FC Dallas winger Bernard Kamungo spoke with World Soccer Discuss after the 2024 common MLS season ended. The 22-year-old mentioned his lengthy journey in direction of skilled soccer and his future objectives. In our Bernard Kamungo interview, he additionally shines a lightweight on the dilemma of selecting a nationwide workforce to characterize.
“I didn’t come this far to get injured”
Kamungo’s path to the MLS began when sports activities turned a distraction from the hardships of life at a younger age. His dad and mom fled a civil conflict within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and he was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania.
“I began taking part in after I was very younger, most likely as quickly as I began strolling. Rising up in Tanzania the place soccer is the primary sport made it simple for me to fall in love with the game,” Kamungo remembers. “I used to be born in a refugee camp and taking part in soccer helped me keep away from quite a lot of unfavourable stuff happening in and round my life. My household couldn’t afford a dwelling.
“It was a dream come true coming to the US. I had seen quite a lot of motion pictures, movies, and photos of how wonderful the nation was, and I at all times needed to come back to the U.S. The liberty, jobs, and the tradition. It’s wonderful. A few of these issues, we don’t have them again dwelling. Soccer performed a giant half within the adaptation course of and in connecting with folks within the U.S., in addition to my household.”
It was in 2016 that Kamungo’s household relocated to Abilene, Texas. In 2021, he had a profitable tryout with FC Dallas’ reserve workforce, North Texas SC. Kamungo signed an expert contract with FC Dallas the next 12 months.
“I didn’t come this far to get injured,” he says concerning the cooperation with The BetterGuard, an organization that produces ankle brace damage prevention and restoration merchandise. “I’m at all times looking for my physique and total well-being. BetterGuard helps me throughout observe and video games. I’ll do what I can to verify I’m acting at my finest and stopping any accidents that I can.”
Kamungo is amongst BetterGuard’s high-profile purchasers throughout wide-ranging sports activities, together with the Wagner brothers – Moritz and Franz – from NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Ankle sprains are the commonest damage in soccer, and proceed to be the main motive for missed taking part in time in MLS. Since Kamungo’s MLS debut in September 2022, he solely missed video games as a consequence of a shoulder damage.
Bernard Kamungo interview – “Hopefully, it’ll be a 12 months I win one thing with the workforce.”
In solely his second FC Dallas look, Kamungo scored a late winner in opposition to Actual Salt Lake Metropolis. He registered six objectives in lower than 500 minutes of taking part in time in his first full MLS season. The Toros additionally managed to progress to the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs.
Issues didn’t work for Kamungo and FC Dallas this season, nevertheless. He endured a scoreless marketing campaign with the membership lacking out on the MLS Cup. FC Dallas was additionally one of many 4 groups to complete the Leagues Cup marketing campaign with 0 factors, out of 47 MLS and Liga MX golf equipment.
“My objective was to take it from my first season and develop up. However God has completely different plans for you. I’m very disenchanted by this season,” Kamungo mentioned concerning the latest struggles. “However that’s the skilled sport. You’ll not at all times be at your finest. You’ll simply have to work laborious and hope the season seems the best way you need. Actually, not quite a lot of stuff is beneath my management.
“Each fan will take a look at the stats and say no matter they needed to say. I’ll do the identical, too. But it surely all got here right down to the hassle and work ethic. That’s the important thing to scoring objectives and profitable video games. As a participant, I don’t take a look at stats that a lot. I concentrate on the work that comes earlier than the stat. The stat would come in a while.”
With San Diego FC’s introduction, MLS might be expanded to 30 groups subsequent season. The thirtieth MLS season will start on the weekend of February 22, 2025. Kamungo’s present contract at FC Dallas will run out on the finish of the upcoming season.
