In Conversation with Joey Akpunonu: On His Journey So Far

JUNE 12, 2025 (CHARLESTON, SC) - Joey Akpunonu’s career is a compelling case study in why the collegiate soccer path works - he’s a player who may not have considered going pro without the structure and exposure of college athletics. Personally, as a student at university myself going down the pre-medical school route in similar fashion, Joey's career was always an intriguing one worth exploring.

Below is a transcript of the conversation between Joey and me, edited only to remove filler words and to better improve flow of text for reading clarity.

Interview conducted on May 29, 2025, virtually.

All photo credits to the Charleston Battery.

INTERVIEW:

KH: When did you start playing soccer?

JA: Good question. I started playing when I was like three - I think just at the local YMCA.

KH: As many kids do over here in the States, I assume you participated in playing multiple sports when you were young. When did soccer kind of stand out for you as kind of a sport that was more than just a hobby for you?

JA: Yeah. I would say probably honestly for me, the beginning of high school. I always enjoyed playing soccer, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it. And then in high school, I was like, I want to go and play [soccer] in college. And then obviously whatever happens, happens from there.

Before high school, it was kind of between soccer, tennis and then it was basketball. And obviously, I enjoyed playing basketball and tennis because I feel like a lot of kids - especially in America - tend to go towards basketball. So, I kind of wanted to do what everyone else was doing. But yeah, soccer started standing out for me, especially, in high school. That's kind of when I was like, I want to just keep playing.

KH: You grew up around the Toledo area... from like an basketball [NBA] perspective, Detroit is very close to you, and Cleveland is in-state and relatively close.. but with soccer, there isn't necessarily the same representation of a local club, at least when you were growing up. So, I'm curious to see if you had like a favorite team, whether that was over here in the States or over in Europe or whatever that might've been for you.

JA: Yeah, growing up, I used to be a huge [Wilfried] Zaha fan. I love Crystal Palace. And then - this is a really funny story - but whenever I was younger, my club team, we'd always go, I think it'd be after our season, and it'd be me and just some guys and then obviously all of our families... we all would go to actually Columbus Crew games. So I wouldn't say I was a fan, but I would sometimes for sure go to their games, which is just kind of funny with everything that's happened, obviously in my pro career. But yeah, those are like the main two.

KH: Have you had the chance to go check out Charlotte FC, with Zaha playing fairly close to Charleston?

JA: No, unfortunately not. I mean, obviously, I've watched a decent amount of their games. I watch a lot of MLS games now, but I've been watching Charlotte and they've been doing pretty well so far. But no, I haven't gotten a chance to go there. Who knows, maybe soon I'll drive up.

KH: You went to Bowling Green for college. Can you me through that collegiate career? Also, since you prioritized academics over there as well… what was it like in terms of balancing the two responsibilities? We don't usually see that combination where it's like a very labor-intensive major combined with something pre-med while playing D1 athletics.

JA: I made the decision to go to Bowling Green first because I knew the coach really well and because it was a good medical school program - but also because it was close to home. I wanted my family to come watch me whenever.

My time at BG was really good. I mean, in the beginning I wasn't starting, and obviously, I wasn't playing as much as I wanted to. But I started in the second half of my freshman year. I played that same position, right center-back or center center-back in that back three, until my junior year.

I didn't really know too much about going pro and all that stuff until kind of like the end of my freshman year where my coach was like, "You have like a good chance, possibly, of going pro if you just continue to stay on this trajectory that you're going on."

But, at that time, I wasn't even thinking about playing pro soccer. I was more concerned with school. Like you said, I was in a pretty tough major - biology. So I had to do a lot with my time management, being really good with that, like getting homework assignments done, but also kind of just communicating to my professors like this is going to happen, this is going to happen. Like, I'm not going to be at this class for travel reasons, all that.

I feel my time management has always been pretty good, especially from high school. My high school definitely prepared me for that. But then I transferred that over into college.

KH: If I remember correctly from knowing you from your time in Cincinnati, your father is a doctor and so what was the sell like for you in terms of pursuing a pro career in soccer? Because what I'm imagining is, right, is like, he probably wanted you to go into the medical world - and so I'm sure it took a bit of convincing to be like, "Hey, like this is, this is something I want to do in terms of kind of pursuing a professional soccer career."

