VANCOUVER—Greg Anderson was supposed to be bound for Orlando, Florida, and the MLS player combine in his role as vice-president of soccer operations for the Vancouver Whitecaps. He was hours from going to the airport when a phone call changed his itinerary.
Instead of east, Anderson headed west. First, he landed in South Korea to meet with the parents of promising 22-year-old midfielder Inbeom Hwang. Then it was even further west to Dubai to meet with Hwang himself and help finalize a deal to bring him to MLS.
By the time Anderson caught a flight from Dubai to Toronto and then back to Vancouver, he’d gone around the world to land the Whitecaps a designated player.