FRISCO - A familiar face was finally seen back in an FC Dallas jersey on Saturday night in Portland as Je-Vaughn Watson saw his first minutes since re-joining FCD.
The Jamaican native is entering his fifth season in MLS and has spent the last two with FC Dallas. However, it wasn’t until the middle of March that Watson resigned with the club.
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“It’ s like nothing changes,” Watson said. “Dallas is like home to me. I had a lot of success with the guys before—going to the playoffs—so being back here is like picking up where I left off. A soccer player dreams to play on the field with guys that are willing to work day in and day out for you no matter what mistakes you make, guys that are always backing you up.”
The 31-year-old midfielder played just 21 minutes in Saturday’s loss, but because of his history with the team FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja believes Watson can be a major contributor this season.
“With Watson you have consistency, you have physicality, you have speed, desire, and passion,” Pareja said. “He can play any time and any position. He is one of the most versatile guys that we have on the team. And now he’s had three weeks were we’ve been working on his legs and he is getting where we want him to be.”
Watson knows his late arrival to the team means he will have to earn his playing time. He also knows that FC Dallas is a deep team, so re-asserting himself could take some time.
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“I just want to do better than I did last season,” he says. "I want to make more plays and help the team make it further than they did last year and try to win a cup. [Pareja] is a good coach, and he knows good players. So, you know he is going to put the best players on the field. I’m just trying to work my way into the starting 11, because the team is very good.”
Watson is a yet another fast, dynamic player on Dallas’ roster, but his biggest contribution to the club can’t be measured on the pitch.
“Joy- he brings joy,” Pareja said. “His presence and the way he is—like any other player, everybody brings something different to the table. I can talk to you about the characteristics of his game—and there are many. But the joy he brings to us it what stands out the most.”
