Cool story on future (?) USMNT forward

[Sean Miller Fan]

Bernard Kamungo scored a beauiful goal tonight for FC Dallas vs Miami and his background story told by the announcers was one I've never heard before.

He was born and raised in a refugee camp in Tanzania so obviously never played organized soccer. His family was able to move to Abilene, TX at age 14 thanks to a charity. His family couldn't afford for him to play "pay for play" club soccer so he only played middle school and high school soccer. Then his brother pays his $90 tryout fee for North Texas SC in MLS Next Pro during the winter of his senior year of HS. He makes the team, scores 22 goals in 51 games, is signed to FC Dallas and has 4 goals since July 1.

He is 21 and you wonder if a kid like this, who has never had any real soccer training could blossom into that big goal scorer we need. Not sure how much longer he has to wait for citizenship exactly but this is a kid to keep an eye on.

Bernard Kamungo: How a Tanzanian Refugee reached FC Dallas and MLS | North Texas SC

The latest news, scores, highlights and stats from FC Dallas.

www.fcdallas.com

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Bernard Kamungo scored a beauiful goal tonight for FC Dallas vs Miami and his background story told by the announcers was one I've never heard

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

View embedded media

Looks like the U15 boys have a similar schedule as the USWNT.

BTW, the FC Dallas kid that post was about played foe Tanzania a few months ago so I dont think he can switch

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

BTW, the FC Dallas kid that post was about played foe Tanzania a few months ago so I dont think he can switch

If he wasn't eligible to play for the US before he played that game (and it seems unlikely that he was) then he cannot switch to the US. On the other hand, if he was eligible to play for the US before he played for Tanzania then he would still be eligible for a one time switch.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

If he wasn't eligible to play for the US before he played that game (and it seems unlikely that he was) then he cannot switch to the US. On the other hand, if he was eligible to play for the US before he played for Tanzania then he would still be eligible for a one time switch.

I doubt he's a US citizen yet so he wouldn't have been eligible. If he was, I dont think he could have made a 1 time switch if he played a competitive match for Tanzania

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I doubt he's a US citizen yet so he wouldn't have been eligible. If he was, I dont think he could have made a 1 time switch if he played a competitive match for Tanzania

Yes, he could have, because of his age. When you are eligible to play for more than one country you are not locked into a nation until you are 22 years old OR you have played three "high level" matches. High level meaning a World Cup or a confederation championship or something like that.

But I agree, it seems highly unlikely that he was eligible to play for the US prior to this summer, and if he was not he couldn't switch to the US now even if he did become a citizen.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yes, he could have, because of his age. When you are eligible to play for more than one country you are not locked into a nation until you are 22 years old OR you have played three "high level" matches. High level meaning a World Cup or a confederation championship or something like that.

But I agree, it seems highly unlikely that he was eligible to play for the US prior to this summer, and if he was not he couldn't switch to the US now even if he did become a citizen.

He was born in Tanzania in a refugee camp so in doing a little Googling, I am guessing his parents are from either Congo or Tanzania. Tanzania soccer sucks but Congo has a shot to make the WC with Africa getting 8 or 9 bids so I wonder if he'd switch. But I dont know under what circumstances they fled or if he'd want to represent that country. Still seems like someone in the US camp should have told him to hold off on playing for Tanzania until after he became an American citizen to see where he is then. I know its just 1 game, but he looked better than Ferreira.

 

[brdst11]

He was born in Tanzania in a refugee camp so in doing a little Googling, I am guessing his parents are from either Congo or Tanzania. Tanzania soccer sucks but Congo has a shot to make the WC with Africa getting 8 or 9 bids so I wonder if he'd switch. But I dont know under what circumstances they fled or if he'd want to represent that country. Still seems like someone in the US camp should have told him to hold off on playing for Tanzania until after he became an American citizen to see where he is then. I know its just 1 game, but he looked better than Ferreira.

Unless I'm looking at the wrong game or missing something, I don't see him listed in the game report, even as an unused sub

 

[brdst11]

I doubt he's a US citizen yet so he wouldn't have been eligible. If he was, I dont think he could have made a 1 time switch if he played a competitive match for Tanzania

According to this he's been a US citizen since 2022

Bernard Kamungo Called into National Team Duty for Tanzania | FC Dallas

FC Dallas first team players have earned 13 MoneyGram international call-ups during the 2023 season

www.fcdallas.com

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Unless I'm looking at the wrong game or missing something, I don't see him listed in the game report, even as an unused sub

Yea, me neither so that's weird. Maybe the USMNT got to him after it was announced and asked him to wait. I dont think this kid is a savior for the USMNT but FK always says strikers develop late. Well this is a kid who didn't even play "real soccer" until he was 18. I dont think I've ever heard of pro who hadn't played club soccer.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Yea, me neither so that's weird. Maybe the USMNT got to him after it was announced and asked him to wait. I dont think this kid is a savior for the USMNT but FK always says strikers develop late. Well this is a kid who didn't even play "real soccer" until he was 18. I dont think I've ever heard of pro who hadn't played club soccer.

Not always but yeah. There’s this guy called Erling Haaland. Hes 23 and has scored a goal or two.

