Rand: United assistant revels in life's journey

With an unmistakable British accent, Minnesota United assistant coach Carl Craig yelped instructions at players this week during a blustery afternoon practice at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

"Come on, move that ball a little bit quicker. … Come on, son. Keep that ball moving, wee man."

All the words are chosen carefully — Craig is a stickler for language and meaning — and they represent a life not only spent in soccer (or football, as he calls it), but a journey with plenty of interesting detours along the way.

Craig, a native of Newcastle, England, was the bass player for an '80s punk rock band, Reality Control. United players recently discovered some old band footage on YouTube, leaving them shaking their heads but not scratching them.

Craig ran a food co-op out of an England apartment because it was the only way he could afford to be the type of vegetarian he wanted to be. After decades of not eating meat, Craig recently started eating fish — a months-long, soul-searching process.

He has a DIY tattoo of a smiley face on his kneecap because why wouldn't he? Few people are as self-actualized or comfortable in their own skin as Craig.

And fortunately for United as it prepares for a match against Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in Blaine, Craig also happens to be an accomplished coach who brings out the best in players.

That's when he and head coach Manny Lagos hit it off during a coffee meeting – the first of what Craig jokingly refers to as "date nights" in which the two still gather to talk about soccer and life.

"I think it's been a good match," Craig said. "We have a lot in common with our outlook on life. We don't necessarily agree on the football all the time, which I think is healthy. Why have two of the same bloke?"

Lagos agrees, saying, "I have a ton of respect for him. I want to be challenged and have a situation where we're always going to get better as a team. … The players respond to the personality, but even more so the honesty he's trying to present."

Veteran United defender Brian Kallman, also a coach in Woodbury, said he often picks Craig's brain not just for on-field tips but for coaching tips as well.

Craig preaches that it's about the journey, but he's also happy to help players avoid making the mistakes he's made.

It's a role Craig relishes, and one he can see himself in for a long time. Several years back, Craig arbitrarily decided his goal was to live until he was 86. But later, he changed his mind and decided 98 is a better target. He'll turn 49 next month, halfway to that mark. What does the presumed second half of his life have in store?

It's as clear as it is unclear.

"I have probably more behind me than I do in front of me," Craig said. "What's my role in life? I love being with people. I love chatting with people. I see myself as an 85-year-old man, and I could still be involved in football. I have pictures of myself as an old man doing what I'm doing."

MICHAEL RAND