Dome Torrent is certainly impressed with Alphonso Davies, calling the Vancouver Whitecaps' phenom a player with “special quality, who is able to score two goals every single game.”
But the New York City FC coach said the recent Bayern Munich signing isn’t quite good enough for him to alter his game plan when the teams meet at Saturday (8 pm ET | TSN - full TV & streaming info) at Yankee Stadium.
That is reserved for a special few.
“Maybe I change a little bit when we play against [Lionel] Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo,” Torrent told reporters after training Wednesday. “I respect a lot this player because he has quality, but I don’t change anything about our team for when we play against him.”
Of course, Torrent knows well what it takes for a player to make it at Bayern Munich. He was a Pep Guardiola assistant there from 2013-16, coaching the likes of Thiago, Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso.
“Believe me it’s not easy to play, especially when you go there in the first six months. It's very different the rhythm, the quality of the players, the defenders,” Torrent said. “But I think he has quality to play in Europe. That is not easy, believe me.”
Davies won’t join the Bundesliga powerhouse until after the MLS season. And while it may require some time to adjust to life at Bayern Munich, Torrent knows Davies has enough quality to change games in MLS. That’s been especially evident after his record-breaking transfer was made official on July 25.
He had two goals and two assists in the Whitecaps’ 4-2 win over Minnesota United on Saturday to increase his season to total to five goals and 10 assists in 21 appearances in his third season in MLS.
Torrent believes Davies’ age, pace, athleticism and skill on the ball prove he’s ready to play overseas. It’s what made him an MLS All-Star and has clearly drawn interest from one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“It’s very different, believe me, to play in Europe from MLS,” Torrent said. “He has quality to play in Europe, but it’s not easy to play in Bayern Munich because its a top team. He’s a young player, he has quality to play in Europe, he’s a fast player, he has quality to play, of course.”