Just had always striken me as the goaltender position in hockey, where guys develop over time.

I was going to post this the other day…you just don’t see this kind of talent from someone who hasn’t played. An athlete doesn’t normally walk on a soccer field and dominate, let alone perform. I think with boys it’s different because they mature and develop later than girls. Perhaps it’s easier for a 16 year old boy to rapidly develop a game. I could never see this happening with a girl. Frannie Crouse from GCC is the only profile of a player that I can think of, except Frannie played soccer her whole life. But she was a girl who never really developed her skills and her game, instead relying on her speed to impact games. She parlayed that into a scholarship at PSU, scored like 50- 60 goals there, maybe had a few YNT caps along the way and was drafted into the NWSL. She was all speed and if someone comes around who is that fast, they could probably develop into a good player in a couple years. But again, probably easier for a boy to do it. That’s my theory.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Not always but yeah. There’s this guy called Erling Haaland. Hes 23 and has scored a goal or two.

Just had always striken me as the goaltender position in hockey, where guys develop over time.

I was going to post this the other day…you just don’t see this kind of talent from someone who hasn’t played. An athlete doesn’t normally walk on a soccer field and dominate, let alone perform. I think with boys it’s different because they mature and develop later than girls. Perhaps it’s easier for a 16 year old boy to rapidly develop a game. I could never see this happening with a girl. Frannie Crouse from GCC is the only profile of a player that I can think of, except Frannie played soccer her whole life. But she was a girl who never really developed her skills and her game, instead relying on her speed to impact games. She parlayed that into a scholarship at PSU, scored like 50- 60 goals there, maybe had a few YNT caps along the way and was drafted into the NWSL. She was all speed and if someone comes around who is that fast, they could probably develop into a good player in a couple years. But again, probably easier for a boy to do it. That’s my theory.

Well, he did play soccer his whole life, just not organized. Probably played every day at the refugee camp. But when he moved to the US, its surprising he didnt play club soccer and only played for the school.....and that would be an August to late October season only I'm guessing. I'd also guess he didn't have any D1 offers or maybe not even D2 offers. So definitely a late developer

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Well, he did play soccer his whole life, just not organized. Probably played every day at the refugee camp. But when he moved to the US, its surprising he didnt play club soccer and only played for the school.....and that would be an August to late October season only I'm guessing. I'd also guess he didn't have any D1 offers or maybe not even D2 offers. So definitely a late developer

That’s really an inspirational story. Would love to see things work out for him. Hollywood awaits. I’m being serious here.

 

[Pitt79]

Bernard Kamungo scored a beauiful goal tonight for FC Dallas vs Miami and his background story told by the announcers was one I've never heard before.

He was born and raised in a refugee camp in Tanzania so obviously never played organized soccer. His family was able to move to Abilene, TX at age 14 thanks to a charity. His family couldn't afford for him to play "pay for play" club soccer so he only played middle school and high school soccer. Then his brother pays his $90 tryout fee for North Texas SC in MLS Next Pro during the winter of his senior year of HS. He makes the team, scores 22 goals in 51 games, is signed to FC Dallas and has 4 goals since July 1.

He is 21 and you wonder if a kid like this, who has never had any real soccer training could blossom into that big goal scorer we need. Not sure how much longer he has to wait for citizenship exactly but this is a kid to keep an eye on.

Bernard Kamungo: How a Tanzanian Refugee reached FC Dallas and MLS | North Texas SC

The latest news, scores, highlights and stats from FC Dallas.

www.fcdallas.com

So he didn't need to be at some special club to be good? I saw that all the time following my daughter's soccer "career" players that played rec league or low level clubs, being better than kids who's parents paid $10k a year for the special club.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

So he didn't need to be at some special club to be good? I saw that all the time following my daughter's soccer "career" players that played rec league or low level clubs, being better than kids who's parents paid $10k a year for the special club.

He's like the only one.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

So he didn't need to be at some special club to be good? I saw that all the time following my daughter's soccer "career" players that played rec league or low level clubs, being better than kids who's parents paid $10k a year for the special club.

There might be players who find their way into big clubs who suck. There’s nepotism and money and things like that. But there’s rarely players on low level teams who are any good.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

There might be players who find their way into big clubs who suck. There’s nepotism

Like Barron Trump at DC United?

 

[Pitt79]

He's like the only one.

The only only one to reach that level maybe, but at the lower levels there are kids who play on good club teams that aren't as good as some of the kids that just play high school.

 

[Pitt79]

There might be players who find their way into big clubs who suck. There’s nepotism and money and things like that. But there’s rarely players on low level teams who are any good.

I guess it depends on how you define good. My daughter played on lower-level teams, beat out some kids that played on high level teams like Maryland United and Celtic for all conference in high school and she played in college. No, she was never a contender to go any further than that, but I know for a fact she went further than some kids I know where at bigger more serious clubs.

 

[Pitt79]

Like Barron Trump at DC United?

Seriously? he's like 6-7, does he play soccer?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Seriously? he's like 6-7, does he play soccer?

Yea. He played at DC United and then Arlington SA. Now he plays for his private HS in Florida. Not sure he plays club anymore.