SAN JOSE, Calif. -
Quakes midfielder Fatai Alashe has spent the past week representing the U.S. U-23 National Team in the 2015 Toulon Tournament in France. Appearing in two of the first three matches, Alashe has tallied a goal in 135 minutes of play. Hoping to advance to the knock-out stages of the tournament, we caught up with Fatai while in France to see how he’s enjoying his time with the U-23’s. 
SJEarthquakes.com: Take us through your goal against Costa Rica this past Sunday.
Fatai Alashe:
"It was a great play by my teammates to combine in the midfield. Julian Green chipped a nice ball over the top of the back line to Jordan Morris who tried to finish it past the goalie but hit the post. I had made a run from the middle of the field all the way into the box, and when I saw the ball go over to Jordan I continued my run towards the goal for any rebounds. I followed it all the way to the post, and once it bounced back to me I had an easy finish on goal."

SJEQ: How has your recent form with San Jose helped you with the U-23’s in France?
FA:
"I think playing a lot with San Jose has helped me out a ton with the U-23’s. It gives me experience playing against some really good MLS players and I’m able to take that experience into these international games. The speed of the games in MLS is a little faster, so I am used to the pace and it makes for a much easier adjustment to these games."


SJEQ: You’ve scored yet another goal for the U-23’s in a defensive midfield role. How important is it for you to get on the score sheet, or is it something you don’t necessarily focus on?
FA:
"I think getting on the score sheet is always nice for anyone, especially when the team wins in the end. I would say it gives you confidence that you can impact the game from a position that gets overlooked a lot of times. However for me, scoring goals is a lot of fun, but at the same time it isn’t something that I focus on a ton and doesn’t always shape my game. I'm not really expected to score very often from my position because I’m more involved with helping the team get shutouts. Typically scoring is just an extra bonus for my confidence, but not extra pressure that I have looming over me."
SJEQ:
What has the chemistry been like for you and your teammates in this tournament in preparation for some of these countries with great soccer history?

FA:
"I think our team has come together well throughout the tournament. We struggled quite a bit in the first game but showed character to come out and perform better in the second half, and then to get a great win against Holland in the next game. I think we have made strides as a team and have gotten used to some of the competition that we are playing against. We’ve stayed positive with each other throughout the whole tournament and have tried to help each other and make each other better at all times. This is a tough tournament that we’re playing in so we all know there will be ups and downs that we will need to fight through and learn from."
SJEQ: In France, it has been business as usual for you and the team, but what have you been doing in your down time? Anything fun in particular you’ve done?
FA:
"The hotel we're staying at is pretty far away from the rest of civilization, but we’ve been playing a lot of cards since we got here. Presidents is usually the go to game. We’re staying at a resort that has a golf course, so I’m sure at some point during this trip I’ll try my hand at some golf and see how that goes. It’s been fun though getting to know the guys better and staying in a beautiful place like France."

"It's cool to see the skill level of these other countries and to be able to test yourself against high-level players." - Alashe

SJEQ:
Has there been an individual battle in these past few matches that you’ve enjoyed? If so, why and which players was it?

FA:
"I haven’t really had a specific individual battle that I would say stood out to me, but overall just playing against the quality teams we have here has been a lot of fun for me. It’s cool to see the skill level of these other countries and to be able to test yourself against high-level players."
SJEQ:
With another U-23 trip under your belt, what has been the biggest takeaway from representing your country?
FA:
"The biggest take-away for me from this trip is to make sure you enjoy these opportunities that you have to play for your country, because they’re never guaranteed and they’re special moments. Never take it for granted and make the most of it, and that’s what I’ll continue to do every chance I get. It’s been a great trip and I’ve had a lot of fun and learned a lot. Looking forward to coming back to San Jose and getting back in with the team back home."