JA: Yeah, my dad's pretty stubborn. It definitely took a decent amount of convincing - he didn't really understand the whole process of it. So, I was talking to my mom more about it. But yeah, it definitely took some convincing because he obviously wanted me to go the med school route. So it took some convincing, but I kind of told him this has been my dream for a little bit and I kind of just want to pursue it and just see how things end up.

So yeah, I mean, he's been on board with it. He always talks to me about like going back to school. So, I'm going to be starting school soon. So that'll be another challenge I have to deal with, but no, it'll be good.

It was definitely tough in the beginning. But, I think I kind of just told him, I plan on graduating and whatever happens after soccer will happen. So, I think he was kind of on board with it eventually, but it took some convincing.

KH: Was there any added pressure during that MLS SuperDraft? Was there any added pressure on your end to kind of be able to like, be like, "Hey, this career is actually gonna happen" to your parents?

JA: Yeah, I would definitely say that there was some pressure. Like, it was also a mix of pressure, but also like some anxiousness because obviously they don't really tell you where you're getting drafted. Like, you don't find out until it pops up on the screen. So I was kind of just waiting. But yeah, there was definitely some added pressure. I kind of wanted to show like my parents, especially my dad, that like this was happening. There definitely was some pressure, but I think it was more just like nerves and anxiousness, I would say.

KH: You're a first round pick. And I asked Hosei Kijima for my Asian Football Show podcast about his SuperDraft experince, who got drafted by St. Louis, and is now playing in DC... but he did that whole draft process from Japan with that absurd time difference. He was talking about, you know, just how long the draft process was...

That televised first round takes... forever. It's exhausting, even for someone like me who's just watching along at home with very little stakes involved... can you kind of walk me through what that draft experience was like for you?

JA: Yeah, if you guys watch it, the first like 10 picks take forever. And obviously there's a bunch of trading that happens - teams will trade picks. So, you kind of don't really know what's happening.

But yeah, like I said, it's pretty long, but you're kind of just waiting there, obviously hoping that like your dream gets fulfilled. It's definitely nerves. A lot of nerves are happening and you're pretty anxious about it.

I would say that it was a good process for me because I had like all my family and friends. We did it [Draft Party] at Bowling Green. All my coaches, everyone was there, supporting me, kind of just waiting. It happened on my birthday too, which was another really cool moment, probably one of the best days of my life. So all the support that I had made it a lot easier for all my family and friends. So it was good.

KH: Because, I think it's four minutes per pick, but it feels longer than like the NFL draft, which is like 10 minutes per pick... which doesn't seem to make sense on face value...

JA: 100%. 100%. Because you don't like, like the NFL, you get like the call, like the MLS SuperDraft, you don't get a call, you just see your name up on the board, like once they pick you. So you're kind of just waiting your time.

KH: It's always been a pet peeve of mine trying to just follow the [MLS] SuperDraft because it just takes too long.

So, you get picked 22nd overall by Cincinnati. You played that first 2023 season pretty much with the Next Pro team... Can you talk me through your time in Cincinnati, the highs, the lows, and any particular memories you have?

JA: Yeah, for sure. I think the two memories that really stand out to me are when we won the Supporter Shield, which that was obviously super cool, especially not just obviously for me and the team, but for the whole city of Cincinnati going from Wooden Spoon to a Supporter Shield in like two years. So that was a super cool moment.

I think my debut in DC was another super cool moment, not just for me but for my family. But yeah, I think both years I was there's a lot a lot more lows and highs, 100%. But I think that's kind of what comes with being a pro and playing pro soccer. I haven't really been around that sort of environment before. So I think kind of just getting a taste of it and being involved in it was obviously super cool. I'm super grateful for my time there.

I learned a lot, from a lot of the veteran guys that have been around like Dom Baji, Ray Gaddis, Matt Miazga, all those guys. but yeah, like I said, probably a lot more lows and highs, but like I keep saying, that's kind of just a game of soccer, pro soccer. So it was good. And then I went on loan to Hartford, which kind of opened up my eyes to not just MLS, but obviously to USL Championship, which I'm in now.

