Moïse Bombito Canada Callup: From Community College to the National Team in Two Years

Colorado Rapids defender Moïse Bombito has been called up by the Canadian Men’s National Team for this week’s Concacaf Nations League. He replaces Derek Cornelius, who had to withdraw due to an injury. Bombito is just 23-years-old and a rookie in MLS. In two years, he’s gone from winning a national championship in community college, to becoming an MLS Generation Adidas player, to playing regularly for the Rapids, to his first national team camp. He’s the second fastest GA player to get his first national team callup, behind only Cyle Larin, who is now his teammate. How did this happen?

Montreal Football Culture: Friendship, Diversity, and Positional Skills

Bombito was born and raised Montréal, QC. The middle child of three, his path to youth soccer was natural and self-driven. He did find some inspiration in Ali Gerba, who played for the Montréal Impact pre-MLS and the national team at the time.

“My mom wanted me to do a sport when I was younger. I just liked kicking balls. She was like ‘Yep, soccer it is.’ Here we are now,” Bombito told Burgundy Wave on Tuesday.

Moïse went on to play at CS Saint-Laurent alongside Ismaël Koné, who transferred to Watford FC in the EFL Championship from CF Montréal just this past December. Koné is the one national team player Bombito had a rapport with.

“When I got the call, I let him know as soon as possible. He was so happy for me and couldn’t wait to see me.”

Montréal is very diverse and has significant immigrant population that brings a lot to the local soccer scene. Bombito grew up in that “spice” as he calls it.

“It’s completely diverse. It brings spices to the style of play. They have different backgrounds. It reflects on the pitch.”

Bombito’s path to center back speaks to the modern game’s influence on youth soccer. He was initially a forward when he was at Saint-Laurent.

“I started playing at four, five years old. I started playing as a striker. I just loved the excitement of scoring goals, getting past defenders, dribbling. I was a bit too short compared to the other kids growing up at 14-years-old,” he said back in December in his first interview after the MLS SuperDraft.

Bombito’s growth spurt came late for him relative to his peers. His coach tried him out at right back and midfield, neither of which fit well. By 19-years-old, he caught up and stood 6’2″. His coaches wanted to give him a chance at center back.

“For me center back was a boring position. You never touch the ball. It’s not fun stuff. I just wanted to play and have fun. So I decided to go with it and it paid off.”

The French Canadian’s youth soccer experience has paid dividends on several levels. By playing four different positions, he has a variety of skills. Originally as a forward, he’s confidentially goal dangerous. He’s comfortable and good on the ball, a necessity for modern central defenders. His time as a bench right back has even helped his wide play and dribbling. He’s shown that quality in MLS play already.

College Soccer: The Gauntlet, Bloody Noses, Tornados, and a Championship

Multiple sources have told Burgundy Wave that there was some interest from the Canadian Premier League. Graduating high school in 2017, Bombito was not on the radar of any four-year college programs. He was never a part of CF Montréal’s academy. Bombito needed somewhere to develop further and get noticed.

Enter Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, IA (just across the Missouri River from Omaha, NE).

“I had a contact up in Montréal. He didn’t have anyone wanting him out of high school. My contact recommended him. His video was very raw. We brought him in January (2021). Our season starts in April, so we had three to four months to grow him and learn him,” IWCC Reivers Head Coach Mike Brown told Burgundy Wave.

Bombito grew every day in the year and a half he spent as with Coach Brown. He was a full-time center back for the Reivers, which he bought into completely. Academically, he had a high GPA; Brown couldn’t remember exactly, but said it was between 3.7-4.0. He was reading books about investing in his spare time.

“For how good he was and how confident he was, he was still very coachable and humble. Where I’ve been really proud is just his maturing and how he’s carried himself off the field. Coming here allowed him to gain those things,” Brown added.

Bombito benefited from the 2020-21 season being truncated with games in the spring due to COVID-19. He had time to adjust to moving in the United States, being on his own, and living in the dorms on the same floor as his teammates. On June 10, 2021, he played in the NJCAA National Championship as Iowa Western lost 2-1 in overtime to Salt Lake Community College in Wichita, KS.

“I’ll never forget, we lose the national championship, drive through a tornado, and after all that, two of our best players walk in and say ‘Hey, I’m going to another school. This coach told me I will get to MLS a lot quicker if I go with him.’ Moïse walks into my office, says ‘Coach I’m not leaving. I’m staying with you. We’re going to finish this,” Brown said reflecting on the game.

“I remember that night I was walking down stairs and he was in the weight room. He was in the weight room after every single game. That was his mentality.

Bombito was hardened in the crucible of two drills at IWCC: The Gauntlet and Bloody Nose.

