02.01.2019 - 11:00 | Source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 15 mins

TM-Interview

German Trio invited to the MLS Combine: “With Zlatan in LA would be pretty cool”

The annual MLS Player Combine will take place January 3, in Orlando, Florida. 60 players from Universities and Colleges will be invited to train and play in front of clubs, coaches and scouts to commend oneself for a MLS contract. This year, three Germans got nominated: Ben Lundt (23, goalkeeper, Akron Zips, prior Hertha BSC), János Löbe (23, midfielder, Fordham Rams, prior Wuppertaler SV) and Nils Brüning (24, forward, North Carolina Tar Heels, prior Hamburger SV). Sven Bauer (Lapdog) and Dominic Becker (Ivo_Ilicevic) spoke to the trio and their adviser Martin Zaluk about the event.

Transfermarkt: You’ve been invited to the 2019 MLS Combine. When and where did you find out? What were your reactions?

János Löbe: My coach called and told me at the beginning of December. One week later, I received an email from the MLS. I was very happy about

Ben Lundt: I was on the telephone with my dad and we’ve talked about the Combine. He asked me, if I’ve heard something from them. That’s why I’ve checked my emails and saw the invitation. I was really happy about it. What a chance.

Nils Brüning: I’ve got an email and I was very happy about it. I’ve expected to be invited because of my performances, but I didn’t know when I was going to receive the invitation.

Transfermarkt: Mr. Zulak, which role did you play in this case? How did you support those three?

Martin Zulak: First of all, I want to congratulate Ben, Janos and Nils to their nominations. Those three boys deserved to be invited to the 2019 MLS Combine, because of their sublime performances. There is hardly any better acknowledgement, than three MLS Combine nominations at once. That shows that we did a lot right in the last couple of years. Our goal is to work with and take care of Germany’s top-players who want to play college soccer. We try to be there for our players and to support them as good as we can. Ben, Janos and Nils are outstanding soccer players and great characters, whose potentials where obvious. We had many discussions and always said that those extraordinary players have to be invited to the MLS Combine. We want to open as many doors as possible. These invitations are the greatest award and acknowledgement for every player and we want to see our players at the Combine every year – we are going to pull out all stops for that.

Transfermarkt: What do you expect from the Combine?

Löbe: I want to catch the attention, but also enjoy the week.

Lundt: I’m expecting high class games and a sporting challenge. It could be an advantage for me that I’ve played in the College Cup final on December 9, in front of 10,000 people. Others, whose teams got eliminated earlier, could be lacking match practice.

Brüning: I think I’ll face a lot of great players at the Combine. Therefore, I’ll try to focus on my own qualities and I want to show what I stand for as a soccer player. I don’t think that I’ll have problems with the quality level, because I’m coming from one of the best universities and I’ve trained on a way higher level in Germany.

Lundt: “It's about my dream to become a professional soccer player”

Transfermarkt: It’s a form of presentation. You can catch the attention with your performance. Additionally, you can talk to scouts/coaches/clubs. How big is the pressure?

Löbe: Pressure’s there, for sure. But I think I can handle it and I’m very excited.

Lundt: It’s about my dream to become a professional soccer player. But I try not to be put under pressure by the situation. I try to prepare myself for the upcoming week and I think that I’ll in those matches and interviews very confidently. It’s no drama, if becoming a professional soccer player should not work out. I’m about to graduate from university and I’ve got a play B. But I don’t want to belittle it. It’s my dream, but I’m best, when I’m free from pressure.

Brüning: Sure, there’s pressure. But that’s always the case, when you want to prove yourself on another level. I never had any problems with pressure. I’m very excited for this opportunity.

Transfermarkt: What do you think about his whole system? (University -> Combine -> Draft -> MLS)

Löbe: The system is pretty interesting and normal way in the USA for “students” to become professional athletes.

Lundt: The Combine has its advantages and disadvantages. From a European point of view, it’s an unusual concept to play one week in front of scouts and coaches. Then there are the interviews with the clubs. And then in addition to that, the speed and jump test. In my opinion, the one who’s the best in interviews or in the jump test mustn’t necessarily be the best soccer player. On the other hand, it’s a chance for every Combine player to get in the MLS and start their career.

Brüning: I hope that I’ll get enough chances to show my skills. But I think a lot of MLS clubs got an overview during the season. The system seems to be working quite well, because every year a lot of young college-league talents have the opportunity to get in the MLS. There are many players, whose careers would’ve been over, if they didn’t have the chance to prove themselves in college soccer.

Transfermarkt: Mr. Zaluk, which advantages or disadvantages do you see?

