The blog and local media sat down with Oakland Roots’ recently signed midfielder Tommy McCabe for Media Day ahead of his debut season with the club. Provided is a transcript of everything McCabe said.
Q: What’s your reaction to joining Oakland and why did you choose to come here?
McCabe: “I’m really excited to be here in Oakland, and also to continue working with Ryan [Martin]. I’ve really enjoyed working with Ryan, Florian [Valot], and Keegan [Tingey]. I think specifically, the way Ryan sees the game brings out my strengths. I’ve bounced around this league, and I think in some ways it’s helped me become a better player. But I’ve also been looking for a coach who really understood me as a player and my strengths, and I think he has done that.
“Then, I think this club has a great brand. They’re trying to do something bigger than just on the field. And I think that’s something as a player, you want to feel a part of something bigger than yourself, bigger than just on the field. I think this club does that really well. And then, where we are right now, the training facility is the best in the league, I would say. Just the daily working environment, you want to be here. You want to get better at your craft. And so I think that’s really important.
“Just this overall area of the country. I like to be a curious person. There are different parts of the world that are very diverse. And I think when it comes to bettering yourself, there are a lot of different spaces where you can gather some creativity and some tech innovation. I like to be in those environments, and I think all of them are here.”
Q: Pro standards have been a topic of debate this offseason. How does this location compare to other places you played at, seen, or even heard about?
McCabe: “It’s definitely better, without a doubt, plain and simple. Yes, this is one of the top experiences with facilities. But there’s always the possibility that someone here in this locker room could end up at a different place. That’s just the nature of pro sports. When it comes to league standards, it’s all about improving the lowest common denominator.
“I think everyone’s seen some of the kind of public comments from the Players Association regarding these, and it’s not about one club being better than others. It’s about how we can lift all these clubs together.”
Q: What is your biggest strength and benefit you bring to the team?
McCabe: “I’m definitely a player who is better with better players around me. I’m not someone who’s going to individually take over a game; I’m more of an organizer. I like to use my brain to solve issues. I would say that’s my biggest strength.
“I think one of the ways that comes out most often is my passing ability, being able to see a higher-level pass, see the space in behind, or a pass appreciation with a five-yard pass. I value all of those equally. They can be just as purposeful, like a 75-yard pass can break the position the same way that a five-yard pass can. Just recognizing that and taking care of things in all those moments consistently is my biggest strength. I would say it all revolves around my ability to understand, organize, and see the game.”
Q: What’s your favorite part about training here?
McCabe: “My favorite part about being here at the facility is the coffee machine, by far. It’s a nice, nice espresso machine. I like my coffee, so that’s definitely one of my favorite perks of everyday life. I prefer an espresso or cortado, and then I’ll mix in an americano every now and then.
“USL, you have a variety of different setups where maybe some teams train and play on the same field, so it’s really nice to have a different environment for both. It’s the best one that I’ve been in, bar FC Cincinnati in MLS, but I think that speaks to the quality of this facility.”
Q: Describe this rebuilding roster?
McCabe: “I would challenge the kind of rebuild statement, I think half of this team is returning. You have a Golden Boot winner in Peter Wilson, you have two goalies [Kendall McIntosh, Raphael Spiegel] returning, you have a center back [Neveal Hackshaw] who’s been here. You’ve got young players in the midfield and the players that were acquired halfway through last season that are all part of the core group.
“So, I think Ryan’s come in here, and the players that he’s brought in have come and just add on top of that. I wouldn’t say it’s a rebuild, it’s more of a developing what has been brought here and then adding new ideas. That’s how I see it. I think it’s just a little bit of semantics, but I don’t want to take away from from what the club has done in the past, even if it was a down year. There were still a lot of positives to build on from that, and it’s more about just adding to that.”
Q: What’s stood out for you in the Bay Area, are you familiar with the area?
McCabe: “I probably should have said this earlier about brought me here. My girlfriend’s lived out here for last several years, we live in San Francisco, actually. I just take the bike and ferry here to Harbor Bay and then bike the extra mile. Getting to and from here is just as cool now. So just daily habits like that, I’ve really enjoyed. The scenery just overall is great, and the food scene is awesome.”
Q: What are some goals for the year?
McCabe: “I think our main goal for the preseason is building our idea of creating connection on-and-off the field. I’ve gone back and forth on some teams that have set goals, I think ours is just take it game-by-game. It’s more about putting in good performances and being true to our values. And I think if you do those two things, the target or the end result will come through.
“Yf not, we just learn from it and we move forward. I would say that’s on a daily, weekly basis, but also over the course of the season. I think that’s our big goal; can we be the team that grows the most over the course of the season? That requires a lot of reflection, but also it’s more performance based than result based.”