Aussie Goalkeeper Born In Tennessee
Caleb Patterson-Sewell was only two years old when he and his family moved from Tennessee to Australia.
Certainly not old enough for the Volunteer State to claim any part in his development as a soccer player.
However, the native son, who was born in Hendersonville in 1987, has grown into one of Australia’s top professional goalkeepers. He has yet to play at the national level, but he is eligible for both the United States and Australian national teams.
He grew up in Gatton, Queensland, in Australia and soon developed as one of the country’s top prospects. He joined Belgium’s Anderlecht reserves in 2004, and later signed with Sheffield Wednesday’s youth academy in England. A year later he was with the Liverpool Under-19s, playing four times.
[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] But don’t think that Patterson-Sewell’s entire soccer career has been played out in Europe or in Australia. There is another United States connection.
In 2007 he signed with the Cleveland City Stars of the United Soccer League where he had a 1.00 goals against average in eight appearances.
His play with Cleveland City attracted the attention of the MLS Red Bulls, where he trained in 2008 without ever playing a senior level game.
Seeking regular playing time, in 2009 he signed with the Carolina RailHawks, then a member of the USL. He played 16 games for the RailHawks.
His last season in the U.S. was 2010, when he played 25 games for Miami FC (now the Fort Lauderdale Strikers). Then it was back to Europe.
He had been playing professionally in Portugal, starting for second division Athletico Clube and most recently spending the last season with first division Viitoria Setubal.
He didn’t get a lot of playing time with Setubal, and has been transferred to Portuguese Primeira Liga club Gil Vincente where has a shot at more playing time.
He had been named the starter at Setbual, but after two games he was replaced in the lineup and spent most of the season watching from the sidelines.
“I played the first two games of the season,” he said in an Yanks Abroad.com article. “The first game I had a very good game, (and) the next game was against Benfica. We had 10 men for 85 minutes. After that I went on the bench and that’s okay, we lost.
“That was my first loss and he (the manager) took me out.”
Patterson-Sewell got back into the starting lineup for three games, but was replaced again. It was then he decided a change of clubs needed to be made.
When the Gil Vincente offer was made, Patterson-Sewell took it as an opportunity he could not pass up even though his new club finished last in the 12-team league. That was just below his old club, which finished #11.
Playing in a World Cup has an appeal for Patterson-Sewell, especially since 2014 is right around the corner and the tournament will be played in Brazil.
While eligible for selection by both the U.S. and Australia, the 26-year old is unlikely to get a call from the U.S., which has a loaded list of goalkeeper talent led by Tim Howard and Brad Guzan.
Australia is likely to qualify this time, and he has been scouted by the Australian National staff. However, in order to be selected for a national training camp, the Aussie staff made it clear that he needed to be playing, and that is what he hopes to get a shot at doing with his new club.
Who knows what another year will bring. Perhaps if Australia qualifies for Brazil, Patterson-Sewell will be on the field. A native son of Tennessee!
He knows soccer, but wonder if he knows “Rocky Top.”
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