“I’ve bought objectives to realize subsequent 12 months. There have been a lot of objectives I wasn’t capable of obtain this 12 months. I’ve to work as a lot as I can. It’s taking one second at a time. You’ve to take advantage of out of the little possibilities you’ve got,” he mentioned concerning the future. “Hopefully, it’ll be a 12 months I win one thing with the workforce. I’m certain it’ll be a memorable season each for me and the workforce.”
Amidst rising discussions over the necessity to adapt the promotion/relegation system in MLS, Kamungo doesn’t see a necessity for a change. “No matter all people decides on it, I’m going to be down for it. I don’t suppose a change is required.
“MLS is a giant league and everybody loves it as it’s. Possibly I’ll be disenchanted if I see a change to European model. The league is getting greater. And I desire the best way it’s proper now”
“It was my dream to play at this stage”
Kamungo attributed his background to his will to struggle adversities in skilled soccer. He actually doesn’t wish to dwell on not passing by means of academies. As an alternative, he’s grateful for the previous that helped him get right here.
“You need to always remember the place you had been. I didn’t have an opportunity to be an expert participant in Tanzania,” he says. “Now I’m right here taking part in in an expert atmosphere. It was my dream to play at this stage.
“With the ability to obtain that in such a brief period of time was unbelievable. There may be at all times an impediment typically in life. One factor I’ve realized is to at all times be affected person in each second. Taking one second at a time stood out for me.”
MLS Subsequent Professional has performed a giant half in Kamungo’s rise to prominence. He completed second within the scoring chart with 16 objectives and was chosen within the Finest XI of the inaugural season. MLS’ reserve league is assessed because the third tier of the US soccer league system.
“For all younger gamers, MLS Subsequent Professional is a stage that can get you prepared mentally and bodily for the following step in your profession,” he raved concerning the developmental league. “It actually helped me so much. It helps me to take duty. It’s the place I took a step up, for instance by taking penalties in tied video games. And I realized to maintain my well being for each sport.”
He additionally believes versatility is a key attribute to study for younger gamers. “For me, it’s essential to expertise quite a lot of taking part in positions, particularly as a younger participant. I by no means had an opportunity to play within the academy,” he mentioned. “So with the ability to play each place is an efficient factor, for me. I’d say it’s a studying second.”
In the course of the 2024 MLS season, Kamungo performed throughout a number of positions. That features taking part in as an attacking midfielder and a striker. “I’ve a favourite place which is the fitting winger,” Kamungo expressed his need. “That’s the place I grew up taking part in. However, on the similar time, I don’t thoughts taking part in wherever else. It’s a matter of the place the coach needs me to play or the place I’m going to assist the workforce”
“I’ve bought relations from each side”
That versatility may very well be decisive in his dream of returning to the USMNT setup. Mauricio Pochettino made his US debut within the dugout with a win over Panama and a defeat to Mexico in October’s worldwide break.
“I’ve watched Pochettino teaching quite a lot of large groups. To have the ability to have such a coach assist the nationwide workforce,” he mentioned concerning the new atmosphere. “I’ve to work on myself and be capable of carry out on the highest stage with out blaming issues or placing others on the road. First, I have to work laborious and put my membership in the most effective place. I’m certain everybody will see your effort, then”
Nevertheless, he’s nonetheless undecided on which nation to characterize on the worldwide stage. Kamungo obtained a call-up from Tanzania for the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, however he ended up not taking part in. Regardless of the geographical variations, he confirmed to World Soccer Discuss that he carefully follows Tanzanian soccer.
However, firstly of this 12 months, he made his US debut when Gregg Berhalter’s MLS-based squad misplaced a pleasant in opposition to Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas. He nonetheless can revert that call.
“Representing a nationwide workforce is a dream of each younger child. For me, it’s nonetheless the toughest determination to make,” he mentioned concerning the dilemma. “I’ve bought relations from each side that need me to characterize their nationwide groups. Even proper now, I can’t let you know the place my head is at. Let’s simply see what the long run holds. I’ll let everybody know after I attain a choice.”
Photograph: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
Loading…
