It would be a little premature to apply the expression “jack of all trades, master of none” to Geoff Cameron.
The Dynamo do-it-all star can’t help the fact that he is gifted enough to play multiple positions extremely well. But the question remains: Is Cameron better off sticking to one position for the remainder of his career?
After Cameron finished his first full season in the center of the Houston midfield, head coach Dominic Kinnear doesn’t feel the need to pigeon-hole the 25-year-old.
“He’s shown he can play center back, and he’s shown he can play midfield,” Kinnear said. “It will depend on personnel as to which position he picks up.”
Cameron was a Best XI defender in 2009. His recovery speed and ball skills out of the back make him a unique player in the center of a team’s defense. However, his lack of experience in the back may mean an occasional bump in the road as he continues to develop.
“I think he’s capable of being a great center back if he can get the organization side of it down and probably play at the national team level,” teammate Bobby Boswell said. “I know at the highest level you can bank on him playing in the back, as his strides are amazing and his tackles are great.”
However, Boswell is as perplexed as anyone as to what might be best for Cameron.
“In the back — though it doesn’t showcase all his talents,” Boswell said. “Ideally he would be in front of you, because of the amount of ground he can cover, but it’s a coach’s decision.”
Cameron did well in his first season playing central midfield, and he showed steady progression despite suffering what many feared would be a season-ending knee injury earlier in the year. In the team’s last game, Cameron put together his best performance of the season in the middle of the park.
“He’s done OK, and he’s still trying to learn the position,” Kinnear said. “We know he can go back to center back, and we feel it’s a position he can play and be really good.”
For a Dynamo team that won twice as many games when Cameron started as it did when he did not, his importance to Houston cannot be understated.
“I told Dom I like center back, and you wouldn’t have heard me say it last year or a few years ago,” Cameron said. “But I also love center mid, and I think I can continue to grow and learn in both those positions, and maybe I can use that to my advantage.”
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to dwaincapodice@gmail.com.
