FC Edmonton's Lance Laing Continues to Flourish In Midfield Role

In the 2014 Fall Season, FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller tweaked his lineup. It may have been a subtle shift, but it had a major impact on the Eddies’ fortunes, and they haven’t looked back since.

That change was Lance Laing moving into midfield. He finished with seven goals in 2014 and was in contention for the North American Soccer League's (NASL) Golden Ball by season’s end. His impressive form nearly carried the Eddies into the postseason, as he will look to do so in 2015. He has already tallied his first goal, coming last weekend in a 1-1 draw with the Carolina RailHawks.

Despite the instant success in a role further forward, it is still a learning process for the former defender.

“It wasn’t easy at all," Laing told NASL.com. "I’m still learning the position because I’ve been a defender for most of my career.

“We have good players here, in midfield, and I tend watch them a lot and the way they move because it’s more natural for them.”

The 27-year-old will have even more competition for his place in the team, which should push him to new heights. He already connected well with one of the new additions, Sainey Nyassi, for his first goal this season.

“The quality of the players that the coaching staff has brought in is really good,” Laing said. We just have to gel together. It won’t take a week or two, it’s definitely a work-in-progress.”

He added, “The quality we have here, I can do more as long as everyone is on the same page.”

If he can follow up on last season’s performance, Laing could potentially throw his name back in the reckoning for a Jamaican National Team call-up. He has represented the nation four times in the past, the last one coming in 2012, as a member of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Laing, however, isn’t focused on working his way back into the international stage. Instead, he is focusing solely on his work with the Eddies.

“I tend to just focus on my club,” he said. “I don’t think about the national team because it throws you off your game. If it happens, it happens. I’m just focused on my club right now.”

But with more Jamaican players joining the NASL, like Indy Eleven’s Brian Brown, the competition between countrymen grows even fiercer.

“It’s good to see players getting chances from where I’m from,” Laing said. “It’s good to go up against them because in this league, every Jamaican practically knows each other, and bragging rights are on the line. It’s good to get three points against my old teammates or friends.”

If Laing, who Miller described as “a duck taking to water,” continues to be successful and score as he has in his role as a midfielder, the Eddies and Laing will earn those bragging rights. More importantly, they'll earn three points more often than not.