HARRISON, N.J. – Competition at the left back position for the New York Red Bulls – after five years of being largely untested – has come in a big way in 2015.
In the form of Kemar Lawrence, it appears that challenge is here to stay.
He didn’t even have a contract when the season started. But since signing with the Red Bulls in the second week of the season, the 22-year-old Jamaican international was immediately thrust into the starting XI in place of the injured Roy Miller, a RBNY mainstay since he signed with the team in 2010.
In his seven starts this season, Lawrence has been nothing short of stellar. From his goal-saving tackles to his bombing runs up the left wing, he has been a revelation in every sense of the word, and will get another chance to shine heading into Sunday's matchup with the Philadelphia Union (5 pm ET; Fox Sports 1).
“His qualities really fit the way we play. For a young, Jamaican kid – his overall awareness on the field, his assessment of plays, his ability to commit to what we’re doing tactically – it’s all at a really, really high level,” New York Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said. “We’ve been impressed with him, and it’s really hard to take him off the field right now.”
However, Lawrence’s inclusion to the roster was only made possible by D.C. United’s lukewarm reaction to his trial with the side in the summer of 2014.
“I picked up a slight groin injury [prior to my trial],” Lawrence revealed to MLSsoccer.com. “They knew the process and still wanted me to come. They said they were going to give me treatment and see how I looked. They said they were pleased with the couple of days that I trained, but they decided not to sign me.”
Now, having proved his worth to the Red Bulls, Lawrence is simply glad to have been given the opportunity to shine. That it comes at the expense of the club’s biggest rivals is simply an added bonus.
“I just said, ‘OK then. Something’s going to happen soon enough.’ I really wanted to be there at the moment, but it didn’t work out,” he said. “[This year] I saw [D.C. head coach Ben Olsen] and he said, ‘Great stuff you’re doing out there.’ And I told him that I could have been doing the same thing for you guys. But I’m not a cocky type of guy. I’m simple with it.”
Cameroonian international Ambroise Oyongo was initially seen as the heir apparent to Miller under previous RBNY head coach Mike Petke. But Marsch sent Oyongo to the Montreal Impact in an offseason trade, leaving many Red Bulls fans incensed at the loss of a versatile outside player that could be groomed for years to come. Since then, the man affectionately known as “Taxi” has done his fair share to quell those concerns.
“It’s really from my primary school coach back in Jamaica,” Lawrence said of the origin of his nickname. “He thought I was really fast, plus I always took a cab to training. He just made it up, and I stuck with it.”
Quick, strong and hard to get a hold of, you’d be hard pressed to find a more apt comparison. And since his integration into the first team in March, there’s been little opposing teams can do to slow down this runaway cab.
And while he may be inexperienced and from a league that doesn’t garner much respect – playing his first four years with Jamaica’s first division side Harbour View FC – Lawrence already boasts an impressive international résumé.
Just prior to his trial with D.C. United, Lawrence was in camp with the Jamaican national team to take on the likes of France, Switzerland and Egypt. It was during those friendlies that Marsch first took notice of Lawrence, noting his fearless approach and ability to quiet some of the top wingers in world football.
“He played against big time players like Mohamed Salah and [Xherdan] Shaqiri, and he didn’t give anything away,” Marsch said. “He wasn’t afraid. He doesn’t get beat much. He’s good on the ball. When you look at those games, it’s not like he stuck out as one of the best players, he just fit into the game seamlessly and took care of the part of the field defensively. That’s what gave us the sense of thinking that this kid has a little something, now let’s take a look at it a little bit closer up.”
Quiet and unassuming, it didn’t take for Lawrence to gain the respect of Red Bulls players and coaches, but he is just now beginning to garner more league-wide plaudits. After yet another solid shift for New York in their May 10 victory over New York City FC, the 22-year-old found his way onto the MLS Team of the Week.
“Kemar’s been very good,” captain Dax McCarty said. “He’s provided us with another great option on the left side of the field. Obviously whenever you have a guy like that that can come in and do a job, it just makes your team better.”
As Lawrence has earned his place as a starter, it’s left the incumbent Miller to wait for his chance to take back the spot he has called home since 2010. The change has been admittedly difficult for Miller, who was pegged as the best left back in MLS by Petke.
“I agree, in a lot of ways, with Mike’s assessment of Roy,” Marsch said. “I think Roy is a very good left back in this league. I know it’s not been easy for him because Kemar’s come in and done a fantastic job.”
- Get more RBNY news at NewYorkRedBulls.com
Miller has handled it with a veteran’s aplomb.
“It’s not easy for me to come back to match fitness after missing five games,” Miller admitted. “Kemar is doing a very good job; he’s young, he’s working hard, he understands the way we play. It’s not easy for me after being the starter for five years, but I just try to look forward and work hard.”
Despite their direct competition for starting minutes, there seems to be no animosity between the two players. As the veteran, Miller has proved to be a valuable role model while providing a clear path for the young Lawrence to follow to a successful career in MLS.
“I wasn’t really worried about Roy,” Lawrence said. “Roy’s a great player, and I admire him. He has a professional attitude, and I look up to him and talk to him a lot. It’s just amazing how God works things out; you can’t even believe it. I talked to Jesse before they even signed me, and I knew that if I did sign, I wouldn’t be a first-team player. But I knew I was going to make sure I let Roy know that I’m right there.”
Lawrence may be quick on the ball, but he has been equally swift in his penchant to deflect the praise and accolades that have recently been bestowed upon him. Now seen as a promising young talent, Lawrence doesn’t plan on changing his game or his mindset.
“I just try to be the best player that I can be,” Lawrence said. “As long as I continue to believe in God, there’s no limit to where he can take me. I like a challenge; I’m a competitive person. I like to go up against the best players just to prove that our team is the best and that I can come out the best any day.”
