'I can be at that level': One-on-one with Pacific FC defender Kadin Chung
On growth, making the jump to another league, and motivation from missing out on Canada's Olympic qualifying roster
There is a cafe, halfway along the winding and timber-lined road from Victoria to Port Renfrew, that exists as a sort of miracle—a cabin-in-the-woods, not much more than an A-frame, and home to the best muffins on Vancouver Island. Maybe anywhere. Its parking lot is always full, and for good reason: once you’ve stopped at Shirley Delicious, you want to go back. It feels like a delicious secret: a hidden gem only Islanders get to enjoy.
Watching Kadin Chung’s progression over three seasons feels a little like that, too—the kind of secret you wonder how others haven’t picked up on beyond the Haro Strait. The Port Coquitlam, British Columbia native has blossomed from a talented twenty-year-old—and the club’s first signing—into an absolute force: the kind of full-back who can orchestrate a counter-attack and frustrate opposing wingers’ advances.
“I call him Mr. Effortless,” Pacific FC head coach Pa-Modou Kah told me. “He’s so quick, and he’s so technical; he’s just going about his business unnoticed.”
That last word—unnoticed—may not last for much longer, if it’s still the case at all. With a growing reputation as one of the league’s brightest young talents, Chung has high ambitions for his future—and the attention of coaches from Canada’s national program and beyond.
I spoke with the Pacific FC defender about his club’s progress in year three, the “best right back in the league” debate, career ambitions, and lessons learned from the likes of fullbacks Marcel de Jong and Blake Smith.
Lukas MacNaughton was asked about the back line after the Halifax match on July 13th. He said “we’re having fun right now.” How different is this season and this squad from year one and two?
KC: The biggest difference would probably be from year one. I think we saw a little bit of what we could do last year. I think on the ball, specifically, a lot of teams set up in order to deal with how we build out [of] the back. All of our defenders are very comfortable on the ball, and we like to utilize that in building out.
The first year, defensively, we conceded a lot [of goals].1 We didn’t have many clean sheets. Last year, we were a bit unlucky with some penalty calls [and were] unable to maybe focus on those little moments in the game that could help us secure clean sheets. But I think we saw what we were capable of.
This year so far, four clean sheets out of [eight] games is a pretty big improvement. I think we’re more confident in our defending—[and] as the years [have] progress[ed], I think our defending has gotten a lot better.
What’s been the key component in getting those clean sheets this season? Is it just confidence, or is it more than that?
KC: I think a lot has to do with confidence: taking that pride in defending. I feel like we’ve done really well in individual battles, but I think especially our centre-backs, aerial duels and stuff like that, we’ve really tightened up. There’s that no-nonsense kind of defending. And Callum behind us has been huge in communication. I just think we’re all on the same page, and Pa’s made it very clear how he wants us to defend—so I think with all those pieces in place, it makes it pretty easy to get clean sheets.
You’re into your third season with Pacific FC now, and your second under Pa-Modou Kah—a former defender himself. What has he taught you about the game?
KC: A lot. I even played with him a bit at the Whitecaps [FC II], and he’s coached me there as well. I think just picking up little things here and there that will help me become a better defender.
The main thing he’s taught me is how I can use my size to play a bit more physical—little tricks that can help me get the edge on bigger attackers. But for him, I think the biggest thing as a group is the mindset and the unity. Communication. Making sure that we’re all on the same page, because I think that’s the biggest key in how we play, how we defend, how we build out. All of that is [about] being on the same page.
In your first two seasons, you shared the back line with two veterans on the opposite side: Blake Smith and Marcel de Jong. What did you pick up from each of them?
KC: Honestly, those two have probably been the biggest influences on my career. The first year, having Marcel injured [and] on the sidelines, helping me out during the game, was very helpful—and having Blake as well in that first year [too]. You know, these are guys that have played MLS and in Europe—top, top levels. Picking up on little mannerisms in the game: stuff they do to prepare themselves for games. I still keep in touch with both of them quite regularly.
Just their knowledge of the game—you know, Marcel last year, even coming off a long injury, he was still able to play at a very high level. They’ve taught me how to be consistent: consistently do things on the ball, off the ball to get little advantages against opponents.
Let’s talk about your game for a moment. Marco Bustos has been on record more than once calling you the best right-back in the league. How does that feel to hear from a teammate?
KC: I mean, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t expected; I would hope he says that [laughs]. But coming from in my opinion, the best player in the league, it’s big. He’s been a big part of my success, too. In a way, he makes me look very good. I’ve known him for a long time now, and our relationship has developed into something really cool. I mean, we’re able to do things on the field without even really talking to each other about it; it just kind of happens naturally at this point.
But it makes my game a lot easier. He’s told me it makes his game a lot easier. I think we complement each other very well. I love to run the channels, and he likes to come inside, so when it comes down to it, I think it’s the perfect match.
Pacific have been vocal from the start about wanting to develop and sell young players—give them opportunities to reach that next level, whether that’s Europe or South America or MLS. You’ve spent time in the Whitecaps system along with the Kaiserslautern reserves.2 How motivated are you to reach that next level in your career?
