individually, I think I did alright. I don’t think too many guys beat me on my side and were successful getting crosses or shots off. I believe offensively, I could have gotten forward more and gotten more crosses in. That seems to be the thing with me. It seems that I do ok defensively, but offensively, I don’t contribute enough. That’s important in a 4-4-2. Overall, as a U.S. squad, I think we did play well, but that late goal against the Netherlands – man, that was a crushing blow, even though we had another game left. And then so early on in that game against Nigeria, we get a red card off a bad decision. It just hurt us.
Do you wish your move to midfield had happened before that tournament, to practice being more offensive?
Not so much. Peter Nowak, our coach for the Olympics, knows my play. The way he set up our team, they had chemistry that would complement each other. He wanted me to defend first, then make my runs and overlap.
Are you looking ahead to a possible national team call-up?
Whenever I play or think about soccer, it’s always, where am I playing right now and how can I play my best. I just do the best I can where I am. If I’m good enough, I’ll get called up to the next level. If I’m good enough after that, I’ll get called to the next one, too. I don’t like the fact that some people do think, “I’ve got to start performing now to get on this next team.” It’s all about playing your heart out whenever you get the opportunity to play, because you never know who is watching. If you’re good enough or if a coach believes you’re good enough or he likes the way you do what you do, you get taken in. I can be the fastest man in the world, but if there’s a coach out there looking for a more skillful right back, that can take many touches and maybe dribble more and doesn’t need someone to run up and down, that’s not for me. But hopefully, Bob Bradley and JC, my Toronto coach, prefer the way I play. Then I’ll fit right in and I can just keep doing what I do.
What's it going to take to get Toronto into the playoffs?
I really wish I knew what it was. Obviously, we needed to score more goals and get less goals scored against us. We can always say that. We could say, we need a left mid that can do this or that, or a right mid that can do this or that. Honestly, I think we had the talent to make the playoffs. But that connection only came in the later parts of the year and it was just too little, too late. We all agreed that it just felt good near the end. Even in the beginning we were pretty good, but that middle slump in the end did us in.
Rumor is the team is getting ready to spring for a designated player.
I hope so. If there’s an opportunity to get a big name player that has a lot of skill and if he’ll fit right in with the way we play, I’m sure it couldn’t hurt us. I don’t know specifically where that could be on the pitch. I know everyone loves a goalscorer, someone who can put them in the back of the net. If that’s the case, then I hope he’s a cool guy. I hope we have the right chemistry, because the Toronto locker room is so much fun. We’re friends on and off the pitch. It’s just great people. I just hope whoever we get can come in and be cool.
Give and Go runs every Thursday.
Andrea Canales: Marvell, looking back on your time with Major League Soccer, are you glad you decided to start your career here instead of going abroad early?
Marvell Wynne: I’m actually very happy about my decision to join MLS first. The whole part about feeling comfortable was true – I was playing with and against people who I’d played with in the past. I was able to jump in right away. I started my first professional game. I actually got some real experience and a lot of playing time. When it comes to going abroad, I do want that to be in my future. Knowing that soccer is the biggest sport in the world and played all over the world, I want to go and see it while I still have the opportunity. I’m not sure how soon Europe is in my future, but I would definitely like to take advantage of that opportunity somewhere down the line.
How was the move to midfield with Toronto this year?
It’s helped me to be more offensive, whether that’s dealing with pressure and a player on my back, or taking on a player one on one, or even working on my crosses moreso than I do coming out of the back. I think it’s good that I got that playing time. It’s always good to be a versatile player, knowing that a coach can look at you and say, “I don’t need a right back right now, but a right mid I could definitely use.” I wanted to put myself out there and learn as much as I can.
The best part of 2008 with Toronto FC?
I did make my first goal, which was exciting. That was a big highlight for me, my first goal after some seventy-odd games. That felt good. The last couple of games of the season were exciting for me. After I scored a goal, we went to New York, I believe and I got an assist to Chad Barrett – we went to UCLA together. I liked my assist better than my goal, by far. Then after that, we went to Dallas and I scored against Dallas, but they got the PK directly after. Then another first for me was getting knocked out by a shot from Blanco. It was fun – as a team we were getting more confident. Something sparked.
