MetroFanatic: Markus, do you realize that now we have on the team Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark is gone...
Markus Holgersson: Estonia.

MF: Finland. So you are the first Swede in team history....
MH: Hans Backe.

MF: Of course. I mean as a player.
MH: Yeah, it's really good.

MF: Is he the reason you're here?
MH: One of them. I talked to him before I signed the contract. Also Erik Soler, he gave me a good impression, told me all about MLS and all about the team. So that's a big reason why I'm here.

MF: You had a good season last year, winning the treble with Helsingborg and breaking into the national team. Usually, players in that position don't come to MLS.
MH: No, they don't, but I've been a professional for a few years, I look at other players, and I don't look to play football the same way that they do. I want an adventure, I want something more than just football. That's important, but I want something besides it.

MF: So America gives you a chance for adventure?
MH: Yeah, adventure, I can see a lot, get contacts with Red Bull, talk to other people, to give me something after football.

MF: Joel wants to visit all 50 states...
MH: (laughs) That's not bad.

MF: Ultimately, what is your goal as a soccer player? Is it to play in the World Cup, and is this the way to get there?
MH: Yeah, this is the way to get there, because this is one step up from the Swedish league.

MF: Really?
MH: Yeah, one step up, of course.

MF: We never heard that before from European players.
MH: Yeah, but Sweden is a small league in Europe. It's more technical there than here, but the skills of the players are a little bit better here. There are some players that are really good here, that have some skills, they can really shoot, or are really fast. You really have to concentrate all the time, read the game in a lot of ways.

MF: An important question for bookkeeping, your name was listed as Sven.
MH: No, it's Markus. Sven is my father's name, I got it to honor him. But I use my middle name, Markus.