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It’s safe to say that Boston Breakers midfielder Meghan Klingenberg has had a rookie season she isn’t likely to forget any time soon. From being traded from magicJack this summer to recording an assist in the Breakers’ critical 2-0 win against Sky Blue FC last week, the 23-year-old Rookie of the Year candidate has had a memorable year.

On Wednesday morning, AWK chatted with Meghan about the Breakers’ impending First Round playoff game against magicJack tonight, playing for the USWNT, and the lessons she’s learned from this WPS season.

A Coming of Age Type of Season

The Breakers are coming off a huge 2-0 win last weekend and you reportedly had a great game. Can you just talk about the game and what you think made the difference in the team’s performance that night?

I think that our attitude, our effort, our heart was the difference maker in the game. Right from the beginning you could just tell, we were going at ‘em. We scored in 14 seconds and that helped a lot. We pressured them all over the field. And I was just really proud of the work ethic of the team. I don’t think we’ve worked that hard all season and we saw that that kind of pressure paid off.

The Breakers have been a little inconsistent this season, especially towards the end of the regular season. Was there ever a moment when you thought the playoffs might be in doubt?

(Laughs) I think every game we were like “okay, if we win this, we have a really good shot at getting in” and if we didn’t win we were like, “okay, but there’s still hope”. So I think every game was a bit of a weird feelings before and after the games because we were like “okay, if we win this, we have a good chance of getting in” but then we didn’t. When it came to the last game we knew we had to win and nothing else would do. So when it came down to it we played well and had fun doing it.

What’s the team’s mentality like heading into tonight’s match? And what’s the physical state of the team right now?

Super long season, super long travel day yesterday but I think we know it’s playoff season. It’s a win and you go on, lose you go home sort of thing. I think the team’s like “okay, we’re tired, we had a long travel day, we’re beat up.” But I think everyone knows to put that aside. magicJack are focused and you don’t focus on any external factors that could potentially throw you off track. So we’re just focused on playing good soccer, high pressuring, going after them, and trying to get the win away from home.

You obviously arrived in Boston midseason. What was the transition like in moving to a new city and establishing yourself on a new team?

The cultures and the way the teams are run are very different. Down in Florida you have your own apartment and not as many as meetings and you do a lot of things on your own and individually. In Boston you have host families and it’s a much bigger city. Tony’s a big proponent of video work and we do weight lifting at least once a week and speed and agility. So I mean the cultures are very different, but luckily I knew a lot of the girls on the team and Tony from the U-20 World Cup so it made for a smooth transition. And I was just really surprised and thankful that the team embraced me and I embraced their culture. It’s been a great move and I’ve really enjoyed my time there.

Did you find yourself having to make a name for yourself and really trying to fight for a starting place in the line-up?

Well, it’s hard especially because you’re a rookie and you haven’t made a name for yourself. People know you’ve done well in college and have been on all these national teams, but that’s like ‘whatever’ when you get in the league. Obviously it was hard to come to magicJack and not be able to play and not get the time you wanted, the time ever player on the bench wants. And then going to Boston and getting a second chance, but you kind of have to start all over. You have to re-learn a system, get to know the girls, get to know all the coaches on the staff. It’s hard moving and starting over because you build new relationships again, but it was good because I finally got playing time and I was playing for a coach I was excited to play for and a city I was excited to be in. So I think it was a good move.

You played under Tony DiCicco during the 2008 U-20 World Cup. Was it helpful having that sense of familiarity between you two?

Absolutely. I think Tony is one of the best coaches that I’ve ever played under. I’ve thought of that since the U-20 World Cup. It was incredible, we had an awesome coaching staff. Knowing that I was playing for him really helped ease the transition. Knowing him really helped a lot, because he knows kind of my mentality and the type of player that I am and he understood my strengths and weaknesses before I even got there.

A lot has been made about the magicJack situation this season and you made the jump to Boston from the magicJack this summer. You’re back in Boca Raton for tomorrow’s game. Does that add any extra pressure or intensity?

