Angel Alvarez Interview: Dual Citizen Not Worried by Setback

Angel Alvarez is a seventeen year old Mexican-American goalkeeper. After playing in Pumas' academy system for over two years, he had to return to Nevada over interesting circumstances. OWTY originally covered his time in Mexico but with graduation in a little over a year, Alvarez now has some decisions to make.

Sanchez earned 101 caps for the national team and amassed over 700 appearances in Liga MX.

Sanchez earned 101 caps for the national team and amassed over 700 appearances in Liga MX.

How did you first get into playing goalkeeper?

Goalkeeping has been a passion for me since I was a little kid. I was born in Las Vegas, but I grew up in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. That's the hometown for Club Deportivo Guadalajara, best known as Chivas, and I would go to all of their home games. This was around 2006 and their goalkeeper at the time was Oswaldo Sanchez. He was the keeper for Chivas and for the Mexico national team for many years. He was and is my biggest inspiration on being a goalkeeper.

You were scouted and brought to Pumas, where you stayed for quite a while. What was that process like and how was your time down there?

I played for Pumas from June 2012 to November of 2014. I was playing in Las Vegas for Las Vegas Premier SC before I left, and I heard from friends that Pumas scouts, Mauricio Pedroza and Sergio Bernal, were holding a soccer clinic that would help them see players to take out to Pumas. This was in December of 2011.

I attended the three-day clinic and on the last day they both told me that they're interested in taking me down to Mexico City to try out for the academy. So I went for a week in February 2012. Memo Vazquez, who was the director of the academy at that time, told me to come back to Las Vegas, finish my school year and when the school year was over, to report back to the academy.

Right after I finished middle school I went back to Mexico in June 2012 and it was just an amazing experience. The two years and a half that I was out there were just unbelievable. The city, the people, my coaches, my team mates, the fields, the other teams. Everything, everyday was soccer! The environment that was there was so professional like and the level of competition was unbelievable. One of the greatest experiences was to be able to interact so much with the first team. We would get to scrimmage them, practice on the field next to them, practice with them! And they were all very helpful and kind.

I lived in the "Casa Club". It was a house designed for players in the academy that didn't have family out in Mexico City and obviously needed a place to live. We had up to 24 people in the house with four to six players per room, each room with bunk beds. There, I discovered that I had a family. They weren't just my teammates or the guys that I lived with, they were my brothers. Everyone helped everyone out. The harmony was amazing. It was always a good time and we stayed laughing all day and every day. And this was a great thing, to feel the warmth of a family. Being out there on your own and making decisions on your own is very tough. I went out there when I was only 14 years old and I missed my family and friends every single second of my time out there. But the sacrifice was for a great cause and it was very worth it.

I would like to acknowledge and thank my coaches that helped me be a better player, as well as a much better person. Raul Alpizar was my first head coach, he decided for me to stay with his 96 team, when I first went down there to try out. Ellan Quintero was the assistant coach and we were champions that year. The next year my coach was Miguel Salas, with Ellan being the assistant again, this time with my age group ('97) and once again we were champions. And there was also, Ivan Gaytan, who was one of my goalkeeper coaches. But the two that had the biggest impact on my life, and were more than coaches that became my friends, were Eduardo Suarez, another goalkeeper coach, and Rene Anaya, our physical trainer. They had the biggest impact when it came to counseling, cheering me up, and training in every possible way!

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I ran into Mauricio Pedroza a few weeks ago and he lamented how you had done so well with Pumas but couldn’t stay because you couldn't get a release from the US to play there. What happened with that process?

I know Mauricio Pedroza really well, he helped me out a lot out there. Well, where do I start? When I left the Nevada Youth Soccer Association, I wasn't officially withdrawn from the pool of players. So when I went out to Mexico City they didn't hear from me. The NYSA just thought I quit soccer and I stilled technically belonged to the NYSA. When I was in Mexico, there was no problem for the first two years because I wasn't playing professional yet, it was academy play. So when I was registered in the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Profesional for u-17 play last year in August, which is the Mexican Professional Soccer Federation, that's when the whole problem started, because u-17 in a Mexican academy team is technically professional.

