Preston Popp eager to start professional career ahead of 2022 MLS Superdraft

MONTREAL - The Popp household title will ring a bell to Canadian soccer followers, particularly in Montreal. Now the title is making a resurgence, this time within the sport of soccer.

Preston Popp, a senior on the College of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers, hopes to get his title known as within the 2022 MLS Superdraft Tuesday afternoon.

Popp was born in Montreal, the place his father Jim spent over twenty years as basic supervisor and frequent interim head coach of the CFL’s Alouettes, main the crew to a few Gray Cup titles (2002, 2009, 2010).

“I’ve labored my entire life in direction of this second so I’m actually simply excited greater than something,” Preston Popp mentioned in a telephone interview from Charlotte, N.C. “Ever since I got here in my freshman 12 months that was my objective to be part of the MLS Superdraft.”

Popp spent his childhood in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Que. the place he began enjoying soccer with the DDO Dragons. The 22-year-old has fond recollections of Montreal, the place he fell in love with hockey and adopted his father’s profitable CFL profession.

“I've numerous nice recollections in Canada. I grew up enjoying hockey and soccer there,” he mentioned. “There have been numerous nice celebrations and Gray Cups in Montreal being part of the parades and stuff like that so I've a variety of nice recollections and associates in Canada.”

Popp moved to Mooresville, N.C. about 50 kilometres north of Charlotte, at age 10 to pursue his highschool schooling and caught the bug for soccer.

He selected to remain in-state and joined UNC Charlotte, the place he grew to become Convention USA’s main objective scorer in his remaining two seasons. The striker recorded a career-high eight objectives and three assists in his senior 12 months, incomes him a spot on the All-Convention USA first crew.

Kevin Langan, head coach of the 49ers males’s soccer crew, in contrast Popp’s type of play to Leicester Metropolis and England star striker Jamie Vardy.

“He’s very fast, performs on the final shoulder and is continually attempting to make harmful runs with a purpose to rating objectives,” Langan mentioned from Charlotte. “He’s a kind of old school goalscorers. Somebody who simply sees the sport and asks: ‘How can I rating objectives, what number of objectives can I get and the way can I harm the opponent?’”

Jim Popp mentioned that it was “an incredible honour” to have the ability to see his son carry out at a excessive stage in school regardless of Preston enjoying the opposite type of soccer.

“For me, not solely as a father however given the kind of work I’ve finished for a very long time evaluating athletes, he’s a particular athlete,” Jim Popp mentioned from Charlotte. “He’s bought what I might all the time say in soccer, I don’t know what they are saying in soccer, however an ‘it issue’ to him. Within the large moments, he simply figures out get it finished and leads his crew that method.”

Regardless of spending the latter years of his life south of the border, Preston Popp thinks of him as “Canadian first” and is proud to be a twin citizen.

Popp mentioned groups have reached out to him forward of the draft however opted to maintain them to himself. The striker has connections to MLS sides CF Montreal and Toronto FC, given his household’s involvement in Canada, and likewise performed for the New York Crimson Bulls academy in 2018.

“After all, the entire groups maintain their playing cards near themselves so I don’t actually know a lot till the day comes,” Popp mentioned. “After all I’d undoubtedly be open to coming again to Canada. I've numerous nice recollections there.”

Popp added that he's attempting to maintain a stage head and his choices open forward of Tuesday.

“I’ve had a few conversations with completely different folks and so they instructed me that it doesn't matter what anybody tells you, you don’t actually know till the day comes,” he mentioned. “It’s just about ready for the day and I’m simply hoping to see my title chosen.”

Having gone by means of a number of drafts as a CFL GM, Jim Popp suggested his son concerning the course of. He additionally mentioned a return to Montreal for Preston could be a particular second for the Popp household.

“I spent half of my profession in soccer in Canada and we lived in Montreal for 21 years. It’s undoubtedly particular to him and his siblings,” mentioned Jim Popp, who spent his final three CFL seasons as GM of the Toronto Argonauts (2017-19), main them to a Gray Cup in 2017. “It will be an incredible honour to be with any crew however it might be very particular to be related to the groups which might be in Canada, particularly if it was Montreal.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 10, 2022.