As our inaugural season approaches, we wanted to give you more of an introduction to the players who will represent Lansing Common on the field this summer. Today, it’s time to get to know Marco Bernardini.
What position do you play and what do you think Lansing Common fans will enjoy most about the way you play?
I play as a center mid, normally I prefer to be a little deeper as a holding mid, but I do like playing a little higher up the field as well. I think fans will enjoy the mix of my calmness on the ball and intensity/emotion that I will bring to the game.
Being out of school now, and pretty active in coaching, what is it that makes you still want to put the time commitment towards playing in an intense summer league like this?
That’s a nice way of saying I’m getting older, but it’s really a no-brainer. I just love the game and love playing, it’s my passion and where I feel most alive. It brings balance to my life as I can forget about life’s responsibilities and be a kid again for a couple hours every day. I love the daily camaraderie of being on a team, training every day, and that match-day feeling – there’s not a lot that beats it! I also still have a strong desire to prove myself as a player so I’m really grateful for the opportunity to keep chasing the game.
You have also been playing with Lansing City Futsal recently. Is that a newer thing for you, or have you been playing Futsal for a while? How would you say it has influenced your game as a whole?
This was my second year playing with Lansing City Futsal. Playing with Lansing City has been my first experience playing REAL futsal. I always played something that people called futsal, but it wasn’t close to the real thing. Playing real futsal with Lansing City has been an amazing experience for me so far. I think I have improved more in this last year as a player than in any stretch of my life and I wish I had played growing up. Futsal is a different sport than soccer and has different techniques, and ways of moving and thinking. I’ve really had to adapt my game in order to improve at futsal and have learned a ton from my coach and teammates. It’s given me a little bit more culture on the ball and a different perspective on being on the ball under pressure – futsal is so personal and intense that I don’t think I can feel under pressure on the ball in soccer ever again. It also has forced me to improve without the ball, especially defensively – I have had to defend one of the best futsal players in the country 1 versus 1 every day! I’m really excited to see the proof this summer on how much futsal has helped me to improve
Oaks is famous in our community for his killer quotes, but you got a truly amazing one. “Years ago I was able to attend a Manchester United training session in Chicago. It was one of Roy Keane’s final years with the club, and it was undeniable the impact he had on the field amongst the players. I believe Marco can have a similar impact for us”. What were your thoughts after reading that?
My first thought was, oh no, Oaks must have heard about my tendency for angry two-footed tackles in training! But, no, those words put some pretty high expectations on me and made me feel good. I have always been at my best when I can earn the complete trust of my coaches and teammates like that so I hope that I can do that with Lansing Common this summer!
Usually, we ask what your favorite moment on a soccer field was, but for you specifically, what was your favorite Lansing soccer moment ever?
This is a tough one! It’s too hard to pick one so it’s just the whole summer playing for Lansing United in their inaugural season in 2014 – how everything came to be, car pooling to training every day with the Jackson boys, the training environment, the coaching and front office staff, the match-day environment with the Sons of Ransom, winning the league, and then lifting the regional championship at the end of the year. Being a part of that whole experience was amazing and something I won’t forget for the rest of my life. A very CLOSE second though is playing and winning the first game in front of a full Lansing City Arena – that was a special moment too and can’t leave it out!
What hobbies do you have when you aren’t playing soccer?
I actually had to start golfing again last summer as a way to get out of the house during the pandemic and really started to enjoy it. Other than that, I like spending time with my friends and family, binge watching tv series, and playing video games.
Stay tuned for more player profiles and details on our upcoming Midwest Premier League season. Find our 2021 season schedule on our website by clicking here. Season tickets are now available here.
