Pull the unaffiliated tag off Simon Thomas.
The 22-year-old Victoria goalkeeper, who made his international breakthrough for sa国际传媒 with a clean sheet last month in a scoreless draw against the U.S., has signed a pro contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer.
鈥淭his provides security and a place I can grow at,鈥� said Thomas, a six-foot-three graduate of Oak Bay High and product of the Bays United and Lower Island Metro programs.
鈥淭his is a chance to grow in confidence in a pro club setting.鈥�
The Whitecaps open the MLS season Saturday at sa国际传媒 Place against Toronto FC.
Thomas will likely begin the season backing up the returning Whitecaps goalkeepers 鈥� American veterans 38-year-old Joe Cannon and 28-year-old Brad Knighton
Thomas, however, isn鈥檛 surrendering an inch and doesn鈥檛 consider himself a third-stringer to anybody. And his youthful age gives him a huge upside.
鈥淚 consider it a free-for-all, with nothing set, and will give it my best,鈥� he said, of the battle for playing time in the box.
Before the shutout against the U.S., Thomas earned his first cap last month by playing the second half and giving up one goal in a 4-0 friendly loss to Denmark. Those composed sa国际传媒 outings certainly piqued interest in Thomas among MLS teams.
鈥淚 was on the radar before, but it was a major thing to show that I can play at a high international level,鈥� said Thomas.
The Islander鈥檚 assertiveness came through in his first two caps as Thomas, normally soft-spoken off the pitch, forcefully shouted instructions to keep Canadian structure at the back end.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 always been a part of my game to be big and loud and to control my box and organize my defenders,鈥� said Thomas, who got into several Whitecaps鈥� pre-season games as Vancouver played a series of exhibitions that concluded over the weekend in Charleston, South Carolina.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a massive role for me and sort of sets me aside from some other keepers.鈥�
Thomas chuckled that some of his friends can鈥檛 believe that guy in the box is the same relatively shy person they know off the pitch.
Thomas was signed to a one-year contract in 2011 by pro club Huddersfield Town in England. He left the club in 2012 to become a free agent.
High-level sport runs in the Thomas family. Simon鈥檚 fraternal twin brother, Aaron Thomas, is part of the national triathlon training centre in Victoria and has also represented sa国际传媒 internationally.
鈥淲e鈥檙e quite similar and very supportive of each other,鈥� said Simon of the sporting sibling pair.
