Charlotte FC rookie Ben Bender on his World Cup hopes, favorite local fishing spots
Ben Bender cemented his name in Charlotte FC history before ever playing a match. He was the team’s first pick of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in January, but the Generation Adidas player and former University of Maryland midfielder has also quickly become an essential piece of Charlotte FC’s lineup.
Bender, 21, contributed to some of the expansion club’s biggest moments in its early history, notching three assists, tied for fourth-most in the league, and scoring one goal since appearing in each of Charlotte’s first seven matches of its inaugural season.
He spoke with The Observer about adapting to the pros, Charlotte FC’s playoff hopes and an upcoming away stretch starting against New England.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Alex Andrejev: Charlotte FC is seven games into the season and you’ve started most of them. What have you found is the biggest difference between the collegiate and professional level?
Ben Bender: The biggest difference I’d say is the speed of play. Everyone out here is just super athletic and fast, and you just have to be on top of your game at every second. I felt like I could take a couple of breaks while playing in college, but out here, everyone wants to be the best and everyone wants to win, so it’s tough.
AA: When you made your first start against Atlanta, there was a moment when you got bodied by an opposing player and flew out to the sidelines …
BB: Well there was one in the first game where I got bodied, and then this past game, my first couple touches, I had to get into the game. I think my third touch, I was a little bit off-balance. After those two or three touches, I felt good. I got those off my shoulder. It was smooth sailing.
AA: Is it just about getting used to the physicality of the league?
BB: Yeah, I think the physicality, too, there are just so many strong guys. I can remember in preseason the first couple weeks, I feel like I got run over by some of the center backs like (Christian) Fuchs and Guzmán (Corujo). They’re really strong and I just wasn’t really prepared for that. Working out and just being around guys that are bigger, stronger, faster and better than you, you have to adapt and I think I’ve slowly gotten better at that.
AA: What’s been the feedback from your family? We spoke before about your brother, Jacob Bender, who played for a stint for Charlotte (Independence). Have they come to games and what’s the reaction been?
BB: They try to get down as much as possible. My dad has gotten down to every home game and he sits right (at the east corner/side of the supporters section) so it’s pretty cool to see him every home game. My brothers and my mom have gotten down. Their feedback has been really good, wise. I had a couple of assists and a goal and they’ve told me not to get too high and not to get too low, and that soccer’s not your identity. Just work hard. They get really excited when I do well, but they’re not overly excited and I think that’s really good to have from my family.
AA: You’re not on social media, so how aware are you of the fan reaction to this team, you being a SuperDraft pick and starting matches and making an early impact? Have you noticed the hype?
BB: Yeah, I think I have. I guess because I’m young, I came from college and I’ve had the opportunity to start and play pretty well, I think I have felt that fan reaction. It’s been awesome and their support has been amazing so far. We’re just going to try to continue to win for them.
AA: Any words or feedback from your Maryland teammates?
BB: Yeah, a little bit. They keep up with MLS now and some of them came to the D.C. United game when I made my debut, so that was really cool to see all them there supporting the guys and supporting me.
AA: Jordy (Alcívar) said that he practiced the corner kick with you before he scored his Olimpico. Was that something you guys said you wanted to practice? Where did that come from?
BB: (Laughs) Well I don’t know if Jordy actually meant to do that, but he does have a really good whip on the ball. But maybe he did. I don’t want to say yes or no, but all I know is that it was amazing and I’m happy for Jordy. Sometimes we practice different things and maybe he’ll end up practicing that because he pulled it off in a game, but we do a bunch of different stuff for set pieces.
AA: But that’s not something you guys specifically practiced?
BB: It’s not something the coaches prepared for us to train (doing), but it’s something that Jordy messes around with once in a while.
AA: You’ve said before that your preferred position is as a box-to-box midfielder. You’ve been shading more as a winger in this system. What have you seen your role being on this team? How do you think that will change with Kamil (Jóźwiak) coming in?
BB: I still think of myself as a box-to-box midfielder, because I’m not super fast, but I’m fit and I can continue to run. I’m trying to work defensively and offensively. I don’t know how it’s gonna change with Kamil. I know he’s a really dynamic winger, so maybe we move back to a 4-3-3 and move back to a high and wide wingers and then maybe I can continue to be an 8/10, where I still run a lot in the midfield and maybe play him through-balls. Whatever my role is, I’m gonna try to do my best. If it’s to continue in that 4-4-2 diamond and shoot out to the wing, and make runs there and help the team, I’m gonna continue to do that. Wherever Miguel sees me.
AA: We also spoke previously about your USMNT hopes. What do you feel like your chances are of making the team? Have you been watching the matches leading up to Qatar?
BB: I’ve watched a lot of games leading up to Qatar, but I really don’t see myself having any chance of being on that roster. That’d be insane to make that roster. I think I need a lot more time to get better and sharpen my game and continue to work hard, and be at this level for a little while, but yeah, that’d be amazing.
AA: Not necessarily Qatar, but do you think it’s realistic to target a post-World Cup camp.
BB: Yeah, I think so. I’m just trying to work as hard as possible now so I can get to that.
AA: What have the conversations among the team been like in preparation for this stretch of away matches?
BB: We really talk one game at a time, so before Atlanta we were focused on Atlanta and now I guess we’re gonna start New England, and then Colorado and then Orlando, so we take it one game at a time. We know we haven’t won on the road, so this is super important for us to try to get some things going on the road, because it’s definitely more difficult and we won’t have the support of our fans in full force, but I think it’s super important for us to try to get that first win away against New England.
AA: Earlier we talked about how you liked the outdoors and you said you were looking forward to exploring that part of Charlotte. Have you done any outdoor exploring? What have you liked?
BB: Just this past week I actually got out to Linville Gorge. I didn’t catch any fish in the river. I was a little bit bummed about that, but the view was amazing and the hike was amazing. And then I went to Crowders (Mountain). I didn’t hike the mountain, but I fished in the lake near there and I caught a bunch of spotted bass, so that was super exciting for me. And then yesterday I went to Lake Norman a bit and caught a bunch of fish. I know I was talking about that and I wanted to go out west a little bit and still want to go to Asheville, but I’ve really enjoyed the city of Charlotte and the stuff there is to do around it.
AA: What are your goals for the season?
BB: I guess I like to think more about the team over my personal goals, so I want to make the playoffs with the team and hopefully make a run in the playoffs. That’s my biggest goal.
AA: Is that something the team is constantly talking about in the locker room? Is there a playoff poster or anything like that?
BB: No, we don’t really have anything like that, but every once in a while someone will say something like, ‘We’ve gotta be top seven in the conference, so these are really important (games).’ Especially (goalkeeper Kristijan) Kahlina. He’s talked about how important it is to get these home wins, because if we don’t get ‘em here, we know it’s gonna be harder on the road, so every three points matters.
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
