UCLA coach: Union's Hoffman "born to score goals"
With the 2012 MLS SuperDraft in the rear-view mirror, Philadelphia Union first round pick Chandler Hoffman is preparing for his first season as a professional. Perhaps no one knows the young striker’s game quite like Jorge Salcedo, Hoffman’s coach during his three-year collegiate career.
“[Chandler] got better every year,” Salcedo told philadelphiaunion.com when asked about the Alabama native’s development since arriving at UCLA in 2009. “He became more comfortable and more confident with each year he played.”
An adidas High School All-American, Hoffman was able to make an instant impact with the Bruins, which Salcedo remembers well.
“His freshman year was a very good one," he said. "He scored a lot of opportunistic goals and really showed his array of talents in front of goal. It was really exciting to see him increase his goal production and decision-making going into his sophomore year."
Hoffman's college career wasn't an entirely smooth ride, however. After training with the nearby LA Galaxy following his freshman year, Hoffman suffered a broken leg on the first day of UCLA's preseason training.
“I remember picking him up later that day and taking him to dinner and seeing how shattered he was,” recalled Salcedo, who is going into his ninth year as head coach at UCLA.
The injury sidelined Hoffman for 11 games, but upon returning he ranked first in the Pac-10 in goals per game (.55) and second in points per game (1.18) for the remainder of the 2010 season. Hoffman scored six goals and added an assist in just 11 appearances
“It speaks to his determination to be the best soccer player he can," said Salcedo. "It would have been easy for him to red shirt or not play that year, but to his credit he came back and played.”
Hoffman's determination has Salcedo bullish about the youngster's professional pursuits.
“His perseverance to succeed is very high," Salcedo said. "That’s something that will help him succeed in Philadelphia.”
When asked about Chandler’s strongest on-field quality, Salcedo didn’t hesitate.
“Some people think that forwards are just born with that ability to score goals; well, Chandler has proven that to be true at every level he’s played in – he was born to score goals," Salcedo said. "His greatest attribute is his ability to put himself in positions to finish.”
Salcedo, whose five-year MLS career included one season as a teammate of Peter Nowak in Chicago, acknowledges that Hoffman still has room to grow.
“He’s still young, and with the speed of play at the next level, there’s always an adjustment period," he said. "When he immerses himself in training and tries to understand what Peter is telling him, he’s going to have to adjust to the speed of play and the physicality of MLS. When going against some of the big center backs in the league, he’s going to have to understand how to create some separation.”
Those are things that will come with time as Hoffman learns the tricks of the trade. For now, Salcedo can take pride in the fact that yet another one of his players is headed to PPL Park, following in the footsteps of past SuperDraft picks Amobi Okugo, Kyle Nakazawa and Brian Perk, as well as Union original Jordan Harvey.
“It’s great to see them get an opportunity anywhere,” Salcedo said when asked what it's like to see his former pupils reunited as professionals, "but it's great for them to be together. When you go into a new environment with so many unknowns, having some familiar faces and people you know helps make the transition easier.”
But while Okugo and Nakazawa may serve as mentors off the field, Salcedo knows they won’t take it easy on their former college teammate between the lines.
“I’m sure that Kyle and Amobi won’t be afraid to kick him around a little bit," he said.