FRISCO, Texas — During FC Dallas’ 2-1 victory Saturday against the Colorado Rapids, Reggie Cannon whipped in a ball that flew across the box, begging for a foot on the other end. The closest player to the ball was forward Dominique Badji, but he was late to the back post.
In Cannon’s second season as a starter, his role going up the field has been magnified. Coach Luchi Gonzalez wants his fullbacks pushing higher up the pitch, resulting in more attacking situations like that one for Cannon.
On that specific play, Cannon said he was not thinking. He just hit it — something he’s been working on with assistant coach Peter Luccin.
“Don’t worry about making mistake. Don’t play to not make a mistake. Play to have fun and be you,” Cannon said after the match, reciting Luccin’s advice. “I’m always thinking, ‘How do I stop this?’ Or, ‘How do I not make a mistake here? How do I keep the ball here instead of trying to be the most dangerous player I can be?’ . . . Today, I threw all those thoughts out the window. I didn’t let fear touch me.”
Cannon’s rise to the first team was not easy. The 2o-year-old played one minute of MLS action his first season. Now, the right back is in second place on the team for key passes with four this season. The player right above him? His good buddy, Paxton Pomykal, who has emerged as a key part of the FCD strategy. Part of Luccin’s talk with Cannon also revolved around the contrast between Cannon and Pomykal on the field.
“He was talking about how it’s kind of funny how Paxton and I are best friends but are almost complete opposites,” Cannon said. “Paxton is one of the most confident people I’ve ever met. Cocky even, to a point, but that’s a good thing. His style of play requires him to be that way. Off the field, I’m the most confident person in the world, but on the field, Pax and I are complete opposites. We almost shadow each other. I’m playing to be that solid player that you can always trust, that won’t make a mistake and plays to play safe, as bad as it sounds.
“It’s something I’ve learned from Paxton. Paxton has also learned from me. If you’re too confident, you’re not willing to learn or be open, but if you’re not confident, you’re not willing to try new things and take risks.”
Pomykal believes Cannon is a confident player, regardless of what his friend has to say.
“Yeah, we’ve talked about it,” Pomykal said. “It’s not something we center our game around. He’s a confident player, too. You see how he attacks going forward? He might say he’s not confident, but he’s confident on the ball and you see it when he gets forward on the ball.”
Gonzalez also spoke positively about Cannon’s confidence and preparation to be ready for a moment.
“Players are at a professional level because they have confidence,” Gonzalez said. “Different levels of it within the group, obviously. Reggie is a charismatic, sociable, smart, respectful, young, fun and he exudes confidence. Even when he was first starting out two years ago and opportunities were scarce, he was fighting and he was always ready.
“When there was an opportunity for him, he wasn’t overconfident or underconfident. He was just ready and prepared. You’re always better off being over prepared. To me, preparation is confidence.”
Cannon’s goals for the season are to continue to get better — less thinking; more playing — and become the most dangerous right back in the league. In Gonzalez’s system, a fullback who can pin teams in by pushing up the field is critical, and the ideology switch could benefit Cannon in the long run.
“I threw everything out the window,” Cannon said. “Don’t think, just do. Just look for what’s the most dangerous option, instead of the safest option. Be confident in yourself. I’m at this level for a reason. I can’t play to not make a mistake anymore. I want to be the most dangerous player on the field.”