After being a mainstay of every team he’d played on, Red Bulls defender Heath Pearce found himself banished to the bench for the first time in his career, and didn’t try to hide his frustration over it. But faced with the choice of crumbling or competing, he chose the latter; and may have played his way back into the lineup.
Despite being solid at both centerback and left back, Pearce had fallen behind Roy Miller at the latter position and both Jamison Olave and Markus Holgersson at the former. But Pearce has practiced well of late, and coach Mike Petke is considering moving either he or Holgersson to right back to shore up the defense.
“Heath his first year in Dallas; he played right back and was arguably the best right back in the league that year. So we have options,’’ said Petke, who admitted Pearce had struggled at times during a roller-coaster campaign, but praised his recent play. “I think he’s had his ups and downs this year, and I think he’s on a bit of an up.
“I think in practice he’s playing very well. The times we’ve put him in games, he’s done what’s been asked of him. And it creates a problem for me, because you have also Markus and Olave and Roy who are playing very well, so where do you (put them?) There’s got to be an odd man out. It doesn’t mean he’s always going to be the odd man out. We’re looking to get him more involved. But he’s done well.’’
The 28-year-old Pearce hadn’t always been doing well this year. He started the first six games of the season, as expected of the former U.S. National Team player and all-star; but then after a loss of form he went through a five-game span where he started just once, and was an unused DNP twice.
It was an experience that left him fuming.
“Yeah, definitely. Outside of an injury or something like that I’d started every game in my MLS career up to that point, so yeah, to be in and out of the lineup was definitely a frustrating time,’’ said Pearce. “But that’s the way the game goes. Competition in the squad is how you get the most out of everybody.’’
Pearce’s frustrating was clear and obvious to anyone around him. But he’s started four of their last six games, and came in as a sub in another. And Petke said he’s earned that playing time, and possibly more yet to come.
“You can sit and pout about it and not do any favors for yourself or anybody else, or you can just go out and compete,’’ said Pearce. “Obviously sometimes I’ve had the issue my entire career I wear my emotions on my face a lot, so you were able to see at times my discontent at not playing.
“Part of that’s discontent at not playing, but part of that’s discontent or disappointment in myself for not playing the way they feel I should be playing. You’ve just got to get on with it and make it happen.’’
Pearce said he played his entire first full season in MLS at right back, so he’s “pretty comfortable” at the position. But if Petke slides Holgersson from centerback to right back, Pearce could slide in at centerback next to Olave.