MIAMI, Florida – This Monday, November 7, the Draw for the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League will take place in Miami, Florida, in which former Costa Rica international Rodney Wallace will serve as one of the Draw Assistants.
In his club career, Wallace had the opportunity to play in the SCCL with three different teams from Major League Soccer (MLS): DC United, Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City.
For Wallace, to compete at the highest level in the region is an experience he cherished and the opportunity to participate in Monday’s Draw is something that is warmly welcomed.
“I’m definitely excited. It’s a huge honor to take part in this Draw,” said Wallace in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
“I have been a part of this competition. I vividly remember the first time I was a part of it with DC United. One of my biggest memories was against Toluca. We had an opportunity to advance and I ended up hitting the post. That was when I started to understand the impact and the magnitude that this tournament has,” added Wallace.
Overall, Wallace played in 13 SCCL matches over the course of three seasons. The memories of those Concacaf nights are still very present in his mind.
“When it comes to Concacaf games, I would say it’s gritty, it’s always a battle. The teams are always prepared. It doesn’t matter where you’re playing or what country you are coming from or which country you are going to, it is always going to be a difficult match and that is a testament to what Concacaf is doing, which is raising the level of the leagues,” said Wallace.
The 34-year-old featured in seven matches in his first SCCL with DC United in the 2009-10 edition, followed by four games in the 2014-15 tournament with Portland and another two games with Sporting Kansas City in 2019.
As a young player, those lessons learned in his first SCCL served Wallace well throughout his career.
“It’s a beautiful thing because now you are not just in front of fans that you are used to every Saturday, now you’re in front of a crowd in Honduras or in front of a crowd in Costa Rica. You’re in an away match in Mexico; those are all different experiences that as a young player, you start to develop your game within the lines. You start to heighten your senses and get new skills. You realize this is what they’re doing here and I can actually apply that to my game in order to have more of an edge,” said Wallace.
Wallace also hailed the evolution of the SCCL from his playing days and how it has spurred the growth of the game within the different areas of the Concacaf region.
“The tournament has grown in the fact that now we are seeing different levels of play in each region. I think we are seeing different styles of play from each specific team. It’s not just getting the ball and kicking it. Now, you are seeing full foundations from the youth system to the professional ranks and that’s what is making this competition more competitive each year,” said Wallace.
A member of Costa Rica’s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad and a veteran of Concacaf Gold Cups and the Copa Centroamericana, Wallace believes the SCCL played a big role in his ability to be part of Costa Rica’s national team setup. For Wallace, taking part in Monday’s Draw is a way of saying thank you.
Rodney Wallace of Costa Rica celebrate after scoring against Guyana in a Group A Match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on July 14, 2017.
“When I got this opportunity, it was an automatic yes because of what this tournament did for my career. It allowed more eyes to pay attention to my hard work. It allowed the national team to be able to watch and see me play within the region. It allowed me to grow because I had to travel to go experience completely different things. That’s what it brought to me. It allowed me to grow as a player and I appreciate it even more now that I’m done playing,” concluded Wallace.
