Bridges catches up with McKenzie

Bridges defender Rauwshan McKenzie has spent this season with last year’s MLS Cup Champions, Real Salt Lake.  Originally from Chicago, the Michigan State Spartan has found himself getting both experience and minutes with his new club.  BFC had the chance to sit down with McKenzie and ask him some questions.

BFC: How are things going for you this season?

RM: Things have been great so far this season. I have gotten a few starts and the team is playing very strongly this year. I have continued to learn and improve my abilities on and off the soccer field.

BFC: What has the transition to a new team been like?

RM: To be honest I didn’t know what to expect with my new team and at first I was a little nervous. When i got to meet everyone and began to train with the team all of the nervousness went away. There is a great structure and great people throughout the whole RSL organization which made the transition very easy for me.

BFC: What is your favorite part of this years team?

RM: My favorite part of the year so far has been the break we had during the World Cup. I had a couple of days to rest my body and also got to enjoy some wonderful soccer matches at the same time.

BFC: What are your favorite things to do in the new city?

RM: I have really enjoyed the mountains here. I would say that my favorite thing to do is take my dog Lola hiking and to the amazing dog parks they have here.

BFC: What do you miss from Chicago?

I miss the big city and all my friends and family back home. It’s really hard for me to sometimes go months without seeing my family because they mean so much to me.

BFC: Off season plans?

RM: During the off season I definitely plan on returning to Chicago around the holidays for a couple weeks to visit and also prepare for next years season. I also plan on just taking some time off to recover from a long season. I might try to go on a mini vacation if I can somehow fit it in with the limited time off. We qualified for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League so we will have to report back sometime in January.