The Man, The Myth, The Legend, Aurelien Collin

On a wet and dark summer night under the floodlights Aurelien Collin lurks in the penalty box. Simply waiting, waiting to pounce, as he always has, and as he always will. He suddenly notices a ball curling in from a cross somewhere on the left hand side, he doesn't care.  He jumps, no, leaps, into the air and then everything  goes silent. He removes himself, the ball, and the keeper from this world and takes it into his own. Completely focused on the ball his predatory instincts kick in, he glances the ball down into the back of the net and he is satisfied, but knows that this is only the first kill........

Okay, so maybe the header that Aurelien Collin scored against New England on Saturday wasn't quite the goal depicted above. However, it was his first goal in a Sporting Kc shirt. Though it was not in league play, the first goal at a new club is a huge milestone for any player, but for a defender it's just that much more special.

My love for Aurelien Collin as a player did not form over night. No, it happened over weeks and weeks of sensational play and devout leadership out of the back. Watching him play on Wednesday night was really exciting. The way he shouts up to the midfield and front-men is absolutely fantastic. At some points in the game he was the only player that you could hear. He commands that back-line so well, and at only 25 he has some great potential.

Another reason I love him is for the fact that he's not afraid to challenge anyone in air, even the players that are bigger than him. In fact, he's not really afraid of anyone, on the ground or in the air. At 6'2 he's one of those orthodox center backs that you just love to see flying at every ball with their head. Much like the rugged center backs seen in the lower levels of English football ("When in doubt kick it out" - motto that should be lived by every center back on the planet") . His work ethic is also a beautiful thing to see and he's allegedly a friendly guy off the field.

Aurelien Collin tackling the ball away from New England Midfleider Shalrie Joseph.

He's sort of comparable to old Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad, who was once a fan favorite here in KC. With the hard work and physical presence he possesses, Collin may be able to become the next star center back that this club needs and deserves. Maybe he can be the next Jimmy.