(Laughs) I don’t know if it’s necessarily any pressure, but you know, I didn’t necessarily fit into [magicJack's] system. They didn’t necessarily see me fitting in on the field with them, and they didn’t see me fitting in on the team. But I do fit it in Boston so my loyalties with Boston and I’m ready to go regardless of who we’re playing, I always want to win. But I think it’s an extra special game because it’s cool to get to come back down here and play with all the girls on the team and some are incredible girls so it’s more fun than anything. There’s absolutely no animosity there, it’s just fun to be able to play your old team. I think that I’m just more excited than anything else to be playing them at their home field trying to get a re-match after that 4-0 loss down here last time so that’s the way that I’m looking up.

One of the most outstanding quotes for me this season was from a former magicJack player who said leaving the team was like escaping North Korea.

(Laughs) Who said that?

Well, if it wasn’t you then I don’t know. Apparently it was from a current Boston Breaker which leaves it between two people and I’m talking to one of them right now…

(Laughs) I don’t know who said that, but that’s really funny.

This is obviously your rookie season so during that time, were you ever like “oh my God, what did I get myself into here?”

Do you mean in general or down in Florida?

Down in Florida, and just throughout your whole time with magicJack.

I think that the league is an incredible league with great players and great teams and magicJack is a great team and going into the playoffs is going to be one of the hardest teams to beat, especially for us. We seem to match up pretty well with them. But of course there were times when I was like “holy crap, what did I get myself into?” The level was so high here, I was going in and out of camps with the national team trying to make friends on the pro team and then make friends on the national team. It was just hard trying to fit in, I guess. That was the hardest part. On top of that, not getting playing time you want makes it really hard being on a team that you really want to make an impact on, but you couldn’t because you’re not seeing the minutes. I think regardless of the team I was drafted into, it would have been a culture shock, like nothing I’ve ever seen. Especially coming from college where your spot is pretty solidified, you know what’s going on, you’ve got a handle on it, and then you get into the league and you have no control over anything. You can get traded and not even know about it just like what happened to me. It’s very different but I’m very happy with the way things turned out.

As you said, you were in camp with the senior USWNT earlier this year. What was that experience like?

Well, I don’t to want to sound cheesy, but it’s like a dream come true. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be on the national team. Getting the initial call-up, getting to be able to celebrate that with my UNC family was awesome because I was still down there in the fall when I got the call-in. It was incredible to be able to share the experience them. And actually being able to come in and fight for a spot on the World Cup team and coming close was awesome. It just gives me a lot of hope for the future.

You seem to share a lot of qualities with Heather O’Reilly in that you’re both quick, hard-working and creative forces. Do people often tell you that?

I get that a lot actually. I take that as one of the most supreme compliments that I could ever have. People often tell me that I have a personality like hers too, which is a pretty big compliment because she’s not only one of the best soccer players in the world but she’s also one of the funniest and most genuinely nice people I know. So to be compared to her in any likeness is an incredible compliment and I’ll take it any time.

Going back to the game tonight, Boston has had some trouble with magicJack last season, especially away. What does the team need to do to secure a win and return to the Super Semifinal?

I think the simplest answer is that we need to shut down their strengths like Abby’s head, Pinoe’s serve from the wing into Abby in the box. So if we can shut down their attack, get pressure on the ball, and just relax when we get the ball and play make a bit, then I think we’ll be okay.

Lastly, regardless of what happens tonight, it’s fair to say this has been a pretty memorable rookie season for you. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from it?

Oh, that’s a good one, there’s a lot. I’ve learned a different kind of professionalism. Not just taking care of your body and your play on the field, but you also have a responsibility to the fans and the coaches and the management off the field which is a lot different from college soccer. I think I’ve learned a bigger sense of professionalism. I think I’ve learned a bit more about interviewing (laughs). I think everybody’s been trying to get to the bottom of magicJack and I’ve been asked some piercing questions, but I think I’ve swam through that pretty well, tried to at least. I think I’ve realized what it takes to be at the next level. I got a hint of it at UNC and with the youth national teams but getting in with the full team and playing against Sinclair, Marta, Abby, all those great players on a consistent basis has really shown me what it takes to be at that next level and seeing how hard they work. I think those are the big lessons I’ve learned this season.

Thanks to Meghan and Ryan.

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