My time there is again, some highs and lows there. I found out a lot about myself as a person, as a player. And that kind of forced me to grow up and mature a little bit because I wasn't close to home, like I have been the past couple of years. Then I was at Huntsville for a bit, which I enjoyed my time there. And then now I'm in Charleston and I'm loving everything on and off the field.

KH: Speaking of which, what went into the kind of the decision making for you to pick Charleston out of the USL Championship teams that you had to pick of?

JA: Yeah, so, one, my college coach at Bowling Green knew Ben Pirmann, the [Charleston] head coach really well, cause they both, I think, coached against each other when Ben was at Michigan State. That was one of the factors. Charleston is a super beautiful city, good food, good beaches, good weather, all that. So that definitely played a role in it.

I played them [Charleston] when I was with Hartford, played against Charleston, and kind of just saw some of the guys. I knew some of the guys already just from playing and just keeping up with the league and stuff. But just seeing how much they valued possession, their defensive intensity, kind of how close they were as a team, I felt that was something that was special. And I kind of wanted to be added to that. And I wanted to add as much as I could to the culture here that I think that everyone has helped with. So I think that those are the main three things that kind of stood out for me.

KH: I know you didn't have any years together in Cincinnati with Nick [Markanich], but given that he would have been a player that went through a similar transition as a former FC Cincinnati player that moved over to the Charleston Battery, did you have any contact with him about his time in Charleston?

JA: Yeah, I knew so I've known Nick a little bit since I played against him in college all the time. I kind of talked to him when I was at Hartford about Charleston. But I didn't really have a lot of contact with him during the off-season, because I know he was busy with all his stuff that's going on in Spain and all that. But yeah, I just heard good things about Charleston through people that used to play here or people that like just left before, so, I mean, I think that all kind of played a role in me coming here as well.

KH: Do you think that your style of play as a center-back, as a defender, suited Charleston the best out of the options [of teams] that you had available to you in the offseason, or was it more of, not necessarily THE perfect fit, but the the team's ideology and the style of play that they had being something that you wanted to be a part of?

JA: Yeah, I would say here, I mean, I was kind of looking at a couple of teams, but I think, like you said, Charleston, I liked ideologically how they play, like I said, I know they value possession a lot and I'm a center-back that likes to be on the ball. My number one job is to defend, but being on the ball I enjoy. And I knew Charleston had, think it was last year had the most possession in the league. most passes, all that stuff. So I think that played a big role in me coming here as well. So I think, yeah, like you said, I think it was definitely a fit stylistically and ideologically.

KH: I know this conversation comes up a lot, especially with the US Open Cup and direct matchups between MLS and USL Championship clubs, but what do you see as kind of the biggest differences in play as a whole between the competition in MLS and the competition in USL Championship?

JA: You said in terms of play?

KH: Yeah, I mean, whether it's just the pace of play or the physicality or like whatever it might be, like what do you see as like the biggest difference from the perspective of a player actually on the pitch?

JA: That's a good, really good question. Let me think.

I would say the pace of play in MLS, I don't think there's a huge difference, truthfully, in terms of the play between USL [Championship] and MLS. There's a decent amount of more transitional moments, I would say with USL [Championship] compared to MLS. And I think the pace of play in MLS is a little bit quicker, but I don't think it's some great difference like a lot of people think. Like I think there's a little, are obviously some differences for sure, but I think USL [Championship] is right there, but yeah, there's definitely a little bit more pace of play, quicker pace of play in the MLS compared to the USL [Championship]. I would say that's like the biggest difference, but I mean, in terms of like physicality, I think both leagues are pretty strong.

KH: If I were to bring that question back and swap MLS for MLS Next Pro, because you also played in that league, the USL Championship, what's the difference between?

Because, I think a lot of times for an outside viewer, if someone's just watching the sport from just like a screen or even going to the matches, it becomes very difficult to identify the differences in the quality of play between MLS, MLS Next Pro, and USL Championship at times. So for a player like, what's the kind of the main difference between those two leagues in MLS Next Pro and USL Championship?

JA: Yeah, I think like you were saying, I I played a lot of games my first year with FC Cincinnati 2, and that was [MLS] Next Pro so I think there definitely was a lot of like growing moments that I had to kind of learn with deal with going to USL Championship. It's [USL Championship] a more physically demanding league. The USL is just because a lot of the times with MLS Next Pro, you get a lot of Academy guys, and this is no shade to Academy guys or anything, but I just think you're playing against older players, you're playing against veterans, playing against 28 year old guys who are kind of grinding for their next contracts or trying to get a new contract, all that stuff in the USL. I think there's a quicker pace of play in the USL [Championship] compared to the [MLS] Next Pro, but I think there's also a huge jump between the physicality and pace of play as well.

KH: Yeah, I'll kind of pivot off of that because I'm most exposed to really "weird" league in the sense that you have first team players coming down, whether it's like rehab or just not getting enough minutes... and then you have Academy players coming up and it's like this weird blend of the three. For you, as you were getting regular minutes at the MLS Next Pro level in 2023, was it odd to have just such a disparity between kind of the quality of players? Whether, not to say that Academy players are like low in quality, but just there's a pretty stark contrast if you're having, know, even if it's in goal, you're having some like Alec [Kann] come down for matches and then, you know, like your opponent, the opposition might have an Academy goalkeeper in goal and there's a disparity between the quality of players?

JA: Yeah, obviously everyone there is in a professional environment. So, they all kind of know what the standard is. But yeah, there's I mean, it's definitely it's definitely different 100%. It's definitely different. And like you said, there's a lot of age ranges. So I think it's just definitely different. But I don't think obviously it's not a hindrance or anything. It's not a negative. But I think it's just like a little bit difficult, obviously, for culture or whatever, have different people coming down, up, whatever. I think it's definitely different, but I wouldn't view it as a negative necessarily.

KH: Yeah, because I guess even first teamers, they would have been training during the week with the first team... and then they'd be playing their matches with the second team. So, it's hard to kind of almost have that time to work in an identity for a team. I guess it just has to be similar to what the first team does purely so that its adaptable across the board, even for the academy players.

JA: 100%. 100%, yeah. I think, also, a lot of it comes down to just being like comfortable and like a being like a like a comfortable situation. Like you said, it's tough when you go from... you've trained with the first team all week and you see how see players play in there and then you pivot on the weekend to playing with different guys, you know, so that I think sometimes there's a decent amount of miscommunication. That's just kind of how it is, but you've got to deal with it. Can't really make any sense about back line is like, mitigation aspect is so important and so vital to be kind of lacking that at times can underperform, I guess.

"RAPID FIRE" QUESTIONS:

KH: As a Cincinnati person, I have to ask... have you've had Skyline Chili before?

JA: I have.

KH: And what are your thoughts?

JA: I get it. So like, I don't mind, like was it just a chili dog?

KH: The coney?

JA: Yeah, the coney. I don't mind the Coney but I've never understood the the spaghetti with the chili on top. I'm not gonna lie I think I've had Skyline maybe twice and I've gotten obviously the Coney's both times with a bunch of cheese so I don't mind that but I can't get behind the the spaghetti and chili

KH: Yeah? Not the three ways?

JA: No, I can't. I can't. I can't do it. I can't do it. But I will say, though, the Coney Dogs are pretty good. Would I go there, willingly, no, not really.

KH: Yeah, just kind of tagging along with friends? They are open late, it kind of just happens, doesn't it?

JA: Yeah.

KH: What's your favorite non-home stadium that you've played at in your professional career?

JA: I'd say Nashville Stadium.

KH: Geodis Park.

JA: Yeah, I like Geodis. It was really cool playing there. I enjoyed it. Yeah.

KH: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions going into a match day?

JA: No, nothing, nothing crazy. I think more it's like when it gets a locker room and like I'm putting my cleats on, I always had to put my right cleat on, then my left cleat on and then my right shin guard, left shin guard. But besides that, no, I don't really have any, any crazy superstitions or anything else.

KH: Do you listen to the kind of like the same playlist?

JA: Playlist, yeah. Yeah, same playlist, a lot of rap. Just to kind of keep me upbeat.

KH: Yeah, because I've heard some athletes are like, I have to eat a certain kind of meal before a match.

JA: Yeah, I don't really have anything crazy. mean, I kind of end up eating a lot of, like on game day, I'll make sure I'm to get protein in, a lot of eggs, eggs and toast, get some carbs in, maybe some spaghetti. But yeah, there's not like a go-to meal that I have every game, no.

KH: Interesting. This one took Nick a while when I asked him. If you were to make a five-a-side team, can include yourself, you don't have to. Former teammates. Or current teammates. What would that look like?

JA: Okay. I'm not gonna include myself. Five a-side.

Goalie, Roman [Celentano]. I'm also trying to think about who would be very good at five aside. Who I think would be, okay, four others. I'd say, Yerson Mosquera.

KH: Good pace with Yerson.

JA: Yup. Lucho [Acosta], Alvaro [Barreal], and another one up top. Brenner. I'd say those those that'd be my five aside team of former teammates.

KH: I no complaints from there, yeah. If you weren't playing soccer right now, what would you be doing?

JA: Good question. I'd probably be in, I'd say probably be in med school right now.

KH: Makes sense, yeah. You said you were going to start up school again. Have you had a school already picked out that you're already enrolled in?

JA: I'm just going through BG [Bowling Green]. I'm gonna go through Bowling Green Dye online.

KH: So have you officially finished your undergrad? How far along are you in that process?

JA: No. I left after my like first semester of my junior year. So I had like, I think I have like seven classes left, seven, six or seven classes left. So, I don't have too much, but yeah, definitely going to graduate. So

KH: And so once you get that bio degree, are you going to try to continue into med school? Obviously not during the playing career, I'd assume.

JA: We'll see. Yeah, it's kind of tough. It's kind of just how how like long I want to play professionally. I don't really know. I need to obviously start thinking about it, but I'm also just kind of trying to stay in the present. But it's definitely something to obviously be aware of. And I think about it sometimes. But yeah, I don't I I'm not too certain about what I'm going to do once I'm done. But I'll figure it out soon, hopefully.

KH: Do you have like a direction in terms of medical that you want to go in or is that not even a thought yet?

JA: I really don't know. think possibly, but obviously, like I said, obviously whatever happens will happen.

KH: Back to the fun questions. Who is the best vibes guy that you've been around in the locker room.

JA: I'd say best vibes guy. On Charleston, Mark Segbers. And then Cincinnati, good vibes guys. I'd say, Evan Louro. Great, great, great, great guy. Haven't talked to him in a while though, obviously, great vibes guy.

KH: As one that's been in that locker room after matches, I can see 100 percent. I guess in the similar route, do you guys have like a player that's in charge of playlists on like travel?

JA: Yeah, we do. A lot of time before the game, it'll be Leland [Archer]. And he's pretty good. But I would say like the best the best aux on the team for me is Mark [Segbers]. Mark has great music, great music taste. Juan [Torres] sometimes when he wants to play, play some reggaeton, some Spanish. Yeah, I would say there's like the main three.

KH: If you were put on the spot, do you have a couple of songs that you would like immediately turn to?

JA: Yeah, 100%. But like, I don't know, obviously I'd have to see what the vibes were, but a lot of time it'll be like just a lot of Gunna. A lot of Gunna, yeah.

KH: I'm guessing that's kind of similar to what your match day playlist.

JA: Yeah, 100 %. 100 %.

KH: Final question. What is your main goal right now this season? It can be personal, can be kind of team oriented, whatever that might be for the season with Charleston.

JA: Yeah, I'd say personal is just get as many games as I can and kind of just continuing to play, like just keep playing well. I don't really have like for myself a real goal, but I think for our team, it's win as many trophies as possible. We've been doing really well these past, these past what, seven, eight games we've been winning. I think we've done really well, this whole season so far, but it's kind of just continuing to do that. So I think the goal, I would say for our team is, if we can, I think we have the team to have the depth, have personnel, personalities, egos, all that... I think we have, we want to win the Players' Shield. We want to win, obviously, USL Championship, win the Cup, but we also want to win like the Jägermeister Cup, the other competition. I think all three of those are kind of talk about that every day, essentially, or at least a little bit. So I think, yeah, those are like the three main goals for the team.

Thanks to the Charleston Battery for helping to organize this interview. Special shoutout to Ben Clemens and Joey Akpunonu for their time in making this happen.