Zaluk: The idea is good. You have to know that the MLS pursues a balanced league. The MLS wants that every fan can get his or her hopes up about winning the MLS Cup before every season, an MLS representative told me. The MLS Combine and the drafting system help with that. The draft order in which the teams will draft the best college players will be set before every season. The order will be determined by the success or failure of the clubs in the previous season. The MLS newcomer from Cincinnati will get the No. 1 draft pick. MLS Cup Champion Atlanta United however has to pick last. That should help the weaker teams.

Transfermarkt: Would that be possible in Germany?

Zaluk: I can’t imagine this in Germany in that form. The structure and soccer system is totally different. From which pool should the players be drafted? Definitely not from the U-19 Bundesliga. I don’t think that the clubs want to develop players, just to get them drafted by other clubs. The thought in general is interesting. No one would say something against a more balanced league, I think. Maybe there’s a different way for Germany and it’ll get inspired by the MLS.

Transfermarkt: By which team do you want to be drafted?

Löbe: I’d love to get drafted by a team where I have the biggest chance to play. But because I don’t have any decisional power, I have to see what happens.

Lundt: I want to get drafted and I want to play. That’s the most important thing. But playing together with Schweinsteiger in Chicago would definitely be a dream. Chicago is one of my most favorite US cities.

Brüning: Preferably by a team that drafts me as a player they need.

Brüning: “I made my mark while playing with Hamburg and I think there would be a couple of teams interested in me.”

Transfermarkt: What happens if you won’t get drafted or get drafted, but don’t get signed to a contract?

Löbe: I don’t think about that at the moment. There are too many variables. It will be seen.

Lundt: Everyone who’s invited to the Combine should think about that. I did, and I came to the decision that I’d finish my bachelor’s degree and most likely add a trainee year to gain some experience. I’m majoring in international business and I really like it. If I get drafted, I’ll finish my degree via online courses.

Brüning: I’d try to find a club in Germany. I made my mark while playing with Hamburg and I think there would be a couple of teams interested in me.

Transfermarkt: Could you imagine staying in the US and play in one of the lower divisions (or in Canada), or would you definitely return to Germany?

Löbe: Yes, that would be possible.

Lundt: I could definitely imagine playing in Canada, because I like the project with the new league. If I’d get an offer by the USL, I’d really need to think about it. When I head into the draft, I think: Now or never. Either I get a contract, or I’ll bury my dream of becoming a professional soccer player. I’m 23 and when it won’t work out, I can say that I at least tried everything.

Brüning: No, I would return to Germany and I would try to play on the highest level possible.

Transfermarkt: Mr. Zaluk, what would you tell your players in that case?

Zaluk: The most important thing is what the player wants, what his priorities are and where he wants to play in the future. You have to take a look on the circumstances in my opinion. Do you have a MLS contract and get loaned to the USL? What’s the contract length? Are there any contract options? Or do you have an USL conctract? What are the possibilities in Germany? The boys should know what they want. Although, the USL isn’t really lucrative, you could try to play there for one or two years, to recommend yourself for the MLS. They have their bachelor’s degree, so they’re safe academically and can pursue their dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

Transfermarkt: You are playing for different universities – did you get in contact?

Löbe: I’ve got in contact with Nils, when I played against him in the National Tournament last year. I don’t know Ben personally, but I certainly heard about him.

Lundt: I’m following the careers of the other players of our agency via the social media network of the MZTA. Nils and I were at a trial with the New York Red Bulls in August.

Brüning: You meet some German players on the pitch from time to time and you usually talk with them after the game. My team played against János’ team in 2017 and Ben and I have been at a Combine with the New York Red Bulls. We’re also in contact via social media from time to time.

Lundt: “Many top notch universities have infrastructures like Bundesliga clubs.”

Transfermarkt: Why did you decide to go to the US? And why did you pick your university?

Löbe: I liked the system (university + soccer). That’s not possible in Germany, so I decided to go to the US. My brother (Jannik Löbe; editor’s note) has been in New York for a year, which made it pretty easy for me.

Lundt: After playing for four years from the U-17 to the U-23 of Hertha BSC, it was clear for me that I want to get a degree. Combining professional soccer and studying is extremely difficult in Germany. I got in touch with Martin Zaluk and he told me about studying in the United Sates. I saw that college soccer was the perfect solution for me. Many top notch universities have infrastructures like Bundesliga clubs. If you think about college soccer in Germany, you’re always skeptical about the level of performance. After my first games in the US, I saw that that level is pretty high. Playing at a high level was important to me, besides studying. Martin Zaluk showed me that he’s got some good contacts to top level universities. After I got the offer from the University of Akron, I thought: I want to compete with them for the title and I want to help them, as their goalie, by becoming one of the best university teams in the US.

