After being released by the Chicago Fire in early 2010, Daniel Woolard needed a break. Instead, he suffered a concussion while training with the now-defunct Dallas - Ft. Worth Tornadoes of the PDL. Out of soccer, Woolard no longer needed a break. Instead, he needed a second chance.
Enter former Carolina Railhawks coach - and current Vancouver Whitecaps manager - Martin Rennie. In his second year in charge of the USL 1 franchise, the Scotsman plucked Woolard off the MLS scrapheap and plugged him into Carolina's defense. The Railhawks went on to win their division and Woolard's career was back on track.
"He really gave me a second chance," Woolard said of the coach he'll go up against on Saturday when D.C. travels to Vancouver. "I didn't really have many options at that time since I was coming off the injury and not playing. I'm grateful for the opportunity he gave me and for coaching me and giving me the confidence to get back to playing."
As it turns out, the admiration Woolard has for his former coach is mutual.
"I really enjoyed coaching Daniel," Rennie said during an appearance on the Capital Soccer Show this week. "He was an excellent player for me, an excellent defender. I think he had a lot of ability, he just needed a chance to be in a team where he could play again. We gave him that chance in Carolina and that was a springboard for him to get back to the MLS level."
Rennie's ascent to top-tier coaching is as remarkable as it has been quick. Before his stop in Carolina, Rennie coached the Cleveland City Stars of USL 2 and the PDL's Cascade Crush. The 36-year-old has been lauded for getting the most out of his charges at every stop along the way, something Woolard says stems from the relationships Rennie forges with his players.
"He's a good communicator," said Woolard. "He gets guys on the same page and he has a good relationship with players. That gets them to work hard for him. Guys respect him for who he is and he gets the best out of them."
Now serving under Ben Olsen, who at 35 is the only MLS coach younger than Rennie, Woolard sees plenty of similarities between the two fledgling managers.
"They are both really passionate and love the game," Woolard added as United trained in Los Angeles on Wednesday. "Every single game that you play when you step on the field they expect the most out of you."
Woolard and his teammates take on Vancouver this Saturday at 10:00 p.m. from BC Place. The match will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet.
