FRESNO, Calif. - After her standout collegiate career at Fresno State, former Bulldog soccer player Robyn McCarthy has since begun her career in the professional ranks overseas, and shares with GoBulldogs.com what her experience has been like.
McCarthy suited up as a Bulldog from 2017-21, and earned first team All-Mountain West honors as a senior. She appeared in 57 games throughout her career, including 50-straight in the last three seasons.
Q: Let's start with the basics – What is your team and how did the season go?
McCarthy: "So I was at AGF in Denmark, in Aarhus. So it's the west side of Denmark. We did well - we placed 6th out of eight, but the way the league is up is like halfway through the league, the top six play in a playoff, and then the bottom two play the top four in the division. So we made the top six in our first half. So we did well in that case. It was an unlucky season for myself. When I signed, I was on a trial, and in Denmark you have to have a visa before you start playing. In some other countries, you don't. You can play while it's processing, but when in Denmark, you have to get approved beforehand. So I wasn't able to play for like a whole month or month and a half, while the season had already started. Then I started playing and the week before we were training, turning into three back -- which I really enjoy playing in 3 back, I tore three ligaments in my ankle. So I was out for eight months. So, I was out basically the whole season. It wasn't the best. It was a very unlucky season for me, but it was still a great experience. I loved playing there."
Q: What has your journey been like after Fresno State?
McCarthy: Right out of Fresno State, I didn't know if I wanted to make the jump overseas. I took an offer from Indy Eleven in Indiana. It was the new W League that was happening at the time. So I went there, and I played their season and I also worked for them as a performance coach, and did well. Then, after that, I made the jump and I went from Norway to Portugal, and then to Denmark."
Q: What was it like moving overseas?
McCarthy: "Before leaving for Norway, I'd never left the country. So it was a big culture shock. Minus the soccer portion of everything, jumping to a whole new country is pretty shocking. It was a big shock, but it was great. I just think you have to be open to that to be able to continue to do it. It has been great for me, I loved it."
Q: What was it like being surrounded by so many different cultures?
McCarthy: "It was different in Norway. I came in with another American, and I think it was great that I did because me and her struggled at the start because of the transition. We were together, and then everyone else was Norwegian. So after a little while, I finally got comfortable there. Then, in Portugal, it was even crazier because we had I think seven Americans but two Spanish speaking coaches that only spoke Spanish, so it was really hard to adapt to their playing style and stuff like that. In Denmark, I was the only international. We had a Norwegian, but she could still understand and communicate with the Danish players. That was a little harder to get adjusted to and hang out with the girls. I took lessons. The men's team had a lot of internationals and we jumped in with them to take lessons. I learned a lot. I could maybe hold a short conversation, and I definitely understood a good amount of Norwegian when I left. But Danish was hard. They have a very hard accent to understand, but at the end of the season, I could actually understand most of it."
Q: What is one thing you would say to the new Bulldogs on this roster?
McCarthy: "My initial thought is just having an open mind. I've been through it. Everyone has a different experience. I went from position to position, but there is purpose for what they do. It is not like they don't want you to succeed. In soccer, you have to keep a positive mindset and keep your mental spirits high when playing, especially when making that transition from high school to college. I miss it. Enjoy college soccer when you can. You get so much out of it. I wish them luck this season."