ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with U.S. nationwide workforce defender Mark McKenzie about his growth, his first season with Genk, profitable silverware, and, after all, the upcoming Nations League event.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
June 02, 2021
10:05 AM
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ONE OF THE BIGGEST themes surrounding the U.S. nationwide workforce’s Nations League has been silverware. In whole, the roster mixed for 12 items of European silverware in home leagues, home cups, and, after all, the UEFA Champions League. There may be additionally speak concerning the Champions League subsequent season the place 13 gamers on the workforce have been a part of groups that can play in no less than the event’s group levels.
Mark McKenzie, 22, a part of each teams as his KRC Genk workforce received the Belgian Cup and completed second within the league to ebook a spot within the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. That comes on the heels of profitable the Supporters Protect with the Philadelphia Union in December previous to his sale to Belgium.
Ever because the soccer world returned following the COVID-19 shutdown, McKenzie has been trending up. He was named to the MLS Finest XI for the 2020 season, earned a profitable switch, received silverware at two groups, certified for European play, and completed the season being named to the Belgian Professional League Crew of the Week every of the season’s closing two weeks.
“Now that a bunch of guys, myself included, are coming off of season where we just lifted a trophy, you get that taste for it,” McKenzie instructed ASN. “You want to do it again and that is the motivating factor you instill into the group – the hunger to lift another trophy because it’s great. You do it with a club, but are very few chances you get to do it with the national team. We’re not putting too much pressure on ourselves, but we know we have a responsibility and duty to go out there and fight for that trophy, by any means.”
Since becoming a member of Genk at first of the yr, McKenzie appeared in 13 league video games (together with eight begins) throughout 787 minutes. He additionally made three appearances (one begin) for 110 minutes within the Belgian Cup – together with a quick cameo within the 2-1 win over Normal Liege within the closing.
McKenzie acknowledged that there was a studying curve coming to a brand new league in a brand new nation throughout a pandemic. He needed to get used to the brand new tradition and a unique type of soccer and whereas taking part in time was inconsistent, he used the time when he wasn’t taking part in to work on his recreation and finding out the league and opponents.
In the long run, he felt that the momentum the workforce had on the finish of the season will solely assist on this week with the nationwide workforce and with Genk’s preseason when he competes for a beginning job.
“It always helps your confidence to end the season on a high,” McKenzie stated. “We came out with 16 out of 18 points in the playoff and really challenged Brugge in the last weeks to put ourselves in contention. We were a little bit too late, we slipped up one too many times in the February period. But look, ultimately picked ourself up and lost just one match in the last two and a half months.”
McKenzie was the starter for Philadelphia for the higher a part of three seasons (together with 2019 the place he handled accidents) and he rose by the academy on the membership to assist the first-team turn into probably the greatest in MLS. Underneath head coach Jim Curtin, McKenzie turned one of many high younger American defenders and finally earned his first cap with the U.S. nationwide workforce.
Philadelphia Union have earned a repute for being a membership that may win whereas concurrently develop younger and promote gamers. McKenzie and U.S. nationwide workforce teammate Brenden Aaronson have been a part of the success final season and each have lifted European silverware since their respective gross sales. In the meantime, Philadelphia has remained a high workforce within the league.
“With Philly, they always invested time in me and they gave me the opportunity to make mistakes, but also pushed me to work on those areas so that way they weren’t recurrent themes,” McKenzie defined. “It’s one thing to make mistakes. It’s another to make the same mistake over and over again. That’s one thing Philly really helped me with and opened my eyes to understanding that once you take the next step, these areas are going to be amplified even more. You’re not going to have as much time with the ball. You’re not going to beat guys in the air all the time. You’re not going to be able to recover from behind all the time. So how do you position yourself defensively to win these challenges? To win these duels? These are areas that we discussed and worked on at Philly.”
“In Belgium, it is a difficult league,” he added. There is a cause Genk particularly has produced the proficient it has produced….After I got here into the coaching classes, I wasn’t precisely positive how guys are going to enter tackles. Are they going to be comfortable, or are they going to be 100%? Yeah. It is 100%. That is the way in which we wish to prepare to organize for the matches – to not damage one another, however making ready one another in order that we’re sharp. The amplification of minor errors and errors and positional errors, studying how if I do not slide quick sufficient, that hole goes to be uncovered….The one factor I’ve appreciated probably the most is that you may lose any single given match when you’re less than the duty. That is the problem I got here right here for – to place myself in one of the best place to take the following step.”
The previous few months have actually launched McKenzie into life at Genk however subsequent season will likely be an enormous take a look at for him on many ranges. For one, beginning at Genk will likely be vital for him to take care of his spot on the U.S. nationwide workforce. For McKenzie, the preseason will possible decide his position for the beginning of the season – which is able to embody Genk’s video games within the third qualifying spherical of the Champions League which open on August third.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play in the Champions League. Now I am here in the U.S. camp with guys who played the biggest stages, we had two guys in the finals. Going into August for the Champions League coming up, it’s definitely on my mind and circled on the calendar. I’m looking forward to that opportunity, to that moment. It’s about building to that moment… I’m looking forward to really helping my team to be a lock in the group, be a mainstay, and to push into the latter stages of Champions League, potentially.”
For now, McKenzie is on the lookout for sturdy performances within the video games forward for the U.S. nationwide workforce which he is aware of are going to set the stage for World Cup qualifying within the fall. Whereas McKenzie is likely one of the higher defensive prospects, is spot on the workforce is on no account assured. The central protection pool is pretty deep for the time being with John Brooks, Tim Ream, and Matt Miazga additionally on the workforce and different gamers like Chris Richards, Erik Palmer-Brown, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, and Aaron Lengthy as soon as he’s wholesome all competing for spots.
“I’m very excited to be here with guys who can against the best of the best,” McKenzie stated. “I really want to challenge myself and challenge the other guys as well need to place myself in that group, where you have to be called in – in a way. You need to push the decisions for the staff.”
In fact, if the U.S. workforce advances previous Honduras on Thursday evening, there’s a good probability that it’ll set the stage for closing towards Mexico. Video games towards its archrival have traditionally served as momentum-builders for the U.S. workforce and a spot the place many gamers have cemented themselves into the workforce.
“That’s the ultimate matchup, right?” McKenzie requested rhetorically. “Everyone is hungry now, including myself, I’m looking forward to the opportunity potentially face Mexico. It will be my first senior team game against them. Even in the youth setups when playing against Mexico, you feel that tension between two nations that border each other. two nations fighting for a foothold.”
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Author : usa-foot
Publish date : 2025-01-02 01:17:54
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