Q&A with Queen City Mutiny soccer player Ayden Krause
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Ayden Krause has been focused on performing at an elite level since joining the Highland Football Club at 9 years old. He moved up to a starting position on the highest level team in the club (HFC Red). He played varsity soccer for Asheville High School his freshman year as one of the youngest members of the team – scoring 3 goals in his debut match.
In 2021, Ayden was selected to play for Queen City Mutiny – a development team for US Major League Soccer (MLS). Ayden hopes this Charlotte-based team in the MLS-NEXT league is his stepping stone to college and professional ranks.
Do you have a pregame ritual?
Ayden Krause: I like to think about what I am thankful for and how far I have come before all of my games.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Krause: That I can’t achieve everything on my own. There are times when I have to make sacrifices for my teammates or to move to create opportunities for them. So I can’t always be only thinking about myself.
What is your biggest challenge, and how do you manage it?
Krause: Learning how to recover from my mistakes. If I make a mistake during a game, I try to not think about it in that moment. After the game, I think about how I can improve and avoid the mistake, rather than getting frustrated by thinking about it.
Which pro player inspires you most?
Krause: Robert Lewandowski, he plays for Bayern Munich and is captain of the Polish national team. We both think and move alike on the field and we have some similar attributes: We both play striker. We can both shoot from anywhere. We know how to create space for ourselves and our teammates.
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