Retirement has not dulled the competitive fires inside Matt Jordan. In fact, they burn just as furiously and brightly as when he was a player.
The former Montreal Impact goalkeeper announced his retirement in January, calling an official end to a 13-year playing career, in order to take a front-office job with the franchise.
A 36-year-old native of Colorado, Jordan was a standout player for Montreal from 2007 to 2009, but he left that behind to become the Impact’s director of soccer operations, serving as the main assistant to sporting director Nick De Santis.
Instead of getting up early for training and tending goal like he used to, Jordan spends most of his days in his Montreal office, working the phones and trying to help the Impact prepare for their MLS debut next year.
He was immediately thrust into his new position, forcing him to adjust pretty quickly. But as a player who was renowned for his poise in pressure situations, Jordan wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
“It’s been great. The day I retired I basically moved right into this job. It’s only normal that there’s a transitional period when you go from playing professional soccer for 13 years to a new role. The biggest thing I’ve enjoyed about this job is that it’s a competitive outlet and it’s a way to still compete in a lot of ways,” Jordan told sportsnet.ca.
It’s been a steep learning curve for Jordan, who said he has fully immersed himself in his job ever since he hung up his cleats.
“I couldn’t imagine retiring at this point and then moving into this job with a short amount of time to get ready for MLS,” Jordan admitted. “I think it was really important to have a full year to learn the rules and regulations (and) to spend a lot of time at the league offices like I’ve done.”
Jordan, who lives in Montreal full-time with his wife and children, first came to the city in 2007 when the Impact were still competing in the USL-1, one league below MLS.
He had big shoes to fill, as he replaced a fan favourite in Canadian Greg Sutton, who signed with Toronto FC. But Jordan quickly established himself as the Impact’s No. 1 goalkeeper and helped Montreal win the USL-1 league title in 2009. He was named MVP of the 2008 Nutrilite Canadian Championship, and also played a starring role in Montreal’s magical run through to the quarter-finals of the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League.
Aside from his shot-blocking ability, Jordan was known for his tireless work ethic and humility during his playing days — both qualities that have served him well during his on-the-job training for his current role with the Impact.
Jordan explained: “I’ve learned so much in the past 10 months, and I’ve learned so much on a daily basis. I’m a very humble person and the only thing I do is I put the same amount of work and commitment into this job as I did as a player — so really it’s a natural progression for me.”
As De Santis’s right-hand man, Jordan has his hands full these days. He’s directly involved in building the Impact’s roster and the team’s plans for next month’s college draft, all with an eye towards preparing the club for its MLS debut on March 10 against the Vancouver Whitecaps at B.C. Place.
It’s a big change in mindset for the former ‘keeper: thinking long-term instead of focusing on the immediate future.
“As a player you’re only focused on getting ready for the next game. Now, a lot of my responsibilities are helping manage the salary cap, working a lot with the league on contracts, helping with scouting,” Jordan said.
Jordan also acknowledges it’s imperative that he and the rest of the club’s management have to put a strong team on the field right from the get-go in order for the Impact to firmly earn a place in the sporting conscience of a city where the Canadiens garner the majority of media attention, regardless of how well they are playing.
“We want to put together a competitive team from the start that our city can be proud of. That’s our goal,” Jordan said.