PORTLAND, Ore. – The genesis of Josh Smith’s professional debut in Sunday night’s 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers can be traced back to one specific moment in training last Monday.
Smith, who wasn’t in the match-day squad for the New England Revolution’s 5-2 win over Minnesota United FC last weekend, trained with a small group of players who hadn’t seen action in the home opener. During that session, Smith found himself in a one-on-one battle with Je-Vaughn Watson, an imposing figure at 6-foot-1.
“Usually Je-Vaughn wins those types of things,” said head coach Jay Heaps.