'Business isn't done yet': Terran Campbell's third act far from over
On a red-hot Golden Boot race and putting 2020 in the rear-view mirror
Terran Campbell is not one for words—or, well, for interviews, in any case. A student of the Erling Haaland School of Sports Scrums, he dispenses quotes the same way he shrugs defenders: quick, and to the point.1
For a player who shies from conversation, though, he sure inspires plenty of it. How could he not, after the run he’s had over these last two months?
Eighteen games into Pacific FC’s 2021 Canadian Premier League season, there aren’t many stories better than Campbell’s. The 22-year-old has re-emerged as a Golden Boot contender, co-leading the league’s first-placed team in goals scored (6) and trailing only teammate Marco Bustos in assists (3).
That he has racked up those numbers in the last eleven games, roughly speaking, is even more remarkable—shades of 2019, when Campbell and teammate Victor Blasco turned into Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the whole month of July.
“The vibes are really good [right now],” said Campbell, asked about his recent form. “We all believe in each other. We’re all keeping our spirits high.”
And why not?
Against Cavalry FC on September 9th, in a high-pressure match between the league’s top two seeds, it was Campbell’s bicycle kick goal in the 45th minute that gave Pacific a defibrillator boost en route to a 3-1 come-from-behind victory.
Barely a week earlier, at home to Valour FC on August 29th, it was Campbell’s goal and assist that proved the difference in a 3-2 victory that kept his club atop the table.
“Sometimes all it takes is a goal or two—not even a goal, just having a solid game,” the Burnaby native added. “That just [feeds into] itself. I think when you put in the hard work, scoring or not scoring, you’re always going to get rewarded.”
The 2020s have not always been particularly kind, or rewarding, to Campbell: a trait the striker shares with, well, most of the global population.
In a COVID-condensed season played out in Prince Edward Island, Campbell went from scoring eleven goals in his rookie season to managing a single goal across ten appearances. His shooting accuracy (43.4% to 25%), passing accuracy (77.2% to 65%), and shots on goal per 90 minutes (0.89 to 0.56) all took hits. After emerging as one of the league’s feel-good stories in 2019, pressure followed the young forward into 2021.
“Sometimes all it takes is a goal or two—not even a goal, just having a solid game. That just [feeds into] itself. I think when you put in the hard work, scoring or not scoring, you’re always going to get rewarded.”
“As a striker, sometimes it’s difficult. You go games without scoring, you kind of get down on yourself,” Campbell acknowledged.
Asked whether last year’s spell affected him, however, the Burnaby native changed course:
“I wasn’t too worried … I know what I’m capable of. And I think it’s starting to show this season.”
Sure enough, Campbell’s production has rebounded across the board in 2021: from his shooting accuracy (43%), to his passing accuracy (79%), to his shots on goal per 90 minutes (0.93).
“Sometimes, that’s the funny side of football: a striker has a [bit of bad luck], and all of a sudden, they go on a run,” Pacific FC head coach Pa-Modou Kah told reporters after his club’s September 9th victory. “He’s peaking at the right moment, and that’s what you need in a striker. His confidence is top-notch; his work rate is unbelievable. Every single day, he’s coming to work to get better, so for us, we’re very happy to have him—both him and [Alejandro] Díaz.”
Campbell, for his part, has appreciated his coach’s confidence:
“[Kah]’s put all the pieces together, and we’re the ones on the field that just have to go out there and get the job done. So far, we’ve been doing that.”
Could a second eleven-goal season be in the cards? A finals berth, perhaps?
“We know our business isn’t done yet,” says Campbell. “We still have a long way to go.”
Campbell, on his emphatic penalty goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Maxime Crépeau: “I picked my spot, and I went for it. And it went in, so I was glad.”
Campbell has again found that flair and attacking prowess he had in 2019. In 2019, he seemed to be very isolated on the wings than as CF. But in 2021, it seems like Kah has helped him adapt his playing ability both on the RW and CF, knowing that he has the strength to cut toward the inside and get those opportunities on goal. His strength alone is one of the top for strikers in the league and has been using it very well for an advantage against smaller defenders. Happy to see Campbell and Díaz both in the golden boot race (plus Bustos and Heard is just in the periphery in striking distance). This squad has major depth where scoring can happen anywhere on the pitch with contributions across the XI. Good news for the final push for the play-offs.
It's been so fun to watch Campbell come to life again. He looks like a different player out there (well like the player he was in 2019).