FC Dallas winger Bernard Kamungo spoke with World Soccer Speak after the 2024 common MLS season ended. The 22-year-old mentioned his lengthy journey in the direction of skilled soccer and his future objectives. In our Bernard Kamungo interview, he additionally shines a light-weight on the dilemma of selecting a nationwide staff 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 mother and father fled a civil battle 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, in all probability as quickly as I began strolling. Rising up in Tanzania the place soccer is the principle sport made it straightforward 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 a whole lot of unfavorable stuff occurring 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 a whole lot of motion pictures, movies, and footage of how superb the nation was, and I all the time needed to come back to the U.S. The liberty, jobs, and the tradition. It’s superb. A few of these issues, we don’t have them again house. Soccer performed an enormous 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 staff, North Texas SC. Kamungo signed knowledgeable contract with FC Dallas the next 12 months.
“I didn’t come this far to get injured,” he says in regards to the cooperation with The BetterGuard, an organization that produces ankle brace harm prevention and restoration merchandise. “I’m all the time searching for my physique and general well-being. BetterGuard helps me throughout follow and video games. I’ll do what I can to verify I’m acting at my greatest 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 harm in soccer, and proceed to be the main cause for missed taking part in time in MLS. Since Kamungo’s MLS debut in September 2022, he solely missed video games attributable to a shoulder harm.
Bernard Kamungo interview – “Hopefully, it’ll be a 12 months I win one thing with the staff.”
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, nonetheless. 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 aim was to take it from my first season and develop up. However God has completely different plans for you. I’m very upset by this season,” Kamungo mentioned in regards to the current struggles. “However that’s the skilled sport. You’ll not all the time be at your greatest. You’ll simply must work onerous and hope the season seems the way in which you need. Truthfully, not a whole 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 all the way 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 afterward.”
With San Diego FC’s introduction, MLS shall 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 obtained objectives to realize subsequent 12 months. There have been plenty 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 probabilities you’ve got,” he mentioned in regards to the future. “Hopefully, it’ll be a 12 months I win one thing with the staff. I’m positive it’ll be a memorable season each for me and the staff.”
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 an enormous league and everybody loves it as it’s. Perhaps I’ll be upset if I see a change to European model. The league is getting greater. And I desire the way in which it’s proper now”
“It was my dream to play at this stage”
Kamungo attributed his background to his will to battle adversities in skilled soccer. He definitely doesn’t wish to dwell on not passing by means of academies. As a substitute, 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 knowledgeable participant in Tanzania,” he says. “Now I’m right here taking part in in knowledgeable 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’s all the time an impediment typically in life. One factor I’ve discovered is to all the time be affected person in each second. Taking one second at a time stood out for me.”
MLS Subsequent Professional has performed an enormous 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 USA soccer league system.
“For all younger gamers, MLS Subsequent Professional is a stage that may get you prepared mentally and bodily for the following step in your profession,” he raved in regards to the developmental league. “It truthfully 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 discovered to deal with my well being for each sport.”
He additionally believes versatility is a key attribute to be taught for younger gamers. “For me, it’s essential to expertise a whole 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 effective factor, for me. I’d say it’s a studying second.”
Throughout 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 correct 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 anyplace else. It’s a matter of the place the coach desires me to play or the place I’m going to assist the staff”
“I’ve obtained members of the family from either side”
That versatility could possibly 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 a whole lot of huge groups. To have the ability to have such a coach assist the nationwide staff,” he mentioned in regards to 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 must work onerous and put my membership in the most effective place. I’m positive everybody will see your effort, then”
Nonetheless, 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 Speak that he carefully follows Tanzanian soccer.
However, initially 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 staff is a dream of each younger child. For me, it’s nonetheless the toughest determination to make,” he mentioned in regards to the dilemma. “I’ve obtained members of the family from either side that need me to characterize their nationwide groups. Even proper now, I can’t inform you the place my head is at. Let’s simply see what the longer term holds. I’ll let everybody know after I attain a call.”
Picture: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
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