From Connecticut, North Carolina And Texas To Poland — Ema Twumasi On His Journey To The Ekstraklasa

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Ema Twumasi is a former Kent High School, Wake Forest and FC Dallas player who is enjoying his second season with Piast Gliwice in the Polish Ekstraklasa. After recording two assists last week, he hopes his strong form can help Piast beat Legia Warszawa on Saturday.

From Ghana To Connecticut And The Right To Dream Academy

Hello from Connecticut, Ema! This is where you introduced yourself to the soccer landscape in the United States and became the Gatorade Player of the Year at Kent High School. How do you remember moving from Ghana to Greenwich?

Ema Twumasi: It was a big culture shock: everything — including the environment I was in, food and football — was different. Football was different because I came from Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, which is one of the top academies in Africa and among the best academies in the world.

So — I don’t want to talk down on anything — but because of the level I came from, it wasn’t too competitive for me. I had a very successful high school career. I scored a lot of goals and was named Connecticut High School Player of the Year.

It was an amazing moment for me. Sometimes you work hard and you get nothing to show for it. And you might get discouraged. So for me, getting that recognition from the coaches and the players felt like the sky was the limit. It got me motivated to keep pushing, keep going in college and after that.

Question: Right to Dream is famous for producing talent such as Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Simon Adingra and Ernest Nuamah. Who was your best teammate who made it pro from your time there?

Ema Twumasi: My class was very competitive. There were a lot of very talented players, but like in life, the ball has to bounce your way. Since we talk about Ekstraklasa, my best teammate was probably Yah Yeboah, who was at Wisła Kraków, Columbus Crew in MLS, France, Netherlands and Spain.

He had a decent career himself. He was my best friend at the academy and I talk to him every day. He’s in China now, scoring a lot of goals and enjoying it over there.

From Goalscorer To A Versatile Player

Question: At Kent you scored 81 goals and added 34 assists in four years. Very impressive numbers. But today you don’t play up front. When did all of that change?

Ema Twumasi: I have a very interesting football background. At Right to Dream I was a number 9. I was a hold-up and post-up guy. Same at Kent.

At college, my Wake Forest coach said that I was too good to be just playing with my back to the goal and needed more from me than 10-15 touches per game. He felt I could produce more with my speed, footwork and my football in general. So he moved me to the wing.

I really enjoyed playing there because I got on the ball a lot more. And later on I went to MLS as a winger. There, at FC Dallas, I had a coach, Luchi Gonzalez. He told me that I am very good with the ball at my feet, but he needed his wingers to run in behind a lot and I wanted to dribble.

So he put me deeper so I could have the whole field in front of me. I was able to carry the ball and use my touches the way I wanted to. But overall in MLS I played some games on the wing, moved to midfield, moved to defense and became a utility guy at some point.

The Decision To Turn Professional

Question: You left Wake Forest after playing only two years of collegiate soccer. When did you decide that you wanted to turn pro?

Ema Twumasi: Pretty much right after having that success in high school. I didn’t know how long it was going to take and what would be the best path.

Before college I was getting some shouts and offers. Initially I didn’t take these opportunities, but after my first year in college I went overseas and trained there for two weeks. I received an offer for a professional contract, but at that point I felt it was not the right time for me.

I came back for my sophomore year at Wake Forest. After that I had more pro opportunities from Europe. I enjoyed my time in college, but was ready to leave. I was offered a Generation Adidas contract from MLS. That opportunity was too good to pass on.

FC Dallas And A Period Of Constant Change

Question: FC Dallas has one of the most successful academies in the US, but the club seems to always underperform. Why can't they get it together?

Ema Twumasi: It’s difficult for me to tell why it is the case, but they had a successful time under coach Oscar Pareja before I joined. My first year in 2018 was difficult.

Oscar is an experienced coach who gives merit based on trust. He likes experienced players because he feels he can depend on them. My first season we were seventh or eighth in the table, but I only played one game. Pareja told me that he liked me and trusted me, but then he left.

When Luchi Gonzalez came, it was very different. He was young, he jumped a step to be the head coach and the locker room was just too big for him. It became a learning process.

His team consisted of a mixture of academy homegrowns and South American veteran players. It was difficult for him to decide what direction he wanted to go: give the keys to the young guys from the academy or experienced South Americans. He was trying to figure it all out.

The transition took longer than it should’ve and unfortunately Luchi wasn’t able to complete his mission. Next up was Nico Estevez, who came with yet different ideas. A lot of personnel changes in quick succession couldn’t translate to success on the pitch.

Question: Are you still in touch with any of the Dallas guys?

Ema Twumasi: One of my closest friends is Brandon Servania. I went to college with him and we bonded there. His family lives in Frisco, right where we trained and played games. So when I went to Texas they became my family.

They invited me to their house a lot. His parents would cook for me. I still talk to him almost every day. I also spoke with Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Ferreira the other day. I try to keep in touch with most of the guys as much as I can.

Life In Poland And The Pressure Of The Ekstraklasa

Question: Brandon is at DC United now and you’re in Poland. How has the experience been so far for you?

Ema Twumasi: I had no expectations, but once I got here I quickly noticed that Gliwice is the opposite of Texas. All my life it was about adapting and enjoying where I am.

I left my house at 11, went to Connecticut, North Carolina and Texas. Every place I went was different. I had to adapt to the culture and people. I don’t do much in Gliwice, but I am OK with that. It gives me time to focus on the most important things in my life: football, friends and family.

Question: Speaking of football, how do you rate the Ekstraklasa?

