On the field, Jamison Olave is a picture of intimidation. The 2010 MLS Defender of the Year and two-time Best XI selection has a 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame that looks chiseled from granite. Yet he has the world-class athleticism to use more than brute strength to dispose of opposing attackers.
Off the field, the 33-year-old Colombian reminds you of his sheer size when his hand envelopes yours in a handshake while his endearing smile brings you into his inner circle. That’s when you learn that there is much more to the man than his on-field presence.
Having the separation between the family man – the father and husband – and the player is important for Olave and when his intimidating on-field persona is brought up, he plays the character well, bellowing a menacing laugh before giving a thoughtful answer.
“When you’re on the field, you have to be a different person. We’re talking about three points. We’re talking about the ball. We’re talking about first place. We’re talking about Champions League. There are many, many things that you are competing for on the field,” he said during RSL’s preseason camp in Tucson, Arizona. “In the field, some people could think I’m a bad person. I’m an aggressive person, but I’m not a bad person.”
He smiles and speaks in glowing terms about returning to Salt Lake City after two years in New York with the Red Bulls. There is a sparkle in his eyes and a joy in his words – chosen carefully so as not to diminish his thoughts about New York.
He enjoyed his time with the Red Bulls, where he won the 2013 MLS Supporters’ Shield and made the Eastern Conference finals in 2014. He saw a different side of America than he had seen before.
Yet when he speaks of his return to Utah, it is as if he’s found a home that he has long been searching for.
“There were many feelings. We were good in New York. It was hard to adapt to the team and the city, but we enjoyed living in New York and playing for the team. But I was missing Salt Lake too. I was missing the city, my friends, my teammates. So when I was traded, I was happy,” he said in a measured cadence. “Salt Lake City is a peaceful city. It’s a great city for my kids to grow up. At some point in your life, when you have family and you have kids, that’s what you’re looking for. A place where your family can be happy and healthy.”
Olave returned to Real Salt Lake in the off-season after a trade with the New York Red Bulls. He played his first five MLS seasons with the Claret-and-Cobalt, but was dealt to New York prior to the 2013 season, a casualty of the salary cap crunch that also saw RSL trade Will Johnson and Fabian Espindola. After two seasons with the Red Bulls, he is back in Utah, where he is excited to play in front of the fans at Rio Tinto Stadium yet again.
There, he is partnering with Chris Schuler to make up perhaps the most daunting center back tandem in MLS.
“He’s got an unbelievable presence. There’s just that factor of fear that he and Schuler and Aaron (Maund) have with their play,” RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar said, smiling at the prospect of trotting the duo out on the field. “I want teams to fear our defense both physically and tactically. When we can get those two things combined, I think it will be very lethal.”
Schuler has noticed already that his defensive partner is a veritable force on defense that has made him a better player.
“He brings a lot to the table. You can say that for sure. He’s extremely athletic. He’s really fast. He’s a seasoned pro and he’s teaching me a lot of stuff,” Schuler said. “He brings the pain when he wants to. It’s good to know I have that in my back pocket.”
With his history with the team – where he won MLS Cup in 2009 and helped RSL reach the finals of the CONCACAF Champions League in 2011 – there is a lot of familiarity. Though he brings a new dynamic to the defense, he isn’t a stranger that needs too much time to integrate himself into the team. That has eased his transition back to the Claret and Cobalt.
“He’s part of the family,” said defender Abdoulie Mansally, smiling because he doesn’t have to go against the force of nature that is Olave and that he has a caring friend in his midst. “He’s part of the team.”
Olave and RSL return to training in Utah on Tuesday after spending the month of February in Arizona and California for preseason training camp. The Claret-and-Cobalt will take to the road to face the Portland Timbers in the MLS season opener on Saturday at Providence Park before returning to Rio Tinto Stadium to host the Philadelphia Union in the home opener on March 14.
