Since arriving in Tucson in February, Kyle Venter has been rehabbing a lower body injury. It’s been a slow process: Venter missed the Men in Black’s first three league matches, seeing the field for the first time in Saturday’s friendly against the UA men’s club team.
The 28-year-old Venter plans to officially contribute on Friday, when FC Tucson (1-1-1) hosts South Georgia Tormenta FC at Kino North Stadium. Tormenta FC beat FC Tucson 3-1 when the teams first met earlier this month. Venter said the Men in Black need to win Friday, especially since they’re playing at home.
“I don’t really look at it as payback or anything like that,” said Venter, a defender. “I think every game’s different, every situation is different. They could have guys in and out of the lineup based on injuries, traveling or whatever. We can have guys in or out of the lineup, but whatever 11 suit up for the game — it’s our home game and one of our goals is to win our home games and put on a show for our crowd.”
Venter is one of two players on FC Tucson’s roster who have played for an MLS Cup champion organization. Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu was part of the Atlanta United championship last year.
The Los Angeles Galaxy selected Venter, a Colorado native and University of New Mexico star, with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Venter appeared in nine matches for the LA Galaxy II club on a brief loan. While there, he worked out some of the biggest names in the sport.
“I got to be part of such a special organization, such a special team with such high standards,” Venter said. “Bruce Arena — one of the best coaches in U.S. soccer — Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, so many great players there. I was able to be part of winning an MLS Cup. So, for that to be a first-year eye-opener was amazing.”
Even though Venter’s stint with the LA Galaxy only lasted a year, he made sure to take advantage of every opportunity it offered. He took in everything he saw, like when Venter thought he’d be the first one to show up to work only to see Donovan’s car was already in the parking lot.
“Landon Donovan will go down as maybe the greatest, one of the greatest, U.S. men’s national team players of all time,” Venter said. “And I got to be around that and see his training habits and see what he puts into it.”
After ending the season with a championship, Venter signed with Tulsa Roughnecks FC. The defender went on to play with Ottawa Fury and Penn FC before finding himself in Tucson.
Venter’s winding professional path helps him offer a unique insight to his teammates, though he said it’s been hard to help while sidelined.
“I’ve taken a little bit every day from every place, every person and you just continuously put that little percentage on top of things and it obviously just continues to mold you,” Venter said. “I read a lot, I listen to podcasts and all that kind of stuff, so I’m constantly absorbing knowledge – taking some, leaving some and just seeing how it fits in different situations.”
