Out here at the unprecedented capital of cheesesteaks (please feel free to fight over who's better - I'll stick with my Tony Lukes), home of former Mayor and present badass/Governor of Pennsylania Ed Rendell, and the Rocky stairs ( ), there's a team quietly producing future stars of the game. Alex Grendi had a monster season for the Quakers as they reclaimed the Ivy League title. The past few years, University City has been a keeper's place to flourish - with Matthew Haefner, current RBNY keeper Danny Cepero, and Drew Healy all posting huge numbers at UPenn, but both Grendi and fellow senior Omid Shokoufandeh have helped add a different dimension to that trend this season. The play of Healy and Omid kept - as Grendi attests to - kept him under the radar, but he feels he has a good chance heading into the Combine. His teammates agree - standout keeper Drew Healy gave us a quick scouting report on the midfielder, "He's dynamic and can take over a game but can play within himself. I think if he settles in and shows well early that he'll make a good impression on everybody. I was surprised at how little attention he got paid until this year."

CHI got to talk to UPenn's star midfielder before he hopped on a plane for the 2009 MLS Combine.

How has your preparation been for the Combine?

My preparation for the combine has been going really well. There is a great group of talented players that get together and play every night, so I am very fortunate to have that luxury. Training with players like Mike Grella of Duke, Mike Palacio and Danny Cepero of the Red Bulls everyday is as good as it gets.

Call them biased, but your teammates seem to wonder why it was you didn't get more attention this year. Do you see yourself as a bit of a sleeper pick heading into this Combine?

With Omid Shokoufandeh having a break out season and Drew Healy [Healy broke the record for minutes without conceding a goal] shattering various records there was very little room to talk about me. I don’t know if I would consider myself a sleeper, but I am definitely ready to go down there and try and make an impact at the combine.

What are your biggest strengths heading in? Weaknesses?

I think my biggest strengths are my consistency and my ability to use both feet. I am a simple player and just try to minimize my mistakes and do the right things, and some people have a difficult time figuring out if I am a lefty or a righty. I would say my biggest weakness would be offensive headers due to the fact that I have always taken all of the set pieces for my respective teams.

How do you feel the season ended up for UPenn?

Overall, it was a great season for us winning the Ivy League. However, I think we could have extended our unbeaten streak much further, we took two bad losses that really hurt our RPI going into the tournament. Losing in the first round of the NCAAs was also a big disappointment. It would have been very interesting to see how we would have matched up against Maryland, I think we could have given them a run for their money.

If you weren't preparing for the Combine and a potential professional career, what would you planning to get into after graduation?

Given the current economic crisis, I would probably take a year off and travel around Australia and New Zealand. I studied for a semester in Australia and it is an unbelievable place.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career so far?

I would have to say my father and my coaches. My coaches have always given me the confidence that I could play at the next level, and my father has always pushed me to be better and to never be complacent with where I am as a player.

Your teammate Drew Healy claims you have the hardest shot on the team - does that sound about right?

Yea, I think that is fairly accurate. Danny Cepero once mentioned to me that the only other player he encountered that has a shot as hard as mine was Clint Mathis.


Have you studied up on MLS? Watched many games?

I started to examine the MLS more closely when my former teammate Danny Cepero was drafted and I started following the New York Red Bulls pretty seriously. I watch a fair amount of games, but mostly just the Red Bulls.

A New Yorker in Philadelphia, how has your time been in University City? A place you might want to come back to and play some day? Possibly in 2010?

Penn has been a perfect place for me to go to school, and Philadelphia is a great city. I think it would be really fun to play for the ruthless fans of Philadelphia, I would definitely be up for the challenge.

What's the one place in Philly you would recommend to an out-of-towner?

Going to Citizens Bank Park for a Phil's game is an experience you can't miss out on. The passion of Philadelphia sports fans is unlike any other fans I have ever seen before.

And we have to know...

Follow any clubs?

I don’t follow any clubs in particular, I watch games from all different leagues, but I can't remember the last time FSC wasn’t on in my house.

Do you have a favorite player?

Lionel Messi of Barcelona. He is such an exciting player to watch, every time he gets the ball he makes something happen, and he is one of the best players in the world at only 21.