Michael Vang on quarantine, going pro, and the return of the USL
Vang discusses life in quarantine and finally getting into his first professional season.
Note: A detailed exploration of Michael Vang’s initial journey to professional football, published on These Football Times, can be found here.
With the world of football opening back up, clubs and players are looking to redirect their attention toward the leagues and trophies they had to shelve in March as concerns, and cases, regarding COVID-19 grew at a rapid pace.
This raises the question of what such players went through during the last three or so months. Perhaps most of all, one might wonder how it felt to be a rookie on the edge of your professional debut when the beautiful game was called off. This brings us to Michael Vang.
Michael Vang was set to make a little piece of history when the USL League One season kicked off on March 27th, 2020. Vang would officially become one of the few active professional Hmong football players globally and put a cherry on top of years of work. The Hmong community, despite that lack of professional exposure, is a major part of the scene in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first of which is Vang’s hometown.
Speaking with the midfielder previously for These Football Times, it was clear that this was a player that could bring a lot on and off the pitch. Prior to lockdown, Vang had told me how much it means to be a voice for Hmong American players, many of which are overlooked.
“There’s a lot of talent in our community and I know there will be others in the future that will make it professionally,” Vang explained. “I know I have a lot of people behind me and I’m extremely thankful for that. I promise to do my best.”
Just 19 at the time, he had signed with Forward Madison via a closed try out, one he’d only managed to get into via the support of his brother and a collegiate soccer coach, both at UW Green Bay. Years at the likes of Shattuck-Saint Mary’s US Soccer Development Academy and even lower league Portuguese side Sociedade União 1 Dezembro had left Vang with the skills and determination to go pro, with the young midfielder choosing club ball over the collegiate path taken by the vast majority of American players.
The dream, it should be noted, is not over. Vang is still on the Madison roster and is set to be a part of the action when the league returns, but for months he’s had to wait for the reward he thought he’d gotten a grasp on months ago.
I connected with Vang to learn more about his journey through COVID-19, both as a player and as a person.
The debut-awaiting midfielder was understandably surprised upset when he realized his first professional season was slipping out of grasp.
“It really sucked because having it be my first year, you're eager to play,” Vang continued. “You have all these thoughts running through your head about the first game, then something crazy like this happens.”
Vang had to move on quickly, however, as adjustments to life and his club duties changed quickly as the city of Madison, state of Wisconsin, and the United States as a whole, began to lock down and explore what was needed to remain safe.
“I didn't really go out at all,” Vang explained. “I only went out to get groceries and that's about it. Obviously, I wore a mask and gloves. Social distancing was really big. Also, I started to eat less because I wasn't burning off as many calories as I usually would.”
To make up for the lack of practice and activity, Vang and his teammates had to go through a new form of home-based training. The routine, while useful for maintaining shape, came with some obstacles, most of all the utter repetition of it all.
“I worked out in my room with bands that were provided from the team,” Vang continued. “We had a team trainer give us workout plans that we could do at home, which was helpful. I was basically doing the same thing every day. I would go for a run in the morning, then come back and eat, go back out and get touches on the ball (by myself), take a nap, workout, and eat dinner. Not the most fun routine, but it's really all I could do. I wanted to be prepared for the restart.”
Repetition aside, Vang’s focus is now entirely on the restart, which will see him finally take the field as a professional in a competitive league. With his club already largely successful on the pitch, along with a fair share of social media attention, in its first year, Vang should have plenty to look forward to in 2020.
“It feels great,” Vang proclaimed. “I forgot how much fun it was to play again! That's how long it's been. Being able to play with my teammates again was great. I'm really looking forward to playing this year! Hopefully, Madison can bring home the championship this year!”
Postponed in March, the USL League One season is set to return with a provisional restart date of July 18th, with all clubs playing a 20-game schedule and a modified playoff format. Where Forward Madison will into that system is still unclear, but Vang will surely be one of the many players that look to use the stunted season as a proving ground.
The club finished last season, the club and league’s first, fourth place out of ten on the league table. The team was knocked out of the playoff semi-finals by FC Dallas affiliate North Texas SC, but will be looking to comeback stronger against a growing league, which features three new members (Union Omaha, New England Revolution II, and Fort Lauderdale CF) while also missing Toronto FC II, who will not be able to play due to issues with international travel and hosting.
When the USL League One returns and Madison finally takes the field, it’ll finally hand Vang his chance to further his slice of history. When the ball finally finds his feet, he’ll be right back to being one of handful of players from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and one of the only active professional Hmong players in the world.
Vang may have been denied his shot at history, but in the end he seems set to push the barriers of the beautiful game regardless.
For further information on Forward Madison or the upcoming USL League One season, click here or here respectively.
Photo courtesy of Forward Madison FC.