Heath’s smart, sturdy defense key to FC’s run

Bradley Heath’s defense has been crucial in helping lift FC London to the top of the standings as they shoot for a League1 Ontario title.

Bradley Heath made it the old-fashioned way.

While many FC London players come up through the system, playing within the London TFC Academy for years, the 23-year-old defender, from Markham, Ont., simply showed up to a tryout for the club in 2019.

He wanted to play together that summer with Tomas Alvarez, a friend and fellow Fanshawe Soccer teammate. It was either FC London or go somewhere else, Heath says.

“Luckily, we both made the team.” 

That first season was an eventful one. After a poor start to the year, the FC London men turned things around in the second half and then caught fire down the stretch. Undefeated in their final six regular season contests, they carried that momentum into the playoffs, advancing all the way to the championship final, where they ultimately came up just short of winning a league title, losing to Master’s FA in the final.

It was a great experience for Heath, though, in his first season with the club, and it offered a taste of League1 glory.

Then, COVID-19 hit.

The league tried to make something work, but it just wasn’t feasible. With the entire 2020 season wiped out, FC players continued to train on their own (and via Zoom workouts) as the pandemic continued into 2021. Finally, play was made possible again this summer, and Heath has been loving it.

“The fact that we’ve been able to play after such a long time, it kind of put everything into perspective. You’re a lot more grateful, and you enjoy things more, now that you’re able to play again. For me, just being around the game, being around the guys, that’s all I really need.”

FC London isn’t just playing, they’re winning – a lot. Entering action Friday (Oct. 8), the club owns a sparkling 7-2-0 record, which has them tied for top spot in points in League1 Ontario play with Guelph United (7-1-0), who has a game in hand.

And Heath has been a big part of that success. From walk-on to steady presence on defense, the 23-year-old has been an integral piece of FC London’s goal prevention this season. The team’s 16 goals against is third-fewest in the league’s West Division. Take away a season-opening 6-0 loss and they’ve allowed just 10 goals in their last eight games. Heath is a big reason why. He knows how important his role is, and he embraces it.

“I have to be very locked in, very focused at all times,” he said, “because, truly, at any moment in the game, the ball could go from the opponent’s penalty area to just one long ball and then, boom, they’re down the field running at us.”

He puts in his work during the week, training three or four times in preparation for weekend games. The focus is crucial, but defending in League1, Heath says, is both a mental and physical battle.

“There’s plenty of huge strikers. I don’t know what they’re feeding these kids these days, but everybody is massive. They’re fast, big and strong, so it’s a battle the whole time I’m on the field.”

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Heath arrived in London in 2016 to attend Fanshawe College – and play soccer for the Falcons. He didn’t play much in his first year with the team, but he made up for it in his sophomore and junior seasons, not only being named a league all-star in 2018 and 2019, but also earning Defensive Player of the Year honours both seasons.

The team won bronze in Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) action in Heath’s second year, and then silver in his third year – the best finish the Falcons had achieved since 1996-97. For his efforts, Heath was named a championship all-star both seasons.

(A 2020 season wasn’t held due to COVID-19 and Heath graduated in April 2021 with a broadcast journalism degree).

He wasn’t always a defender. He started, at a young age, playing as a striker, and then flip-flopped between the two during his youth. “I don’t know how it happened, but I just started slowly going further and further back down the field,” Heath said, with a laugh. “And then I ended up here.”

He tells his teammates, jokingly, that perhaps in another lifetime he was a left-winger. He loves watching those players, and he respects their talents. But he loves being a defender.

“I like to think I’m a calming figure back there. Very calm on the ball, very relaxed. Defensively, I think I’m just very solid. I take a lot of pride in 1 v 1 battles, just beating your man. It’s not the easiest task to get past me.”

Heath grew up playing with the Unionville-Milliken Soccer Club throughout his youth and beyond. In 2019, though, living in London during the summer, he needed a new club. That’s when he joined Alvarez, a Londoner (and fellow OCAA all-star), in giving FC London a try. They haven’t looked back.

(Photo: Luke Durda).

While he’s certainly just ‘one of the guys’ now, a full member of the FC London family, Heath still jokes about his ‘outsider’ status, as a non-London born and raised player.

“People will talk about this happened and that happened in (previous) years, and I have no clue what they’re talking about,” he said, laughing. “Even with the new guys that come in, they still know everybody from growing up (in London). Me being from Markham, I’m the outsider.”

He’s not looked at as an outsider, though, and head coach Mike Marcoccia is thrilled that he brought his talents – or kept his talents – in London.

“He’s one of the best defenders in the league,” Marcoccia said, matter-of-factly. “He doesn’t get enough credit (around the league), but he’s one of the most impactful players on our squad, and he has been since he started.”

Marcoccia thinks Heath could even make the jump to a higher level of play – perhaps the Canadian Premier League (CPL), this country’s top professional soccer circuit. Heath, too, has thought about a life playing professionally.

“The dream is always to sign a pro contract and play professional sports. My whole family played sports, and I’m the youngest of the boys, so it would be super meaningful if I was the one that fulfils that and plays pro sports. There are a lot of different avenues, many places you can go.”

That includes not only the CPL, but the U.S., as well as Europe. Belal Halbouni, a former FC London player, is currently turning heads with his play for SV Werder Bremen II in Germany.

For now, though, Heath’s sole focus is on the FC London season – one that increasingly looks like it could result in a championship title run.

“I’m super zoned in on this FC season, trying to win everything we can. And I think we’re on the right path. Everybody is training really well and playing really well, so I don’t see why we can’t dream about (a championship),” he said, though noting the importance of the team not getting ahead of itself.

“It’s about focusing on the next task and then going from there, but we have the talent, we certainly have the depth. I feel like if everyone buys in, if everybody’s really focused on the goal and trying to execute what we’re doing in training in the games, I don’t see why we can’t beat anybody in this league.”