Townsend’s Wild Ride
‘With all the travel of the last few weeks, do you ever wake up in the hotel and not know where you are?’ Casey Townsend laughed at the question. But he didn’t say no. It has been that kind of month for the Chivas USA rookie forward.
“It’s been a wild ride,” said Townsend. “I went from the combine, straight to the draft, then basically straight here [Los Angeles]. I was home for a little less than a day. I flew straight out here and was at practice the next morning. So there’s been no slow down, it’s been one thing after another.”
With intense training sessions from day one, the 22-year-old Michigan native hasn’t exactly had time to ease his way into the professional game either, but that was expected.
“It’s pretty much everything I thought it was going to be,” said Townsend of his first MLS training camp. “I knew it was going to be hard. I [knew it would be] fast paced and intense, guys are fighting for jobs. I talked to a lot of guys on different teams before I got in here, so I kind of knew what to expect and it’s definitely lived up to that if not more so.”
While it’s not the easiest transition, the hardnosed rookie wouldn’t have it any other way. This type of challenge, this need to prove himself and fight for every ball, that’s what Townsend lives for, that’s what he loves about the game. That attitude is a big part of what endeared Townsend to the Chivas USA decision makers who selected him with the fifth overall pick in the SuperDraft.
“We’ve seen exactly what we expected,” said Goats head coach Robin Fraser assessing Townsend’s first few days with the team. “[He’s] an extremely determined and hardworking individual who is very, very competitive and wants to win. Outside of that we’ve seen a lot of good quality in him: some good first touches, good ideas, good passing ability. We’re seeing what we would have hoped to see out of him.”
It’s too early to judge yet, but it’s looking like Townsend may have that elusive combination of talent, attitude and work ethic. If so, he’s well equipped to make the difficult jump from college to MLS.
“Those are the guys who make it,” said the Red-and-White coach. “The guys who really want it and have a realistic assessment of where they are and what they need to improve upon. I get the sense that he’s definitely that kind of kid.”