Ema Twumasi: Before I came I didn't know much about the league, but it caught me a little by surprise. I think it’s a very strong league with a lot of quality, but one thing that is very different is the amount of pressure. Every game counts.

Last season ended with everyone on the phone waiting to hear about the results from other stadiums.

Question: How do you deal with that pressure?

Ema Twumasi: At the end we all compete against ourselves. So you don’t want the highs to be too high and the lows to be too low. If you do that you get carried away and lose yourself.

I deal with it by taking one day, one practice, one game at a time. And by focusing on how I can contribute to the team. Since I cannot impact the results of other teams, all I can do is prepare my body and my mind to help my team fight.

Piast Gliwice's Goals And The Clash With Legia

Question: Last season you scored your first career Ekstraklasa goal vs. Radomiak. Last weekend you had two assists against Wieczysta. Your coach’s last name — Myśliwiec — can loosely be translated into “Hunter.” What will you be hunting for this season?

Ema Twumasi: When you look at our team you see a lot of individual talent. We have an amazing coaching staff. They give us a game plan and it’s up to us to put it to work.

The team goal is to win and be in the top half of the league. But since every game is different, we have to control what we can control. That’s the mindset.

We cannot control how cold it will be in December. We cannot control what the referee is going to do. We need to focus on ourselves. Once we do that we can compete with anyone. And individually I just want to help the team be successful.

Question: This weekend you take on Legia Warszawa, one of the most historic, most followed and most accomplished teams in Polish football. What can we expect?

Ema Twumasi: You can expect us to go and compete. And fight from minute one to the final whistle. We are going to play hard, freely and hopefully get a win.

Question: The last two games in Gliwice ended with wild 4-3 and 3-4 scorelines. Can you guarantee that it won't be similar this time?

Ema Twumasi: At this moment, no comment (laughter). But if it’s 4-3, I hope it goes our way!

His Relationship With Kellyn Acosta

Question: Ekstraklasa is on the rise and so is the interest of former MLS players in the league. One of them is Kellyn Acosta, who currently plays for Pogoń Szczecin. Do you talk about your time in Dallas when you meet Kellyn in Poland?

Ema Twumasi: There are more Americans or former MLS players here and we always treat each other with mutual respect. A quick “hello” type of thing.

With Kellyn it’s different because I have a personal relationship with him. He took care of me when I first went to Dallas. For one year we shared the locker room and we used to hang out a lot after training. He’s an amazing guy. He paid attention to me.

He was making a lot of money back then, so he was taking me out to eat and buying me food! I have a lot of love and respect for him. Every time our paths cross I express that to him.

Question: Who’s playing Kellyn’s role in Poland? Who’s your friendly figure in the locker room at Piast?

Ema Twumasi: I have a few guys that I hang out with more than with the others, but mentioning names is gonna get me in trouble, so no comment (laughter).

The truth is that I gravitate toward a lot of people and all the guys are amazing. I have a smile that people like, so I mix and match with everyone.

Ghana Or The United States?

Question: You have American citizenship, so whom did you follow and root for more during the World Cup: Ghana or the US?

Ema Twumasi: Because of the time difference I missed most of the games, but I was hoping that both teams would make it to the semis. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

Question: Speaking of national teams: you’re only 29 and have a lot of mileage ahead of you. Is a spot on a national team a goal of yours?

Ema Twumasi: No. I don’t ever wake up and say: I dream of being on the national team. That’s not the goal I chase. I am trying to live in the moment and be present.

Every day I try to do my best on the field. And my best is to help the team be successful and contribute however I can. If that gets rewarded with a national team call-up, then it gets rewarded with the national team call-up.

Question: But let’s imagine that you receive not one but two call-ups at the same time: which camp do you report to, Ghana or the US?

Ema Twumasi: If I say one, then I am eliminating myself from the other one, so… no comment (laughter). I am leaving my door open.

Why The Ekstraklasa Is So Competitive

Question: MLS has Messi, Lewandowski and Griezmann. Ekstraklasa doesn’t have front-page stars. Yet the games are exciting, stadiums are full and the atmosphere is fantastic. Why?

Ema Twumasi: Simple: promotion and relegation. Every game counts. There’s always adrenaline. You have to be at your best.

In MLS there are stars, it’s a good league, but you can have a spell when you’re not yourself and that’s fine because you have time to make it up. In Ekstraklasa you don’t really have time.

You slip up in two games and it’s an uphill battle for the rest of the season. This is what makes it very hard because it’s very competitive. The first game is as important as the middle or the last one.

Question: Last year Ekstraklasa was being hyped on social media because of how wild and competitive the season was. Was that buzz noticed in your circles?

Ema Twumasi: Yes! Before I came to Gliwice a lot of people were like: “Ekstraklasa??? What is so special about that league?”

But now my friends follow the league because of me and they see for themselves how good it is. I have friends asking me if they can come and play in this league!

One of them already had an opportunity but didn’t take it. Then he saw Kellyn Acosta join Pogoń and asked me to push for him to come as well. But it was already too late for that.

What Makes Piast Gliwice Different

Question: And what do you tell people about Piast?

Ema Twumasi: That it is a very good club. It’s a family, a small-run club. Everyone interacts with each other. We are all in the same building all the time.

I was in Dallas for seven years and there was a lot of staff that I never met. I’ve been here a year and I know everyone. People are very welcoming, open, friendly and supportive. Everyone is willing to help.

Question: If you were the sporting director of Piast, who would you bring from your former teammates to play in Poland?

Ema Twumasi: I would bring at least four or five. But at the top of my list would be Brandon Servania and Yah Yeboah.