Worst part?
It would have to be not making the playoffs again. There were so many games where we had opportunities. We were, “we should have done better, how did they score that one, how did we not score this one?” Just why, why. We’d think about a point we could have gotten here, or two points we left behind there. It’s ifs, and buts, because this year we were especially disappointed to miss the playoffs. We definitely had what it takes, but it just didn’t happen for us.
What's the word on a move to Europe?
Nothing directly. I haven’t heard anything from a true reliable source. The rest has been hearsay. Fans seem to know more about what might happen than I do. They’ll ask me, “Are you really going to Europe? We heard Rangers wanted you, just like they wanted Mo.” I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything. But I like to hear that talk – it’s entertaining.
It's too bad you got sick and couldn't make the Generation Adidas tour, where you might have picked up interest.
It’s unfortunate. I don’t know if it was the weather change. Chelsea was setting up a whole thing for us. We would have watched a couple of games, played the Chelsea reserves. It would have been a really good time. Hopefully my name is out there from the Olympics or playing in the league year, even though that might have been another sparkplug this year.
What's your take on the Olympics?
There were some good times. My play individually, I think I did alright. I don’t think too many guys beat me on my side and were successful getting crosses or shots off. I believe offensively, I could have gotten forward more and gotten more crosses in. That seems to be the thing with me. It seems that I do ok defensively, but offensively, I don’t contribute enough. That’s important in a 4-4-2. Overall, as a U.S. squad, I think we did play well, but that late goal against the Netherlands – man, that was a crushing blow, even though we had another game left. And then so early on in that game against Nigeria, we get a red card off a bad decision. It just hurt us.
Do you wish your move to midfield had happened before that tournament, to practice being more offensive?
Not so much. Peter Nowak, our coach for the Olympics, knows my play. The way he set up our team, they had chemistry that would complement each other. He wanted me to defend first, then make my runs and overlap.
Are you looking ahead to a possible national team call-up?
Whenever I play or think about soccer, it’s always, where am I playing right now and how can I play my best. I just do the best I can where I am. If I’m good enough, I’ll get called up to the next level. If I’m good enough after that, I’ll get called to the next one, too. I don’t like the fact that some people do think, “I’ve got to start performing now to get on this next team.” It’s all about playing your heart out whenever you get the opportunity to play, because you never know who is watching. If you’re good enough or if a coach believes you’re good enough or he likes the way you do what you do, you get taken in. I can be the fastest man in the world, but if there’s a coach out there looking for a more skillful right back, that can take many touches and maybe dribble more and doesn’t need someone to run up and down, that’s not for me. But hopefully, Bob Bradley and JC, my Toronto coach, prefer the way I play. Then I’ll fit right in and I can just keep doing what I do.
What's it going to take to get Toronto into the playoffs?
I really wish I knew what it was. Obviously, we needed to score more goals and get less goals scored against us. We can always say that. We could say, we need a left mid that can do this or that, or a right mid that can do this or that. Honestly, I think we had the talent to make the playoffs. But that connection only came in the later parts of the year and it was just too little, too late. We all agreed that it just felt good near the end. Even in the beginning we were pretty good, but that middle slump in the end did us in.
Rumor is the team is getting ready to spring for a designated player.
I hope so. If there’s an opportunity to get a big name player that has a lot of skill and if he’ll fit right in with the way we play, I’m sure it couldn’t hurt us. I don’t know specifically where that could be on the pitch. I know everyone loves a goalscorer, someone who can put them in the back of the net. If that’s the case, then I hope he’s a cool guy. I hope we have the right chemistry, because the Toronto locker room is so much fun. We’re friends on and off the pitch. It’s just great people. I just hope whoever we get can come in and be cool.
Give and Go runs every Thursday.
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