Welcome in.
It's time for another one v one on the SDH network. I'm Jason Longshore and today I'm joined by brand new Carolina core attacker Anthony Sumo Junior. Anthony, thanks for taking some time for us today.
Thank you so much for having me in. Jason, I'm grateful to be here.
I've known you for a long time through your exploits in UPSL Georgia and the NPSL with Apathios. How did everything come about for you to end up in MLS next Pro with Carolina this year?
First of all, before I say anything, I just want to say I'm grateful and thankful to God because he is him in the strength and the perseverance to be able to get through all the obstacles that was in a way, and looking back at it, it's just been hard work and putting my faith in God. Just hard work and working hard. Like because Bruno, which you know, he always told me, hey, everybody has talent, everybody can pass the ball, everybody can drive the ball.
Is whoever wants that the most, that's who's going to get it.
So he told me, he is like, hey, before you get out of here, you got to you gotta be the difference. You have to score, you have to score goals, you have to assist goals, you have to do those things. If you're not doing these things here, what makes you think you're going to do at the next level.
So yeah, that level of consistency that is always that challenge going from one level to the next. How much has that journey that has been not a crazy long one, but a time where you've been a consistent goal scorer in UPSL, You've been a consistent goal scorer for KSA And how does that make you a better player today?
It's just being consistent.
I think playing football, if you want to be a professional, you have to be consistent.
That's what separate you from the other people.
Because Bruno always told me, hey, if you're not scoring two or three goals every game, I don't think you're.
Gonna go anywhere.
So the moment you realize that you start scoring two three goals in a game, then we can start talking about other places.
So, yeah, you mentioned Bruno Kolangi a few times. How important has he been in your career?
He's well, he was one of the reasons that I'm still playing soccer today because when I moved across country from like Bear to the United States.
Life got very hard.
It was very difficult, and putting my faith in God, praying and trusting in him that stuff is going to happen. Because Brunan brought me into his home, He brought me into his family. He took care of me, He mentored me, he taught me things, and he just kept me consistent. He always reminded me to train hard. He always reminded me too, to work harder than other people. He always reminded me to not listen to what other people are saying, just do just work hard. Yeah, he has been a mentor,
a mentor or father. He's been like everything to me. So I'm very grateful and I'm very thankful to him for helping me, for helping me grow, helping me develop.
And Yeah, I think something that has really stuck out to me over the past maybe twelve months and watching your game and watching your team play, is how much more complete you have gotten over the last year or so. You know, you've always been a goal scorer, no problem with that, but the runs off the ball, the pressure defensively creating opportunities for others. Has that been kind of a focal point for you or is it something that just comes with experience playing at a good level.
I think it's many things. I think experience I think is for example, my dad played professional soccer and growing up he always told me, hey, you were born to score goals. He was born to play soccer. Just go and play. You're going to figure it out. You came from a professional soccer family. You're going to figure it out. And I always been that type of player. Whenever I go into an environment, I've been a great player always.
But you have to fight for your spot. You have to show to whoever it is, that's that's the coach, assistant coach that And it was like that a kiss when I went there. There was many great players in KSA, and I was. There's a few times I was on the bench and Bruno would tell me, hey, if you can't like you're a great player, you're talented, but when you step on the field, you've got to be a difference.
If you're not. If you cannot be a difference, it's not gonna work.
I think one of the elements of KSA and the way the club has come together at the pro profile level and UPSL you know, you've had the chance to play next to quite a few guys who have played professionally at a good level. But you know, lately, I look at guys like Junior sound of All and Kareem Tamimi, two guys that I've known for a long time that I've seen their games develop. How much did you learn from guys like that who have been in your shoes now to help get you here?
A lot?
Like just being in that environment training every day with these guys joining Son Devar, Yosef sam or Muhammad Grant. The lists go on and on Lagos, there's I can like, there's a lot of people.
There's a lot of guys. It's just like just speaking to them in practice every day.
And I'm going back to Bruno because he would like he told me, hey, don't just sit with these people and just chat with them and be friends with them. Ask them questions, ask them hey, or what are the reasons that you're here right now?
Like what can I do to move to the next level?
Because they all have been there, they all know what it's like to be there, and yeah, they're all help me develop my game. They're all help me in training. They'll all help me in practice games, whatever it was. They were all communicating with me and telling me, hey, what you need to do to move up to get
to the next level. So yeah, I'm grateful and thankful for these guys because Kisse provided that environment, that professional environment where I was able to go there and train hard every day from Monday to Thursday, sometimes Monday to Friday. We lived a life of a professional at Kids. And there's many, many, many many more players like me there, and.
