E27: From Bangkok to Professional Football in Norway and the US | Helmer Rusten & Erik McCue

Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten join us to discuss their fascinating footballing journeys. Born in 2001 and raised in expat environments, Erik and Helmer became best friends in Thailand in 7th grade and represented FC Bangkok.  Erik, a Swedish/American centre-back, has played in the DC United academy, represented Houston Dynamo from 2017-2021, and currently plays for El Paso Locomotive in the USL (2nd tier of US football). Helmer, a centre-back turned right-back, has represented Norway at U15-17 level, and currently plays for Kjelsås, a 3rd tier Norwegian side. Helmer is also Cwa’s cousin. Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten! 01:16 - Helmer intro 02:12 - Erik intro 03:33 - The friendship 08:16 - Helmer’s transition from Thailand to Norwegian youth football 12:15 - Helmer time in Norway’s U15-U17 national teams 13:02 - Helmer’s 907 days of injury 19:41 - Helmer at Kjelsås 23:53 - Kjelsås’ run to the Norwegian Cup QF 28:06 - Helmer’s next goal 29:16 - Erik’s transition from Thailand to DC United 33:30 - Erik’s time at Houston Dynamo 36:43 - Erik’s call up to Sweden U19 national team 37:25 - Erik on confidence, and the MLS Homegrown All Stars 40:58 - Erik’s encounter with Zlatan 45:11 - Erik’s struggle to find a club after leaving Houston 48:36 - Erik on life at AB Argir in the Faroe Islands 51:19 - Erik’s season at El Paso Locomotive 59:25 - Erik’s next goal 1:01:11 - Gazelle vs Bull - the art of defending 1:05:15 - Quickfire questions 1:17:50 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast