Q & A with Minnesota U-20 National Team Goalkeeper Cody Cropper

Cody Cropper

IMS caught up with Minnesota goalkeeper Cody Cropper on Sunday morning. Cropper had just finished a few days R & R with his father Joe who lives in Atlanta, GA. after nearly two weeks of training with the US U-20 National Team in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It was the team’s last tune-up before the CONCACAF U-20 tournament in late March where all four semifinalists will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup which will be held July 29 through August 20, in Colombia.

IMS asked Cropper about the players on that U-20 National Team and about the coaching change for his club team Ipswich Town FC. Cody’s old manager, Roy Keene, was let go on January 7th and the club brought in Paul Jewell on January 10.

IMS: Cody, you just finished nearly 2 weeks of training with the U-20 National Team. Not only did I read from many soccer journalists that the team was looking very good but I’ve also talked to Manny Lagos (Minnesota Stars Head Coach) who said he and most of the coaches down there for the MLS SuperDraft were very impressed with the group of players in camp in what many are saying is the deepest U-20 team the US has ever rostered.

Cropper: We’ve got a lot of talent on this team. We’ve got talented players, hard working players, players that can come in and add a spark. We’ve got every kind of player that we need to win. It’s a really good group of guys.

IMS: This core group of players that U-20 coach Thomas Rongen brought in for this camp have now been in 3 or 4 camps together. I would think the chemistry of the group is good and the team is gelling?

Cropper: A lot of the players on this team I’ve known since I was 15 (Cody turns 18 in February) because of my time at residency. Even the players that I wasn’t at Bradenton with, there’s still great chemistry between us because it seems we’ve all played together at some point over the last several years. There’s not one person on the roster who’s coming into the camp that didn’t know the rest of the group somehow. There’s Perry Kitchen and Zarek Valentin who’ve played together at Akron. Me and Perry have played together in residency. So there’s all these different circles of players and they’re all starting to connect. It’s working out great and the chemistry between everyone is very good.

IMS: So when will the team get together again?

Cropper: It will be for the (FIFA U-20 World Cup) qualifiers in Guatemala which is at the end of March.

IMS: Has the Federation told anyone who will be on that roster?

Cropper: They haven’t announced the rosters yet.

IMS: It seems like you and Zac MacMath have the number 1 and 2 goalkeeper spots lined up but the number 3 spot, if they take three keepers, still seems to be open?

Cropper: There’s a group of about 5 really good U.S. goalkeepers in the U-20 cycle. There’s always competition and there needs to be competition to push each other.

IMS: There can only be one goalkeeper on the field at one time so I assume it can get pretty competitive. How’s your relationship with MacMath?

Cropper: It’s actually really good. He’s older and more experienced than me so he has that over me. He’s been playing with the National Team for so long that he’s got the hang of it. But it doesn’t matter if he’s better than me, not better than me or if he’s the number one. Off the field we’re friends but when we step on the field that number one spot is in my crosshairs. That’s how I was raised; to fight for what I want and that’s what I want, the number one spot.

IMS: Was there a lot of excitement in this camp with the MLS SuperDraft taking place while you were gathered and four players in camp all expected to go high in the draft?

Cropper: Yeah, we were talking about it a lot. There was Omar Salgado, Perry Kitchen, Zarek Valentin and Zac MacMath all who went in the first 5 picks which is great. I think that shows the quality of our U-20 team. We have on this team some of the best young players country.

IMS: Did  you get a chance to watch the SuperDraft?

Cropper: No, I didn’t. We were traveling that day.

IMS: So where are you today?

Cropper: I’m with my dad in Atlanta. Ipswich gave me a few days on the end of my time with the National Team to spend some time with my dad. I’m heading to the airport right now to fly back to England.

IMS: While you were gone from England your team, Ipswich Town FC, have let Roy Keane go as manager and have brought in Paul Jewel. This is the first time you’ve gone through a managerial change. I would imagine that’s a bit difficult because there is uncertainty there?

Cropper: Yeah, Paul Jewel is the new manager and from what I’ve heard I think that’s the right decision. He was brought in last week. Either way, if it’s Roy Keane or Paul Jewel I still have to prove myself. I haven’t done enough yet to make a first team debut or to even be on the bench. So I still have to develop myself. There’s nothing that I can’t improve on.

IMS: I’m sure you’ve been in contact with the boys back at the club. What was the general mood after Ipswich defeated Arsenal (1-0) in that Carling Cup game?

Cropper: We still didn’t have a manager then either. I think a lot of the first team players, the senior pros, showed their professionalism. It’s life and you have to roll with the punches and deal with it. You have to play with your heart on your sleeve even if you don’t have a manager or you have personal issues going on in your life – you still have to play.

IMS: So what happens now?

Cropper: I land tomorrow morning and then I’ll spend a day with my grandmother. From there I’ll go back to Ipswich and have training on Wednesday. Our next game is this coming weekend and we play Arsenal’s U-18 team.