Local player aims for national team

By Michael Pattison

Ottawa-born soccer player Jamar Dixon has been named to the Canadian men’s national soccer team in the past and could have a chance to represent his country once again this summer.

Last February, the Ottawa Fury midfielder appeared in his first international game against the United States. He called this moment in his career “surreal,” and something he had been working for his entire life.

Dixon, 27, played in three games for Team Canada in 2016, including making the roster for qualifying matches against Honduras and El Salvador for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

On March 22, the Canadian squad will head to Edinburgh, Scotland to square off against the Scottish national team at Easter Road Stadium. Dixon has not yet been informed whether he has made the roster for that game, but he hopes the beginning of his club team’s season will not interfere with his chances of making the team.

Dixon is currently a member of his hometown Fury after beginning his professional career playing overseas in Sweden and Finland.

He returned in 2016 to play his first season for the Ottawa club, which played in the North American Soccer League last year but joins the United Soccer League this year as an affiliate of the Montreal Impact of the Major Soccer League.

Ottawa has only had a professional soccer team since 2014. Because of this, Dixon never expected to be representing his home city.

“Playing in Ottawa has always been a dream of mine because we’ve never had soccer on the level where you can make enough to take care of yourself,” Dixon said.

However, playing in his hometown hasn’t always been easy. Dixon said, noting that sometimes his social life can get in the way. In Europe, he noted, all he was focused on was playing and practising.

“In the end I get to play for my city and not every kid gets that opportunity — so I count my blessings,” Dixon said.

Dixon started 2017 by attending the Canadian national camp in an attempt to secure a spot on Team Canada again.

Along with 27 other hopefuls, he was looking to perform well enough to impress interim head coach Michael Findlay.

Dixon described this as one of the most challenging parts of playing on an international level.

“They’re creating a bigger player pool, which means it’s more competitive. You always have to be on your A-game and adapt to pressures of new players and the new system,” Dixon said.

There is no doubt in Dixon’s mind that he has what it takes to be a vital player in the Canadian system, and he’s hoping to prove it at July’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament for countries North and Central America and the Caribbean.

“That’s one of my goals. I would love to represent Canada in that tournament and I definitely want to take another step in my career and make this Gold Cup team,” Dixon said.

The tournament will take place in numerous cities across the United States and will run from July 7-26.

“All I can do is work hard and give it my all, because if you get picked for the squad or you don’t you won’t know why. All you can do is be thankful that you were in their vision and then wait for your hour,” Dixon said.