Marco Carducci had other options. But he bet on himself, and the Wanderers winning silverware, for his next chapter.
After seven seasons with Cavalry FC, long-time goalkeeper and club captain Marco Carducci knew it was time for a change. His path forward was far from decided. But, he tells HFX Football Post in an exclusive interview, he felt that his best years were yet to come.
Those years, of course, will be in Wanderers blue as the club announced on Monday they'd inked the 29-year old 'keeper to a two-year deal, the first player signing under head coach and general manager Vanni Sartini's tenure.
Carducci's signature is a big move for both club and player.
"As I searched and I was really curious about overseas, I was really curious about Major League Soccer (MLS), I think where I landed on this decision is Halifax came to me and showed a trust and confidence I'm not sure I received elsewhere," he says. "There was just a lot of connection in terms of what Vanni and the staff saw with me and what I think I can bring to the club."
Carducci's resume is tantalizing for a club that's yet to realize its potential: two CPL Golden Gloves, a CPL Shield and a North Star Cup showcase his championship pedigree. There's little doubt the Italian-Canadian has achieved much of what the Wanderers hope to achieve over the length of his new contract. The intent, be it from club president and founder Derek Martin to Sartini to the players, is clear: Halifax's time to compete is now.
Josh Healey
"From Vanni and everybody, the next step was really about winning and bringing silverware to Halifax. You can look at the club and see they've done an incredible job with community engagement, fan culture, the way the club is supported in the city and beyond is incredible. It's exactly, I think, what the vision is for football clubs and football cultures in this country," says Carducci.
"But we're in a business that's about performance and winning and I think when Vanni spoke about what he saw in me, and I don't think the specifics are that important about the tactical elements and all that, you know, that's something that'll grow and fluctuate as the team develops, I think the big things were the value placed on my leadership, my experience in the league and winning the league, and also recognizing the pieces I bring on the field.
"I like to think I'm a very modern goalkeeper. I'm someone who likes to be very comfortable on the ball, to build out from the back. That's kind of the ethos Vanni wants to bring to the team in Halifax."
Some, especially Cavalry supporters, will be disappointed to see Carducci back in the CPL. The 'keeper is careful to note he had other options. But a conversation with Sartini resonated following discussions he'd had with other clubs about taking a step in terms of competition but without a starting job.
Carducci says he did some soul searching and decided he wants to play, effectively betting on himself and the Wanderers to reach for heights they've yet to achieve.
"(Vanni) told me something that struck a chord as I'm exploring these other options and there were some options we were looking at that maybe included places where it'd be a step up potentially, in some ways, but maybe my opportunity to play wasn't clear. You can't predict the future 100 per cent. All of this is to say, Vanni spoke to me and said: 'Keep playing, keep developing,'" explains Carducci.
"There could be an injury or suspension and you get to play (at the other clubs) but I think I realized, I'm entering the best years of my career. That's the way I'm framing it. I've got a lot of experience behind me but as a goalkeeper, you look at your early to mid-30s as those prime years and it was really important to me that I got to a place where I knew I'd be challenged, where I knew I'd get a change of scenery, a new environment to push me out of my comfort zone, and to play.
"The thought of maybe going somewhere else and sitting on the bench, as much as that could've provided a different opportunity, I realized I wasn't ready for that."
The Wanderers are going to give Carducci every opportunity to prove himself as they enter a new era buoyed by Sartini's recruitment and a clear mandate from ownership to get results.
But the club has struggled over the past three seasons to deliver when it matters. Former head coach Patrice Gheisar raised the Wanderers' levels in many ways but struggled in elimination matches, unable to earn a single win in either the playoffs or Canadian Championship.
Carducci, under Sartini's tenure, will be leaned on for that championship mentality.
"There's no one way to play," says Carducci. "I think you can have principles, you can have a base but especially in a league like ours, where you play teams again and again and there's a lot of recurring themes, you have to be adaptable.
"You have to be able to win in different ways, to score in different ways, to defend in different ways. That's really what defines playoff football or elimination football. And I've been there."
Now, both Carducci and the Wanderers are hoping to collect silverware together.
Cover Photo Credit: Cavalry FC
