Seamus O’Keefe always knew where to go, he just lacked confidence. Now when he scans the open field, his anxiety fades.
The change came after his soccer journey took him across the country and later abroad. A one-year stint with Orlando FC of the MLS Soccer Academy at 13 years old turned into two years competing with Azzurra FC in Brazil.
All the experience and opportunities led O’Keefe home this year to Lewiston-Porter, a team that is searching for a third-straight Section VI title. Since donning the green-and-white jersey, the forward has contributed 11 goals and 28 points in the Lancers’ 5-0-1 start.
“What I improved the most, I would say, is my technical ability and my soccer IQ,” O’Keefe said. “Where to be on the field when I don’t have the ball, what to do with the ball, when to shoot, when to pass, when to make the right decision at the right time.”
In June 2021, O’Keefe was invited to join the Golden Goal Sports Academy team from Orlando that was traveling to Brazil to face Azzurra FC. The team liked O’Keefe’s ability to play fast and invited him to join, but after two years of playing with Azzurra FC, O’Keefe had to come back to the United States.
In order to play in tournaments against other professional teams in Brazil, O’Keefe needed one of his parents to live with him. Since that couldn’t happen, O’Keefe decided to move back and wanted to keep playing.
O’Keefe’s time in Brazil helped him become a better offensive player. Playing professional teams around the country, O’Keefe improved with his technical ability and his overall IQ in the game.
Enhancing these areas came through training each day at the Academy in Curitiba, Brazil, after his school day, along with personal training Monday through Saturday. The overall growth in his game through his time with Azzurra FC has him feeling the best he’s ever played.
“I’ve noticed it more just playing in these (Lew-Port) games,” O’Keefe said. “(I’m) making very good decisions, passing the ball, shooting the ball, making dribbles, one-twos with the players (and) give and go.”
It wasn’t until he received a phone call from the Leardini family — Luke, Joe and Nick are currently playing for Lew-Port — three months ago while living in Brazil that O’Keefe decided to join the Lancers, with plans to potentially move to Texas and play for Austin FC next year. Since joining, O’Keefe has scored at least two goals in five contests, including a hat trick in the season-opener against CSAT.
Since joining Lew-Port’s lineup, O’Keefe has contributed to an offense that has averaged 8.8 goals per game in its six contests. And with 150 shots, the Lancers have a plus-minus rate of plus-51.
“I’ve been playing well,” O’Keefe said. “I’ve been helping the team out. I’ve been scoring some goals, for sure. … It’s been great to play with (Lew-Port) as me and Luke (Leardini), our chemistry is unmatched. Very nice.”
With footwork and shooting in his skill set, O’Keefe has now shifted his ability to adjust with the learning curve of playing and the physicality. Head coach Rick Sweeney said after realizing he was doing too much by himself, O’Keefe has built trust with his teammates to generate the offense.
“Although he’s played at some pretty high levels, he doesn’t carry an air of ‘This is beneath me at all,’” Lew-Port head coach Rick Sweeney said. “He’s very coachable and he wants to get better. … And he’s willing to push himself and take feedback from others, both complementary and constructive criticism.”