Lawrence Smith's first year with Veikkausliiga club VPS has come to a close however it remains to be seen if Smith will be back for a second year with the Finnish team.
Smith was a stalwart all season long up front for the Vaasa-based club where he scored three goals, a disappointing total in the mind of the Charleston, South Carolina native.
"I'm paid to score goals and I only had three this year which was frustrating," Smith recently told YA. "Our offense always was playing down the wings and then looking to cross which doesn't play to my strength. I prefer having the ball played in where there is more movement and I can be more creative. Plus, I might be a big guy but I have some speed!"
By the final months of the season head coach Petri Vuorinen decided to loosen the reins and give Smith the freedom to roam the middle. The move paid off in late August when Smith came off the bench as a second half substitute and fueled a comeback win over RoPS with a goal and an assist.
The performance by the forward was arguably his best of the season and gave all teams in Finland a glimpse of the skills possessed by the former Georgia Southern standout.
The tape of that match could come in handy as ex-Southern Conference star says he could be on the move due to the unstable financial situation that is happening all around Finland.
"Right now, I'm unsure about the future," explained Smith. "The money situation in Finland is very tight and I'm now just waiting to see what happens. I want to come back to Finland for at least one more year. I should know something in November."
Prior to this year, Smith played two seasons at Finnish second division club KPV which was preceded by brief stints in the USL with the Charleston Battery and Jamaican club Harbour View FC.
When pressed as to what the biggest differences are between playing at the highest level of Finnish soccer and his previous stops, the Palmetto State resident is quick to note that it all starts with the speed of the game.
"The Veikkausliiga is much more fast paced which I enjoy. It is also a very physical league. The play is much faster than the USL. It really is a different game from that standpoint, plus you can see the different styles of all the other teams who have coaches from all over Europe," he concluded.
Smith played in 22 matches this season for VPS, netting three goals and earning one assist. |
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