Magic Mattocks
It was January 2010 when University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter found himself in the bleachers at a soccer game in a dangerous part of Kingston, Jamaica.
He'd heard about a speedy local striker who could replace the MLS SuperDraft-bound Teal Bunbury. Soon after the game began, Darren Mattocks, a star forward for the U-21s of local professional club Waterhouse FC and one of the highest-scoring youth players in the Caribbean, received the ball in the middle of the field and peeled off a 50-yard run that, while not resulting in a goal, told Porter all he needed to know.
"It took me about five minutes to realize he was special," recalled Porter. "He was electric, ran like a deer and when he got on the ball he was very technical as well. I knew he would take off."
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It was January 2010 when University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter found himself in the bleachers at a soccer game in a dangerous part of Kingston, Jamaica.
He'd heard about a speedy local striker who could replace the MLS SuperDraft-bound Teal Bunbury. Soon after the game began, Darren Mattocks, a star forward for the U-21s of local professional club Waterhouse FC and one of the highest-scoring youth players in the Caribbean, received the ball in the middle of the field and peeled off a 50-yard run that, while not resulting in a goal, told Porter all he needed to know.
"It took me about five minutes to realize he was special," recalled Porter. "He was electric, ran like a deer and when he got on the ball he was very technical as well. I knew he would take off."
(continue)
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