Copa America Was An Excellent Adventure For FC Edmonton's Lance Laing

Jamaica failed to pocket a point at Copa América in Chile, but the team earned respect and gained valuable experience, none more so than FC Edmonton’s rampant midfielder Lance Laing.

Drawn into a killer of a first-round group with Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, Jamaica lost all three games by identical 1-0 scores.

“What stood out the most was all the world-class talent that was on display,” said Laing, who was back in Edmonton for two-a-day training sessions as the Eddies prepare for next weekend’s start to the NASL’s 2015 Fall Season.

His stay in Alberta, however, will be rather brief because Laing will again be joining the national team for a major international tournament -- the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which begins for the Reggae Boyz against Costa Rica at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., on July 8.

“It was the first big tournament that I’ve played in and the talent together on the same stage was something I’d never seen before,” he said, referring to the Copa. “All the world-class players were just unbelieveable. I think I learned a lot just watching them. It was a great experience.”

Before the Copa, Laing, 27, had played four times for Jamaica’s national team, but never in a big international tournament. He made his international debut against El Salvador in 2008 and earned another call up in May 2012 after turning in some strong performances with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

But it was his play for the Eddies during the recently completed Spring Season that caught the eye of Jamaica’s coaching staff and ended with Laing hopping on a plane to South America. From his position on the left side of the midfield during league play, Laing scored four goals (tied with seven other players for second in the NASL behind Omar Cummings of San Antonio) and added four assists, second most in the league.

“Since the start of season, I’ve done interviews time and time again in which I said that I was never worried about the national team,” Laing said. “For me, my club comes first. I have to do my job on the pitch. I think the national team will be there for me when I keep my focus on what’s best for my club. Then hopefully I get a call in.”

Laing is among a group of seven NASL players who have been called to their national teams for the Gold Cup, the regional championship in North and Central America and the Caribbean. The United States is the defending champion and another title for the American team will send it to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup. If the U.S. should lose this year, it would enter a playoff with the 2015 champion for a spot in Russia. Joining Jamaica in Group B are Canada and El Salvador, teams that also have NASL players on their rosters.

Speaking about the Gold Cup, Laing said: “I think there should be more confidence because we were expecting to get better after Copa América. If we can be more aggressive going forward, I think we will be fine. We did a good job collectively in Chile and hopefully we can get a goal or two and well in the Gold Cup.”

In the Gold Cup, Jamaica’s attack will again be led by Giles Barnes, who has scored six goals this season for Houston in MLS. Missing from Jamaica’s 23-man roster is the veteran striker Omar Cummings, who led the Scorpions and the league with five goals in the Spring Season.

Coming off the bench against Uruguay and Paraguay, Laing started the match against Argentina before being substituted off. But his time on the field against Lionel Messi and his teammates gave Laing a ringside seat to the Messi magic.

“Playing against Messi and Argentina was certainly one of my most memorable moments of the tournament,” Laing said. “But come game day, we totally erased from our minds that this guy’s the best player in the world. He didn’t manage to score against us.”

The Copa brings together some of the best talent from South America -- though most of the players ply their trade in European leagues. The opportunity to see players like the Barcelona troika of Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar (for a limited time) and others made a big impression on Laing.

“It’s all about their quality,” Laing said. “For me personally, I think they are all winners. Everything about the way they play is spot on, their first touch, their positioning, when to dribble, when not to dribble. Their transitioning on both ends of the pitch is unbelieveable. There are not a lot of teams here that master the transition from offense to defense. It’s second to none in North America. They close you down very quickly and attack quickly.”