Brüning: Prior to my move the US, I’ve played two years with HSV II in the Regionalliga and I’ve tried to sign a professional contract with Hamburg. After not receiving an offer, I’ve decided to move to the University of North Carolina, because I had the chance to make my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and play soccer at one of the best universities in the USA. That’s only possible with the American system. I’ve decided to join the UNC, because the Business School sf one of the best in the country and the soccer team is competing for the cup every year.

Transfermarkt: What does your daily routine look like?

Löbe: After waking up at 7:45 a.m., I get to the training. After the training, we eat breakfast with the team. After we’ve finished breakfast, we’ll visit our lectures. In the afternoon or evening it’s the same thing – training/lecture.

Lundt: Training begins at 10 a.m. I’m in the dressing room at 9 a.m. most of the time, to get ready for the upcoming unit. After the training, I got an hour to go home and cook myself some dinner or get something to eat with my teammates. After that, I’m riding my bike to my next lecture. My day at the university ends at like 7 p.m.

Brüning: The daily routine of a “student athlete” can be quite stressful, because you have to invest a lot of time in studying and soccer. If you’re training six times a week and if you have to travel a lot for your games, you most likely have some sleepless nights before exams. You’re going to your lectures in the morning, you go to your soccer practice in the afternoon and you’re doing your homework in the evening. There is not much time for other things, if you want to be successful academically and athletically.

Brüning: “You can’t ignore the development.”

Transfermarkt: Have you been following US soccer and its development before you came to the US?

Löbe: I’m following the MLS more intensive since I’ve been living in the US. You can see a boost in development of US soccer since the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Lundt: I’ve always been interested in other leagues and important players all around the world. I’ve grew up in Germany, so it has always been a dream of mine to play in the Bundesliga. I’ve never imagined playing soccer in the US, until I met Martin Zulak.

Brüning: I’ve never really grappled with US soccer before I moved to the US. But you can’t ignore the development. There are new teams joining the MLS every year and more and more players from Europe are interested in playing in the United States. I’m watching more MLS soccer now, because there are a lot of games worth watching.

Transfermarkt: Mr. Löbe, the USL League Two published a mock draft this week. You’ve been drafted by the Phildalphia Union with the fourteenth overall pick. “Draft Utopia” sees you being drafted with the twelfth overall pick by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Which scenario do you like more?

Löbe: It’s nice to see that they rate me that high. But those mock drafts are just presumptions. A lot can change. I think both teams would be very interesting and both have advantages – but with Zlatan in LA would be pretty cool.

Transfermarkt: Your dad Alexander played soccer on a professional level with Paderborn, Essen and Wattenscheid. What are his advices?

Löbe: To make it short: “Have fun, seize opportunities and be brave”.

Transfermarkt: You three are at the beginning of your careers. Where do you see yourself in five years and do you have a plan B?

Löbe: I see myself as a veteran MLS player. But with my degree from New York, I can still pursue other things.

Lundt: On the one hand, I’m sure that I can prove myself in the MLS. But on the other hand I know that you also need a bit of luck. In five years, I see myself either as a starting goalkeeper in the MLS or in a good European team. But I’m optimistic that I can get some great job perspectives with my degree.

Brüning: I see myself with a professional soccer club in five years. I have many options and a plan B, because my degree opens me many doors. But first, I’d get my master’s degree.

Transfermarkt: Mr. Zulak, where do you see yourself as an adviser in the next years? Are you happy so far?

Zulak: I’m happy with the development of the players we take care of in the US, but also with my agency. We’ve got a great standing in the US and Germany. More and more young players are interested in college soccer in the US. It became a great alternative to playing in the Ober-, Regionalliga or 3. Liga. The combination of studying, soccer and a great time in the United States cannot be beaten and as you see, getting a professional contract can happen with a second attempt. This job’s my passion and I’m sure that I will still work with young and talented players in the future. Seeing the development and joy of those players in the US, makes much fun. I’ll try to close the gap between Germany and the United States and I will help players with the execution of their plans.

Transfermarkt: Tell us a story from your soccer life.

Löbe: The development of Fordham to become one of the best eight teams in the US in the last year was fanstatic. We were placed 120-140 in the last three or four years.

Lundt: I’ve made the right decision by moving to the US. The best experience was to get to the College Cup Final, be the number two out of 200 other teams and play in front of 10,000 people in California.

Brüning: Five years ago I joined the first team of the Hamburger SV at their training camp in Indonesia. There, I had the chance to play in front of 30,000 people. I hope that I can repeat this experience.

Transfermarkt: Thank you for the interview. We keep our fingers crossed for you at the Combine and we wish you nothing but the best for your future.

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