Jason Plumhoff Excelling In New Test With FC Edmonton

Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Matt Schlotzhauer

Jason Plumhoff tested himself in one of the most demanding environments a young soccer player can experience.

Growing up in Germany, Plumhoff, 24, was a member of the youth setup for the country’s most popular club, Bayern Munich, before moving to the United States as a teenager. Plumhoff’s most notable teammate was Italian international Nicola Sansone, currently playing in Serie A with Sassuolo.

“I played in the youth academy and I went to their soccer school,” Plumhoff told NASL.com “They breed soccer into you from a young age in Germany. It gives you a certain professionalism. When you beat teams, 1-0, they weren’t happy. They wanted us to win, 2-, 3-0.

“From a young age I knew what it would take to get to the next level. When I came to the U.S. I always had it in mind.”

Seeking another test of his abilities Plumhoff heeded advice from a former NASL player and joined FC Edmonton in the offseason.

“I played a season in USL and I did pretty well,” he said. “I thought I needed a new challenge. I spoke to one of my buddies, Ryan Richter, who played for Ottawa last year.

“He told me NASL is a higher level and I should test myself with stronger and more experienced players. So far he’s been proven right.”

Plumhoff, who has been used as a wide midfielder by Eddies coach Colin Miller, led Harrisburg City Islanders last year with 10 goals. He scored his first for the Canadian club in a 2-1 win against the New York Cosmos after receiving a long pass from Salvadoran international Dustin Corea.

“He found me with a great pass,” Plumhoff said. “I still had a little bit of work to do. I cut the defender and then hit it towards the back post. It’s a ball I’m always looking for. I’m always looking to get past defenders and for scoring opportunities.

“A lot of people’s reactions are that I should have shot it first time. I think it’s a low percentage shot and the defender was pretty tight on me. By me pulling the ball inside and then going back outside gives me a better chance because I created more space for myself.”

Plumhoff’s tally was the opening goal in the win over New York, as the Eddies jumped up to fourth place, within two points of league-leading Minnesota United. FC Edmonton now faces the Carolina RailHawks, who are tied on points with Minnesota but trail on goal differential, at Clarke Field on Sunday afternoon. The confident Eddies enter the game unbeaten in four, while the RailHawks have cooled down after four straight victories to open the Spring Season.

“Concerning Carolina coming to us, after beating a team like the Cosmos you feel like you can beat any team in the league, with all due respect to all the teams,” Plumhoff said. “The Cosmos are up there with one of the best teams.

“We have to go into the game with the same mindset and it should give us a great chance.”

While the Eddies chase the Spring Season title, Plumhoff is hoping to continue his run of extended minutes on the field. He also plans on keeping a simple formula when it comes to finding more goals in 2016.

“I try to put myself in good positions and shoot the ball to be honest,” he said.

“I always look to help my team whether it’s through assists or goals, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m also not afraid to do the dirty work and defend.

“At the end of the day it’s always special to score and that’s something I look forward to.”