The Gauntlet is basically Brown’s version of Marcelo Bielsa’s Murderball. Games are 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and 11v11. They play on an indoor facility that’s 80×50. No fouls get called. Live balls get thrown into play after the ball goes out.

“You’ll have a ripped bib. You’ll have an injury for sure. People don’t wear shin guards. It’s so gritty,” Bombito recalled.

The coaches keep track of scores in games and individual goals and post them in the locker room. Bombito was one of the dominant Gauntlet players. No wonder he’s been so confident going into tackles where there will be contact even if he’s on a yellow card.

Bloody Nose is basically Butts Up but with your face. The whole team lines up on the goal line to block shots, facing the shooter. Prevent a goal or else. Coach Brown had a very illustrating memory of the practical application of his drills:

“When we won the National Championship in 2021, in the semifinal, 41 seconds left, we’re up 1-0. A ball goes over the top and Moïse headed it out. Another ball comes in and our smallest guy on the field, a 5’4″ outside back, clears it off the line and everyone is screaming ‘Bloody Nose!’ That kid’s the captain at University of Nebraska-Omaha now. That’s just a part of who we are.”

The 2021-22 academic year returned to normal coming out of COVID with an entirely fall semester soccer schedule. Bombito started 21 of 22 games. The Reivers went 20-1-1, surviving that semifinal match against Tyler Junior College. They went on to defeat Arizona Western College in the final 2-0. Bombito was one of only two outfield players to play all 90 minutes in the final to win the NJCAA National Championship.

“We went to the national tournament. He started getting a lot of eyes on him. From there my buddies at (University of) New Hampshire reached out to me. He had plenty of options. I just felt that staff would be good for Moïse and his personality,” said Brown.

Bombito had fulfilled his promise he made the previous June. That fall, he was off the UNH to play D1 Men’s Soccer.

His meteoric rise continued. Started 16 of 20 matches. Finished third on the team in scoring with four goals as a dangerous aerial threat on set pieces. The Wildcats went 15-4-1 despite losing their first two matches of the year. They made the NCAA Tournament, losing to FIU in the second game in penalties after 12 rounds. Bombito’s only take was the very first of the 24, which he missed.

Still, the then 22-year-old stacked up the individual accolades at the conference and national level. Most notably, he was ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, Second Team All-American, and Semifinalist for the MAC Herman Trophy.

Bombito’s future was unclear as he was not one of the top choices for an MLS Generation Adidas contract, but after the MLS College Showcase, he got a GA offer. The Rapids selected him third overall.

“Moise is a player we were really impressed with during the MLS College Showcase and someone who brings high level of athleticism and quality on the ball to make an impact at the next level,” Club President Pádraig Smith said after the draft.

Breaking Into the Rapids First Team to Earn the CANMNT Callup:

The first team had two preseason trips, first to Mexico then to Orlando, FL. Rapids 2 were in Florida at the same time with several players on the fringes of the first team moving back and forth. Bombito spent the entire preseason with the first team, which was encouraging.

Two games into the season, he went down with a minor MCL injury. He returned in early May, making his first team debut off the bench on May 13. He got his first start in the cup game against RSL. He played in four straight games before getting a very harsh second yellow card against San Jose, missing last weekend’s match as a result.

“Historic rise, I’ve heard a lot of people say that. But is it though? Or he just got put into an environment that helped him take advantage of that environment and the structure? We gave him some structure. Now he goes to the Rapids, a professional organization, he’s only getting better. I think he’ll have some struggles in the Canada camp. But he knows those struggles will help him,” Brown said, dismissing the notion that he’s a flash in the pan.

Bombito’s been electric from the first team over the past month. He looks like he belongs. There’s been several plays where he’s been under pressure defensively and he’s made the simple and safe play cleanly. In a back three, he’s been given the freedom to dribble forward.

“Very excited for him. For him it’s a fantastic opportunity that he’s earned. Since he’s come in, he was very good. Got himself an injury. Worked extremely hard to come back from the injury. He’s had some very good moments wherever he’s been asked to play. It makes perfect sense that he’s being called in,” Head Coach Robin Fraser said Saturday night.

In a back four or five, he’s been played as a right back at times, dribbled forward, and created offense. All his experience and skills have been on display.

He’s fit, in form, and Denver to Las Vegas is a short flight. The fact that he was unavailable for the weekend (ensuring he could not get injured) made it a no-brainer decision for John Herdman. Bombito told Burgundy Wave he believes he’s seen as a center back long term by the coaching staff. His versatility could come in handy off the bench this week with the Nations League being two rounds over four days.

Don’t expect the 23-year-old to start either game for Canada. There’s a reason he did not make the initial roster which had four center backs and two right backs. But if there’s an injury or suspension to a defender tomorrow, Bombito could make a sub appearance, ready to come on and get a bloody nose in the gauntlet that is Concacaf.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken.

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