I was intended to be signed up for the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol Profesional, but I had to be either at least 18 years old or get an approved international tional transfer from FIFA. The first one was impossible because I don’t turn 18 until November of this year, so my only hope was the international transfer. However, Pumas told me that it was a process that would take a really long time to be solved and was very difficult. I spoke with the NYSA, who were actually very helpful in trying to help me and Pumas so we could do things right. They said that they had no problem with me playing over there. The problem was that we had to get the transfer approved by FIFA because Pumas was signing professionally a minor from another country and that could put their availability to sign more players at risk, similar to what happened to FC Barcelona.

So since my contract with Pumas was still active and I was taking a spot in the clubhouse, it wasn't convenient for me or for the club to have me there if I was only going to practice but not be able to participate in official games. So the decision was made around November of last year that I had to leave the club.

So where are you playing now?

I am currently playing with LVSA 97 Red, the current Region IV Regional Champions from my hometown Las Vegas. I joined the team only a month ago but it's been easy to adapt because they are all my old teammates and I know them all. We are a strong team and we are going for all of it. My team is in the championship series for the Nevada State Cup. Although I can't play in the State Cup because I came in too late, we are preparing to win this. It is our first objective. As a result of that, we would go to Idaho to defend our Regional Championship and we are decided to take it again.

Last weekend, we were the runner up for the blue group in the USYS National League, which was good enough to qualify us to the National Championship in Oklahoma this summer. We will prepare and with the help of God we will do a great job out there. We want that National Championship.

What's the plan going forward? College? Mexico?

Many things are going on in my head about my future. Currently, I am attending Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am in 11th grade, and am working on getting my GPA up and getting my credits so that I can graduate without a problem with my senior class of 2016. I know that when I turn 18 I have the option to be eligible to go back to Mexico and try out for a team again but right now my mentality is to go to college. Soccer is not going to last me my whole life and more than that, no one guarantees me that I will live off of soccer. It is important to be prepared in life for every situation. I want to be a professional soccer player, but I have to be prepared for life after soccer.

Alvarez, center with orange and white gloves, with LVSA 97 Red.

Alvarez, center with orange and white gloves, with LVSA 97 Red.

Everybody Soccered - March 2015

Cover photo of Trigg the Dog belongs to Hannah, who bought a t-shirt and put it on her dog. Head to the store to purchase a shirt so your pet can be the most stylish animal on the block.

March 31st

Andy Gruenebaum spoke with Dom Dwyer on his incident with Chris Seitz and if it should have been a foul. The Hebrew Hammer makes a good point that until they start calling it, players aren't going to stop doing it. However, the term "protect" does not apply in this situation. No goalkeepers is protecting himself when they run through another player that aggressively. A goalkeeper has no more right to the ball than any other player on the field. That said, Dwyer is already flopping before Seitz hits him and actually throwing his back into an awkward position. Seitz shouldn't be allowed to run through a player but Dwyer made it more dangerous than it should have been. For more thoughts on the subject, check out "Goalkeepers Protecting Themselves" from back in April of last year.

Brian Perk is out for this next season after fracturing his left ankle. All the best in his recovery. (A few highlights of his past season here.)

Hope Solo has starter her own blog. The 167th capped goalkeeper opened up about her time off the field and return to the team.

Ryan Meara apparently is okay and the injury was a false alarm.

Pat Wall announced his retirement but has a promising career ahead of him.

Various links on players going abroad

March 22nd

It's official: William Yarbrough has been called into the USMNT. Mexican national team coach Eduardo Herrera essentially said that Mexico doesn't need him. But the USMNT wasn't the only roster recently announced. The USWNT, U23s, and U20s also released names for upcoming matches with some unfamiliar faces. Let's take a closer look at each team's goalkeeping core.

USMNT - March 25th v Denmark, March 31st v Switzerland

  • Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake - The assumed starter against Denmark. USMNT fans are looking to see a better performance than what Rimando showed in the 3-3 draw to Philadelphia last week. (Highlights)
  • William Yarbrough - Club Leon - If Klinsmann is truly trying to win WPY over, it would make sense for him to get at least 45 minutes. Look for him to suit up against Switzerland on Tuesday the 31st, if not start. Hopefully he will have look sharper than his recent 5-1 outing against Monterrey. (Highlights of the pounding here.)
  • Cody Cropper - Southampton - It's safe to say he's recovered from his eye injury. With his call up to the national team and being a U23 option, I expect Cropper to start for the U23s during the qualification. However, he hasn't even made the bench for Southampton's U21s so who knows if he'll receive playing time this go around.

