Exclusive interview
On Saturday, defending champions Forge FC will host Pacific FC (kickoff 4:30 p.m. ET) in the Canadian Premier League final. Pacific FC defender Lukas MacNaughton will be one of the key players to watch in the game. Ahead of the final, Transfermarkt spoke to the 26-year-old about his unusual path to professional football, the final, his season with Pacific FC, and how his national team ambitions could impact his future.
“I had no intentions of playing football here,” MacNaughton said when asked about his unusual career path. Born to a Canadian father and an Austrian mother, the defender thought his professional football ambitions were over when he arrived in Canada to study at the University of Toronto.
“Then I watched one of the games of our university, and I thought: ‘oh, I can play here for sure,’” MacNaughton said. “I then emailed the coach, but he never got to me. So, I went to the dressing room and asked for the coach. I only got to speak to the assistant, and at first, he said the team was set. But when I told him I was from Belgium, he said: ‘oh, you are from Belgium? Of course, you can play for us.’”
MacNaughton: Poster boy for what CPL is supposed to achieve
Ten years ago, that would have been that. Universities in Canada used to be a hotbed of unearthed talent. It is a place where many players had to opt between a normal career or making the risky step to a European league.
The same would have been true for MacNaughton. The defender would have played and studied at the University of Toronto and then moved on to some professional career. But then, the arrival of the Canadian Premier League meant that there was suddenly a market for players who were previously overlooked.
There was so much talent at the university level. But they were often overlooked. The CPL was a game-changer.
“I played lots of football, and then the opportunity of the CPL arrived,” MacNaughton said. “There was so much talent at the university level. But they were often overlooked. The CPL was a game-changer.”
MacNaughton is the poster boy for what the CPL is supposed to achieve. To unearth previously uncovered Canadian talent and give them a platform to play. “The way the system is set up in North America is that a lot of players go to NCAA because that’s where the money is. That’s where you get into the MLS draft. But in Canada, there are lots of good players, but they don’t have the platform.”
Lukas MacNaugthon might have been the best defender in the Canadian Premier League this season.
“The league will only grow from here,” MacNaughton added. There is an argument to be made that MacNaughton has grown with the competition. The defender played 20 games in his first season, eight in the shortened second season, and then 25 games this season.
MacNaughton on the final against Forge FC: “Anything can happen in 90 minutes”
Forge FC vs Pacific FC
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But what about this season? Pacific FC had a phenomenal start but then only finished third overall in the league standings. As a result, the club from Vancouver Island had to travel to Calgary to play Cavalry FC in the semifinal (2-1 AET) and now will be on the road again, this time to Hamilton, where they will face Forge FC. “On a team level, we are a little disappointed,” MacNaughton said. “Because we were in first place for so long, and we really felt like we dominated for a big stretch this season. But then there was that small period where we gave away a few points.”
Nonetheless, MacNaughton is optimistic about the final. “Anything can happen in 90 minutes,” MacNaughton said. Even though Pacific FC have never beaten Forge FC, MacNaughton pointed out that the last few games were close.
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Without a doubt, MacNaughton will be ready. The defender missed the last two games of the season due to Canada Soccer’s yellow card accumulation rules—players will be suspended for one game after four and for two games after eight yellow cards. MacNaughton’s absence was certainly missed in the semifinal against Cavalry, where his club had to overcome all sorts of odds to advance.
In fact, an argument could be made that MacNaughton was the best defender in the Canadian Premier League season. In the CPL, the 26-year-old ranks among the top five defenders in interceptions (fourth), clearances (fifth), recoveries (fifth), and aerial duels won (all stats via CanPL.ca).
MacNaughton most valuable center-back in CPL – “Dream” to represent Canada
Transfermarkt has certainly noticed. MacNaughton is now the most valuable center-back in the CPL. “I would like to be,” MacNaughton said when asked whether he was the best defender in the league this year. “Statistically, I think I was definitely among the top. But statistics are one thing, another part is the impact you have on the game, and I think I certainly had. I think I have grown a lot since I came here.”
Morelli, Mason, Bustos & Co.: The most valuable Canadian Premier League players
That begs the question, has MacNaughton outgrown the league? Transfermarkt understands that several MLS teams have looked at the defender. But the 26-year-old is under contract for next season and evaded the question about a potential transfer.
It does not mean, however, that he has no ambitions to move to another league. “I have two dreams,” MacNaughton said. “To one day return to Belgium and play there and to represent Canada. That would be unbelievable, especially when you see how they are playing.”
Up until now, however,Canada head coach John Herdman has not been in contact with MacNaughton. “I think to get there; you have to play at least in MLS,” MacNaughton said. “I look at someone like Alistair Johnston [from Nashville SC], who I know quite well; he played in the Ontario League 1 and then moved to MLS and then quickly became a national team player.”
The Canadian Premier League title, MLS, and then the national team? MacNaughton laughs when he is asked that question. But anyone who has seen the defender play this season will be aware that he has the potential to achieve all those goals.
