A Defensive Discussion with.......

Gale Agbossoumonde

This week, Defensive Discussions met with US international Gale Agbossoumonde. The center back, originally from Togo moved to the United States at a very young age ending up in Syracuse, New York. After High School he turned down college scholarships to try his luck as a professional, signing with Miami FC in the USL, the division below the MLS. It was always going to be a temporary situation in Miami as the talented American was loaned out to Portuguese side Sporting Braga. Unfortunately, he never made an appearance for Braga and travelled across Europe to Swedish club Djurgarden for first team football.  After only games however, Gale packed his bags up yet again to sign with Eintracht Frankfurt, who plays in the second tier of German football. While he was back packing across Europe, the Syracuse native made his full international debut in 2010 against South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup. Not only was the game on African soil but November 17^th 2010 was his 19^th birthday. Between training and unpacking his suitcase, Gale kindly sat down with us to introduce himself to football fans worldwide.

Age: 19

Favourite Team:

 Arsenal!  It is certainly a tough time for us right now but will always love and support Arsenal.

Who is your favourite defender and why?

Barcelona’s, Gerard Pique. You cannot ask for a better defender because he is composed on the ball, reads the game as well as anyone, and is great defensively. Kolo Toure was another I grew up watching during his Arsenal days.

Who has been the biggest influence in your career?

There have been so many people who have helped and influenced me throughout my career, so it is hard to single out one person. Apart from my family, I would say Thomas Rongen, my Under 20’s National Coach is certainly one person I have to thank. Glenn Buckley, my old Olympic Development coach was the one who moved me to center back and I guess that was a decision that worked out.

Could you explain to me how excited you were when you made your debut for the US vs. South Africa on African soil?

It was a mixture of nerves and excitement. Coming out for warm ups, I was very excited because it was a wall of noise created by all the Vuvuzela’s around the ground. Saying that, when my number was called and I ran back to the bench, I felt like I was going to pass out. Once I ran onto the pitch, I knew what I had to do and it was back to work. All the emotions went away and really enjoyed the time I had out there.

What was the best part of the whole experience?

Not many people experience what I did that day, so it was great. It was my 19^th birthday and thought the day couldn’t be any better. It did, I have an older sister who still lives in Togo and haven’t seen since I left for America. The game was streamed in Togo and she watched the game on TV, which was the first time she saw me play. The whole experience was just amazing and left me wanting more.

 Have you spoken to Jurgen Klinsmann?

No, I have not spoken to him. I am just happy to be here in Germany which has given me a new found energy and motivation. My focus is working hard and earning a spot in the Eintracht Frankfurt first team before I think about International football.

Awful look Jurgen!

Give us a US player to watch for the future:

Joe Gyau. He plays for Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga and if I had a penny for every time a player asks me about Joe, I would be a rich man. When fellow professionals think you’re a good player, that speaks for itself.

How have you found European football and the life experience?

 It has not been an easy, mainly due to all the travelling I have done. I have been living out of a suitcase for two years and not playing regularly to make it even harder to settle. But, I am happy right now and think I will enjoy my time in Germany.

If you miss home, have you ever thought about playing in the MLS?

 Yes, I have given it a lot of thought and actually had the opportunity to play in the MLS before moving to Germany. I want to give European football one more go, before I look to return home.

Thoughts on the MLS:

                       

The league has come on leaps and bounds since its emergence in 1993. Teams like Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have really added to the league, along with the ‘Designated Players’ like David Beckham and Thierry Henry. American players are gaining the respect of our European counterparts. We are seeing more and more Americans playing abroad, like the Dempsey’s and the Tim Howards of the world, showing the world that the US has arrived.  Going back to the MLS, playing teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Barcelona this summer will only help the league grow.

Finally………

Which game will you be buying this season, FIFA or PES?

FIFA for sure, I am the king of FIFA!

I would like to Thank Gale Agbossoumonde for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to Defensive Discussions.