USWNT - April 4th v New Zealand

  • Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
  • The only question about this group, all three of which are going to the World Cup, is who will be starting in friendlies leading up to the tournament. Solo has started more than the normal amount of games so it'll probably be her but ideally the backups are getting tested as well.

U23s - March 27th v Bosnia and Herzegovina's U23s, March 31st v Denmark U23s

  • Charlie Horton - Cardiff City - The most recent video I could find on Horton was from a U21 match with Cardiff City against Charlton from November. (Highlights) I'd like to see Horton be a little more quick to react and not recklessly charge out on crossing situations.
  • Tyler Miller - Zweibrücken (Germany) - Miller made his first appearance with Zweibrücken recently and looked comfortable although not all that pressed. (Highlights) Expect the two goalkeepers to split the two games, barring injury.

U20s - March 27th v Tottenham U21s, March 29th v England U21s

  • Jeff Caldwell - University of Virginia - Caldwell enjoyed a productive season with Virginia last year, splitting time senior Calle Brown. He's been called into U17 and U20 camps and narrowly missed out on the U20 World Cup qualifiers earlier this year.
  • Thomas Olsen - University of San Diego - Easily the biggest surprise pick of the bunch. The freshman started 19 games for the Toreros this last season. (High school highlights) Both goalkeepers are eyeing spots on the U20 World Cup roster, which kicks off in a little over two months. Caldwell has the inside track on the number three spot but Olsen has a foot in the door now.

Katie Fraine and Linköpings lost 1-0 in their first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Judging from the stats, Linköpings had plenty of chances and should feel confident going back home. 

In USL action, there was a little bit of news. Ryan Meara has been injured but the severity of the injury is unknown. After being loaned to NYCFC, and then being loaned again to Wilmington, he was caught in an award moment and doesn't sound like he's doing well.

There were also some rookies making their professional debuts. Alex Bono had some really good moments and some rude awakenings when it came to quick decision making. (Highlights) Long term, he'll be fine. He has the size and mind to fix the problems but Toronto II fans will have some more groans before the season is over. On the West Coast, Sounders started Charlie Lyon snagged a 4-2 win over Sacramento. (Highlights)

U23 standout Jon Kempin has been loaned to NASL side the San Antonio Scorpions, who desperately need the help.

And of course, Tally Hall presented the weather with his goalkeeper gloves on.

 

 

March 18th

William Yarbrough has been getting some attention for the possibility of him representing the US over Mexico. The dual national was covered by ESPN earlier this month and was cryptically commented on by Klinsmann, saying about Yarbrough, "We like him." Most recently, there's buzz about him receiving a call for the US although that itself would not cap-tie him to the United States. He could play for the US and then later play for Mexico as this is just a friendly. If I had to put money down, I would expect the US to out-push Mexico in the race although Yarbrough is not a necessity. There are other options out there for Klinsmann but there's no denying the insurance would be welcomed. (Take a glance at the top 100 goalkeepers projected for the 2018 World Cup, where Yarbrough comes in as the ninth best option.)

The USWNT rebounded from a shaky period with a confident run in the Algarve Cup. After two wins and a tie in group play, the women topped France in the championship game. While the team as a whole looks like a safe bet to place money on, the goalkeeper situation is less clear. Hope Solo started the opener against Norway on Wednesday with an up and down outing. (For a more detail analysis of her play, read my review of her game here.) She posted clean sheets against Switzerland and Iceland, although her involvement was minimal. However the Solo's highlight of the tournament came in the final.

While the penalty save was a lot of fun to watch, the question of how Solo will perform is still murky. Her hands aren't looking to hold shots. She's able to get up for shots under or near the cross bar but going she may give up a poor rebound on a low shot. I'm also less confident about the awkward situations. Similar to Iker Casillas last World Cup, if ball is sent in at an odd angle or a scrum breaks out in front of goal, I'm not sure Solo will play percentages and make the right play.

Slightly related, I spoke with two UEFA Champion League goalkeepers who coincidentally are both American (interview over at Soccer Over There). It's a long read, but Libby Stout and Katie Fraine really open up about their views on American soccer, player development, and playing away from their domestic league. If you're looking to know more about the USWNT, it's a great start.

Brad Friedel is in the discussion as a potential Chelsea backup but that seems like a long shot. He's already signed a contract with Fox Soccer but I suppose he could pull double duty?