KC: I’m very motivated. That’s the next step for me. I think it’s kind of what’s needed in the league as well—we need to be pushing for more players to make jumps; I think there should be more opportunities. Because the quality of this league has gotten a lot better since the start—each year, it’s gotten massively better.
“We need to be pushing for more players to make jumps … Because the quality of the league has gotten a lot better since the start.”
And I think you see players from other leagues coming in and being challenged, so it should work the other way. I feel like there’s many players in this league that should be given opportunities to prove themselves—and in return, that will draw more attraction to the league, which will [continue to] grow the game in Canada.
How much attention were you paying to players like Tristan Borges and Joel Waterman when you saw them making their moves to Belgium and CF Montréal?
KC: Yeah, obviously with them coming from the CPL, I wanted to pay very close attention and see how they were doing. I know Tristan has that quality—maybe a bit unlucky [last season], but that’s a top team in a top division. For Joel as well, he’s fit right into Montreal [and] played a lot for them,3 and he’s doing quite well.
So I think there’s hope in that regard for a lot of other players in the league. I feel like the only thing missing is getting those opportunities—and I think the more and more we see players progress, you’ll see that players in this league have that quality to go on to the next level. So for them to pave the way like that and perform and make waves from that is big.
Speaking of opportunities, I want to go back to earlier in this year. More than a few pundits argued your name should’ve been on the final roster for the Canada Olympic qualifying squad. How much of a motivator was that omission—to prove you belong on that list?
KC: It was huge. Obviously, it was nice initially to see myself on the 50-man [roster]. I thought I would make it into the squad, but I’ve got to respect the decisions that were made—and only use it for positives. It made me put in that little extra work in the preseason [and] gave me that little bit of fuel I needed.
I can’t take those things personally. I know [coach] Mauro [Biello]; I talked to him a few times. They’re not easy decisions to make. But it’s something that I wanted to take in with me this season and show that I can be at that level, and make [the coaches] maybe regret it a little bit.
One element of your game that’s grown has been the attacking vision. In the first season, I thought if there was a good model for you to look at, it was Blake Smith and the way he created chances from the wing. That’s in your game now. How did that come together?
KC: I think a lot of it had to do with confidence. In the first year, maybe I wanted to set my footing, make sure I was performing well at least defensively—that’s the number-one priority. I think watching Blake in that first season, he had like five assists, and for him, he has that confidence to drive forward a bit more.
I felt like last year, I kind of adapted a little more of that confidence. I think the style of play that Pa wanted with either Marcel or Jordan [Haynes] playing a bit more central, building out with three at the back, gave me that license to go forward—and obviously, it helps that Bustos attracts a lot of defenders to him coming inside, which allows me a lot of space as well. So I think all those pieces fit in really well for me to be able to add even more to my attacking side of the game.
What do you make of the way Chris Lee and Kunle Dada-Luke have slotted into this back line?
KC: Chris has had a good start—obviously unlucky with a little ankle injury. But I thought his first performance against Halifax was really good. He’s strong, very solid. And there’s only room for improvement for [them].
“[Kunle’s] probably one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen … Pa keeps telling me that he and Alphonso [Davies] raced, and Kunle won.”
Kunle, he’s a force. Defensively, I don’t think I’ve seen many people get by him at all. And going forward, attacking, he’s probably one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen.
That’s saying something, coming from you.
KC: [Laughs] Well, he’s on par with Alphonso Davies in that category. I know Pa keeps telling me that [Kunle] and Alphonso raced, and Kunle won, so I have that confidence in him. But I see only bright things for them in the future. The way that they carry themselves on the field, off the field, I can tell that they want to get more out of the game; they want to make something out of themselves. For them, it’s just about finding that little bit of confidence as well. It doesn’t come right away—especially playing their first professional games. So I only expect them to get better and more confident, and I only see good things.
Being in your third year, you’re one of the players on this club that knows what Westhills—now Starlight Stadium—can be like with fans in the crowd. What are you telling your new teammates, or how much of a light at the end of the tunnel is that to envision games back on the West Coast in the near future?
KC: It’s no surprise that all of us want to get back to that normalcy, feeling like things are going back to what they were. But the atmosphere in that first year—especially in that very first game we had against Halifax—we need more of that. It’s such an energizer; it’s so important for us as players to have that with us.
I even miss playing in front of away fans, too—I kind of like that as well, getting some loudmouths in your ear. It adds to the general atmosphere of the game [and] your attitude towards it. So for me, it’s huge. I know everyone else, they’re really excited when they heard the news about fans being allowed back in the stadium. So I can’t wait. It’s such a huge motivator for me.
In 2019, Pacific FC conceded the second-most goals (46) in the Canadian Premier League, behind Valour FC (52). The club also recorded the fewest clean sheets (5) of any CPL team.
Chung joined the Whitecaps FC Residency in 2011 at age thirteen and signed his first professional contract with Whitecaps FC II in 2015. From 2015-17, he made 48 appearances for Whitecaps FC II in the USL and USL Cup. In 2018, Chung appeared in eight matches for FC Kaiserslautern II in the German fifth tier.
Waterman with CF Montréal (2020-21): 11 career appearances, 9 starts, 3 assists. (Data as of Wednesday, July 14, 2021.)
Definitely feels like we need to enjoy every game with this guy before he ascends. This season in particular he’s been such a joy to watch.