What Kyle Beckerman has in common with his coach, Ray Hudson … His wrestling background … What music gets him pumped up before games. Get to know 18-year-old Beckerman in SoccerAmerica.comÆs series on the nationÆs most promising talent. INTERVIEWED BY BRYAN ALVAREZ Name: Kyle Beckerman Position: Midfielder Born: April 23, 1982. Hometown: Crofton, Md. 2000 Season: 2 games, 1 goals, 0 assists, 2 points. International: Starter on U.S. U-17 national team in 1999 U-17 World Cup fourth-place finish. 2001 U.S. U-20 team. Soccer America: What is your favorite sport besides soccer? Kyle Beckerman: Wrestling. I wrestled in high school at 112 and 119 pounds. Also, my brother wrestles at the University of Nebraska. SA: How did you come to choose soccer over wrestling? KB: Oh, soccer is just the sport. SA: Who is your favorite actor? KB: Robert DeNiro SA: What is your favorite book? KB: “Pop Goes the Weasel” by Keith Patterson. SA: Who is your favorite muscian? KB: Bob Marley. SA: Do you listen to music before a game? KB: In my car, on the way there and in the locker room. SA: What’s the locker room like before a game? KB: We play soccer tennis, listen to some music or watch some TV. It’s pretty relaxed until gametime. Then it gets a little serious. SA: What’s your current living situation? KB: I live in Ft. Lauderdale. I like with teammates Nick Rimando and Antonio Otero. SA: How did you adapt to living in a new city? KB: I like it. I still fell like it’s a vacation. It feels like I’m on a training camp with a youth team. It’s alot of fun. I hang out, hit the beach and play a lot of soccer. SA: Do you find Ft. Lauderdale distracting at times? KB: Nah, it just has places to go that other places don’t have. In your off time, it’s not like, Kansas City, for example, where all you can do is pile snow or whatever! Here, there a lot more places to lay low. SA: What’s it like being the young guy on the team? KB: I get along with everybody. We really have a young team. A lot of guys are 25 and under. We’re guys that are pretty much the same age. We all joke and hang around and keep everybody laughing. SA: What are your impressions of your first year in the MLS? KB: It’s definitely a big step up. On the field and off the field. People are stronger and faster. You have to keep playing and get used to it. But, it’s a really fun adjustment. It’s all soccer. I don’t have to worry about school. SA: How is the MLS different from the high school and youth game? KB: The physical part, especially the mental part. You have to concentrate the whole game. You can’t relax one bit. It could be a goal for the other team or you might miss a chance. Also, it’s a dogfight for every position and to get time. SA: What was your favorite moment from last season? KB: Scoring my first goal. All my friends and my parents were there. I got it off my chest. SA: Who has been your greatest influence? KB: Our captain, Pablo (Mastroeni), is a big influence on the whole team. He plays with a lot of heart. A lot of guys respect him. SA: How do you plan to improve in your second season? KB: I’m looking to get more time, be more consistent, and score more goals. SA: What do you think about players coming out of high school and college early? KB: It’s definitely possible for anyone. You just have to play and concentrate. When you get a chance, do your best with it. SA: What can the MLS do to improve? KB: Definitely, pay the players more. SA: What’s it like living on an MLS salary? KB: I can’t complain. Right now, it’s all right. I have to bunk up with some buddies but I don’t mind that. It’s fine right now. SA: What is your opinion of single-entity? KB: I’d really like to see the league, where the owners get to buy the players. I think that’ll make the league so much more. We’ll get reserve teams. When we get reserve teams, that’ll put the league on a world level. But, really, I don’t care. I’m just plaing soccer. That’s all I really care about right now. SA: What’s your commitment to the MLS? KB: Four or five years, I think. SA: What is your relationship like with the fans? KB: I guess they like me! They give me a good yell when I come in. SA: Do you get recognized in public? KB: Nah. They don’t recognize anybody over here! SA: Who is the toughest opponent you faced last year? KB: Tyrone Marshall. I can never get around him in practice. He’s get long legs … SA: Do you have in tough rivalries? KB: I just got here in July, but I think we have something with the MetroStars. We played them a lot during the season and in the Open Cup. SA: Are you a soccer fan? KB: Here and there. Whenever it’s on, I’ll watch it. SA: Who is your favorite player? KB: Thierry Henry. SA: Do you eventually want to play abroad? KB: Hopefully. I just want to get that atmosphere with packed stands. If I can’t get that here, I’d like to go somewhere, where soccer is everything. But, if I could stay here all my life, I wouldn’t complain. SA: How was you recent time with the U-20’s? KB: It was a tough camp. It’s coming down to qualifying time. We did a lot of fitness and stuff like that. I feel like everybody’s ready to qualify. SA: What’s it like playing for Ray Hudson? KB: He’s a great coach. He knows how to get a team up for the game. He’s a player’s coach. I like him because he’s coming from the same background as me. He started playing professional at 17. There are some simililarites. SA: What are your predictions for this year? KB: We’re gonna win it all! SA: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? KB: Playing for the Fusion, with packed stands!