ASN: After rising at Wolfsburg, Paredes hopes to make worldwide breakthrough this summer time

ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke at size with Wolfsburg and U.S. U-20 winger Kevin Paredes from Marbella about his development this season in Germany and his upcoming worldwide targets. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
March 30, 2023
5:05 PM

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WHENEVER YOUNG AMERICAN gamers make the transfer overseas, there may be usually all the time a interval of adjustment, each on the sphere and off the sphere. For some gamers, the adjustment is straightforward whereas others by no means are in a position to overcome the cultural variations or the brand new on-field calls for.

For Kevin Paredes, the reply lies someplace within the center. In January 2022, he made the transfer from DC United to Wolfsburg within the Bundesliga. His first six months in Germany had been robust. Within the midst of attempting to suit into certainly one of Europe’s high 5 leagues, he was additionally compelled into studying fundamental life abilities.

“I spent 18 years of my life living with my parents at home,” Paredes informed ASN. “Anything I needed, I could just go to the next door and just say: hey, mom, I need help. When you move to this new environment where you’re all by yourself and you don’t know how to cook and you don’t know how to do your laundry that well, it’s is definitely tough. I left my family behind. Even though they’re always with me, I left my family behind. When I wasn’t getting as much time as I wanted to play, I couldn’t go to the next room and put my shoulder around my mom or something like that.”

Flash ahead to March 2023, Paredes is each a special participant and particular person. On the sphere he’s a daily for Wolfsburg having made 16 Bundesliga appearances the place he has usually been the group’s first offensive substitute – together with scoring his first Bundesliga purpose on January 28.

19-year-old Wolfsburg and USMNT defender Kevin Paredes scores his first Bundesliga purpose! ???? pic.twitter.com/RwdxjMWgdJ

— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) January 28, 2023

Off the sphere, he’s a mentor and a buddy to a number of younger American gamers who’ve additionally not too long ago made the bounce overseas and who’re additionally going by way of the identical struggles he confronted in 2022. The whole expertise has made him extra mature.

“I’m grateful to have had that experience because it toughened me mentally and it started helping me become a more independent young man,” Paredes added about his preliminary struggles in Germany. “Throughout all those experience the first six months, I’m glad that I got to experience all of that because it is helping me strive this season, because I know how to stay mentally stronger in certain points and physically strong in certain points in my journey so far.”

There are presently 9 weeks remaining within the Bundesliga season and Wolfsburg sits on the cusp of qualifying for a European competitors subsequent season. The highest six groups qualify, and Wolfsburg are in seventh place – two factors behind sixth place Eintracht Frankfurt for a spot within the UEFA Convention League.

Along with merely maturing, one more reason Paredes can be thriving at Wolfsburg this season is because of head coach Niko Kovac who was employed final summer time following the dismissal of former head coach Florian Kohfeldt. Beneath the previous Croatian worldwide, Padres has discovered a supervisor who believes in him and has given him a job with plenty of freedom on the wing – one thing that’s necessary to Paredes.

“When my second season came with a new coach, during the preseason I took strides,” Paredes said. “The coaches and the players have full confidence in me to either start a game at this point, or to come in at any time in the game and do my job. Now they’re starting to allow me to be the player that everyone knows I am – a creative player to go up and down, create for the team. When you have that freedom at a top club like Wolfsburg, it just gives you more confidence to go out there every game and just continue to play freely.”

Along with his success at Wolfsburg, Paredes is opening doorways internationally with the USA as effectively. This summer time there may very well be quite a lot of alternatives for the Virginia native however the whole lot remains to be up within the air.

Paredes, 19, is taken into account one of many high teenage American gamers and he not too long ago performed with the U.S. U-20 camp in the course of the March window. That group is getting ready for the U-20 World Cup which is scheduled to open Could twentieth.

The problem for Paredes, nevertheless, is that the Bundesliga season is scheduled to run by way of Could twenty eighth and Wolfsburg must voluntarily permit Paredes to overlook both one or two of their ultimate video games of the season for him to participate within the U-20 World Cup.

“It would mean a lot,” Paredes mentioned in regards to the U-20 World Cup. “My focus is always to play in the World Cup. To play for the U.S in a World Cup is something that I dreamed of forever. It’s not going to be up to me in the end. It’s going to be something that we just have to see. But either way, I’m going to be supporting the group. If I’m there or not, I’m going to be supporting the group and hoping the U.S. is going to go all the way.”

U.S. U-20 head coach Mikey Varas in the meantime is hoping that Paredes will probably be launched by Wolfsburg however he admits he’s nonetheless undecided if it should occur.

“For the World Cup, it’s still an ongoing discussion with all clubs,” Varas mentioned. “I think in Europe, all of them have a philosophical structure but they all have different philosophical structures. Some clubs are going to release no matter what, because they prioritize the players value going up over anything else. And some clubs prioritize the fact that they need to qualify for Europe or they need to finish a certain place in the table. All of them do, obviously, but where they prioritize that will tell the final story of who we get from Europe.”

But when Paredes isn’t launched by Wolfsburg for the U.S. U-20 group, he might characteristic for the total nationwide group this summer time in both the Nations League or the Gold Cup. Such a launch could be necessary. U.S. interim head coach Anthony Hudson mentioned Paredes was on the cusp of being known as into the total nationwide group this previous window however was left off in favor of extra skilled gamers. However he then added Paredes might characteristic this summer time.

“We’ve been watching him closely,” Hudson mentioned of Paredes. “If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to get an opportunity. He’s doing really, really well.”

“He’s a really interesting player,” Hudson added. “We value him highly. He’s right on the edge. And again, he’s one where I can see with the amount of programing we have coming up and how we’re going to have to balance the squad, he’ll get an opportunity for sure.”

Apart from visiting household in Virginia and within the Dominican Republic and likewise attending a DC United recreation, Paredes doesn’t but know his summer time plans. He’s hoping, nevertheless, the U-20 World Cup alternative presents itself.

The latest U-20 camp in Spain noticed the U.S. submit losses to France and England earlier than a scoreless draw finale in opposition to Serbia. Paredes performed left wing in opposition to France after which shifted to proper wing in opposition to England the place he scored a scissor-kick purpose in a 4-2 loss.

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— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) March 26, 2023

Regardless of the outcomes, Paredes thought the group performed effectively and with higher ending, the group ought to be capable of compete effectively on the U-20 World Cup.

“What I’ve seen so far from all the guys in the group, they’re very talented, hardworking guys,” Paredes defined. “And what Mikey brings to the table is bringing all of us together with a really good culture – a really good brotherhood.”

“I was really happy when Mikey called me to put me in this group right before the final preparation before the actual World Cup,” he continued. “The games weren’t actually what the final scores say… We just didn’t put our chances away. When you play top teams like this, and we do that, they win. But I’m not worried about those results for the World Cup because of what we displayed. Our football is exciting football and if we just connect a few pieces, I think we can really, really surprise everyone.”