There's gonna be many of those who are going to get these kind of opportunities as well. Now you're in North Carolina and you're with a club that really turned a lot of heads in MLS Next Pro last season in their first year, a club that has a great fan base and kind of a unique spot in the league being an independent club in the league with a lot of second teams. You know, what do you know already about Carolina Core? And how excited are you to represent the club in front of that fan base.
First of all, I'm excited to be here.
I'm grateful and thankful to God for giving me this opportunity. Through the coaches and the training stopped down to the kid man everybody else, And I'm grateful for Eddie Pope for giving the opportun need to even be in this situation. He spoke to my agent, Lucini shout out to pro U Sports and they spoke about me and coming and they invited me over at the preseason when I first landed here.
I love the environment. The players.
Eddie Pope played in the MLS. He's a center back, He's a legend. Donovan Ricketts, like, come on, Andy Williams a model Cuvera like. The list goes on and on. I look up these people when I got to the apartments and I was amazed. I was like, I'm I'm going to be in an environment full of people that play the game at a high level, Like whatever, what environment do you want to be?
Like?
That is a gift. So just being here learning from them. When I first came here, I'm a natural winger and they signed me as a striker. Just being there for a week, just talking to Andy, talking to Donovan, I've learned so much in in just a week from them. So I'm grateful for the opportunity to just be here. The players are amazing, the coaching staff, the kid man, the trainers, everybody are great people. They're welcome me and they're all happy that I'm here. So there's no other place.
Great stadium, great fan base, great facilities, And like Jason, like I can't be more grateful, I can't be more grateful and more thankful, Like I remember praying to God and all I will ask God for. Hey, God, I just can you please just put me in a put me in a position where people are gonna care about me moving forward with my professional career and in life. Because football, all the time, it's not just by kicking
the ball around. There's so many other sides to it. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, All those different aspects comes into me playing. So yeah, I'm so grateful that I'm able to be here. And thanks to God. I pray every day and thank Him every day.
Every day.
I'm thanking when I walk into the facility and I walk into the locker room and I walk them through the fib But I'm excited to show up to the fens and I'm excited to help them win, and I'm excited to score goals.
Yes, I think that's one of the cool things for you, being such a student of the game. And having learned from your previous experiences to go now into a situation where I mean the guys that you just mentioned, Donovan Ricketts, Andy Williams, Amado Guevara, Eddie Pope, you're talking about some of the legends of legends in playing soccer, professional lands, country and all the lessons that they're going to provide
to you. I think the other aspect that's going to be really cool for you getting to know the program and knowing Eddie Pope and what he's done in the community and the foundation that he runs. You know, you're going to be a role model. You know, what kind of things do you when you get the chance to talk to kids who are wanting to be you down the line, what are the kind of things that you mentioned to them.
I used to sing this song when I was little in church. I'm a Christian man and I always use a sing when Jesus say yes, no man can say no. And Cami moved migrating from Liberrier to the United States. Life are very difficult and not having paperwork, not having so many things. I was putting the uncomfortable situation in a difficult situation. When I graduated high school, South Whennette.
I was one of the best player in the county and I had a lot of colleges after me, but I couldn't achieve my dreams because I had nothing.
So I can. What I would tell kids is put your.
Faith in God, work hard, and you're going to be like me, because that's all I did. If I can do it, they all can do it. Just trust in God and work hard every day. Because I was working hard every day. I was running miles, I was sprinting even I never knew what was at me. I was one of those players that would go to training every day and knew that I didn't have papers to sign a contract, so I was just there just to be there. But I never give up. I never give up on
my dreams. And with the help of Bruno Kalunji, he stayed with me. He taught me. He was on my back every day. Anthony, do not give up on your dreams. He is like your star. Just keep working hard, keep praying to God and keep working hard. So my message to all the kids out there, all the kids in the upsl all the kids everywhere, I can say I Colunggisak Academy. Never give up on your dreams, keep working hard, keep fighting, It's gonna happen. Like, look at me, I'm
in this situation right now. It's like a dream come true because if you look at me a year ago, two years ago, like I would never have thought I would be in this position because of the situation that I was in.
But if I can do it, I think anybody can do it.
I'm really happy for all your success, man, and I'm really glad you ended up in a great spot that I think suits you really really well. Best of luck this season. We're gonna be following it. We follow Carolina Core a lot here on the SDH Network, and we'll see you when you're back here in Kennesaw to face Atlanta United too later in the season.
Thank you, thanks for the time, Thank you, thank you. I'm excited to see you guys. Dude, thank you.