018: Earl Edwards Jr. of Orlando City SC

Almost four years after captaining the UCLA Bruins to a College Cup final, Earl Edwards Jr. has worked hard, bided his time, and is now earning consistent minutes for Orlando City SC. Despite a streaky, sometimes-turbulent 2018 regular season, Earl is making the most of his opportunity, and the Lions still find themselves in MLS playoff contention.

In today’s episode, Earl talks about growing up in southern California, where he excelled in both soccer and basketball. He discusses some of the benefits and lessons that carried over from the hardwood to the soccer pitch, and his eventual decision to play soccer full-time.

As part of U.S. Soccer’s elite Residency program and a U-17 World Cup squad, Earl rarely took a back seat to any other player, but he talks about the important lessons he learned at UCLA, initially playing behind Brian Rowe. This experience would eventually prepare him for the sometimes-slow process of earning starting minutes at the professional level. He talks about the value of forging a strong relationship between a Number One and a backup, and also the importance of staying hungry and motivated, no matter which jersey you’re wearing.

Earl also discusses his approach to penalty kicks, and how to deal with nerves on big gamedays, among other topics. I hope you enjoy the show!

Special thanks to Earl Edwards Jr. for joining me!