by Matthew Lacy
Logan Emory.
VANCOUVER, WA— Logan Emory is taking the helm as the new Vancouver Victory head coach for this 2018 season. “I want to win.” says Coach Emory. “I do not take this lightly.” Emory is a thoughtful practitioner of the game who combines what he sees as two minds on the field, the soldier and the artist. As a self-described no-nonsense, old-school centerback, he is unafraid to show a little defensive bite. However, he equally values creative, possession-based soccer and aims to give his players freedom to express themselves. This thoughtful mix is certainly going to create an exciting 2018 season.
Emory comes to the V2FC with an impressive resume, hard earned and rooted in the Northwest. He is from Boise, Idaho and went to the University of Portland where he was a senior on the 2009 team that made it to the sweet 16. From there he found his way to the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL and then to Toronto FC where he became the first field player from Idaho to play in an MLS game. He credits fellow Boise player George Jostens of the 2010 USL Portland Timbers, as paving the way and setting a positive example of what a guy from Idaho Falls can do in the world of professional soccer.
https://www.facebook.com/VancouverVictoryFC/videos/1525321517586493/
Logan Emory made his MLS debut in 2012 at CenturyLink field in Seattle as his Toronto FC played Seattle’s Sounders (Rick Morrison / goalWA.net)
Following that mountain top experience, he weaved his way through the San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL and the LA Galaxy II squad of the USL, ultimately landing back home in Boise in 2014 where he became an accountant and reconnected with his boyhood club, the Boise Nationals. Only this time, as a coach where he led the Nationals to three state titles. He also coached his former high school team to win fourth in state. Emory obviously garnered some attention and it landed him the assistant coaching position at the University of Portland in 2016; his old stomping grounds and one of the most prestigious soccer programs in the country. With that, this season’s match with the Vancouver Victory just came naturally. Through the natural connections that happen in the soccer community here in the Northwest, Emory was contacted by the Washington Timbers and it was an easy choice for him. “This is a privilege. I am working for the supporters. I am a Northwest kid and I do not take this lightly. My goal is to win a championship with entertaining soccer. We will be a blue-collar team who rolls up our sleeves and gets to work.”
Logan Emory made his MLS debut in 2012 at CenturyLink field in Seattle as his Toronto FC played Seattle’s Sounders (Rick Morrison / goalWA.net)
On the field, Emory prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation, but he is committed to capitalizing on the strengths of his team and is not bound by preconceived ideas. He coaches the team he has with a clear eye so he maintains flexibility with his formations, letting the natural style and culture of the team be the consistent thread in his strategy. The Oregon State team that forward Jordan Jones (a 2014 Victory player) played on is one that he cites as needing two up top to take advantage of a player’s natural giftings. He coaches the team he has, not the team he wants, a huge distinction at any level of the game.
However, in the end, it is about results for Coach Emory. “With soccer, there is a lot of talk. It’s one thing to say it, but it’s another thing to do it. We are going to have committed guys and it is my job to give our players something to work for and the team we put out will be the proof in the pudding.”
It is a new era in Vancouver Victory soccer and we are moving along, full steam ahead. Be watching for player signings and game day operation excitement.