DeAndre Yedlin takes a shot on Friedel as an inflatable dummy bows at Friedel's greatness. Fun fact: Friedel had already had played for the United States before Yedlin was born.

DeAndre Yedlin takes a shot on Friedel as an inflatable dummy bows at Friedel's greatness. Fun fact: Friedel had already had played for the United States before Yedlin was born.

Arie Ammann is returning from Watford's academy to attend Penn State next fall. Matt Bersano, arguably the best goalkeeper in the nation, will surely start this last year. (Interview with Bersano here.) Then there's Sophomore Evan Finney waiting as well. So while Ammann has a sharp résumé, it may be a while until we see him in goal for Penn State.

Josh Deaver recapped the current U23 pool and gave a nice update on our U23 goalkeeper situation, although he failed to name Paul Blanchette. Here are some highlights of the big man in goal:

Paul Gardner wrote about how Chris Seitz's punch last weekend should have been a red card. I disagree that it should have been a red - I don't think that qualifies as a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity with another defender in the area - but I do agree it should have been a foul and a penalty kick to SKC. To make it more simple, imagine a defender making the same play with his head. It's clearly over the back and incredibly dangerous to both parties. Still, it's not surprising it wasn't called. This type of play has been going on for over a decade and unless there's a realignment by FIFA, it'll continue.

The U17s squeaked into the World Cup last week. In the three straight wins to open the tournament, Will Pulisic, starting over Kevin Silva, had very little to do and only conceded one goal through the stretch. In the fourth game, Honduras netted two awkward shots on Pulisic to earn a tie and the only action Pulisic saw in the remaining two games, both against Jamaica, were from the penalty spot. He didn't make any stops despite giving the right way more times than not. So the only takeaway from the tournament is how Pulisic played in all five matches over Silva, the once assumed starter. Silva likely wasn't injured, or else he wouldn't have traveled, but this could be in response to his rough Nike Friendlies at the end of last year. Both have another year in high school before they graduate. Pulisic has committed to Duke and Silva hasn't announced anything as of yet.

NWSL had two goalkeepers retire. FC Kansas City goalkeeper Sara Keane retired for unlisted reasons and Taylor Vancil of the Chicago Red Stars also announced her departure, stating, "Soccer has been my life since I was four years old and it has been such a joy for that length of time. In reflecting and talking to people, I’ve just come to realize that there are a lot of other things that I’m passionate about, so I’d like to work toward pursuing some of those things to see where else I could go."

A few goalkeepers are making waves overseas:

  • Brad Guzan is in the FA Cup semi-finals with Aston Villa. They play the winner of Liverpool and Blackburn on April the 18th or 19th.
  • Adrianna Franch didn't return to the Western New York Flash and is now in Norway with Avaldsnes IL. (Or so says a roughly translated article.)
  • Tyler Miller played in his first game and unfortunately gave up a goal due to poor communication with his defender. Other than the goal, which is more on the defender than goalkeeper, he was active and made some nice saves. (Highlights here)
  • Alex Wimmer has signed with Orebro Syrianska, a third division club in Sweden.

Lastly, some various goalkeeping links, including interviews and articles I wrote

Matt Bersano Interview: One Year Left

Matt Bersano is one of the best collegiate goalkeepers heading into this next fall. After a successful and historic run with Oregon State last year, Bersano declined a professional contract and is transferring for graduate school for his final year of eligibility. Bersano opens up about the late switch and his ties with Real Salt Lake.

Oregon State returned to the postseason for the first time since 2003. What worked this last season?

The biggest thing we had this year compared to prior years was an overall understanding amongst the squad that we were going to get the job done. This started with the leaders we had as seniors and went as far as the talented freshman who pulled well above their anticipated weight. In past years we had great runs before conference then hit the Pac-12 schedule and struggled. This last year we didn't care who we were playing, we were going to give them a run, no matter what their rank was.

What makes Oregon State a good program?

I think one of the biggest facets to being a member of Oregon State is how undervalued the program has been in the past years; it definitely gives you a chip on your shoulder heading into matchups with the perennial programs in the Pac-12. Apart from that mindset, the facilities and care put into the sessions by staff and strength coaches definitely puts the program on the map.

After graduating from Oregon State, you're transferring to Penn State for grad school with one year of eligibility left. Talk about the process of transferring and why you chose Penn State.

I graduated from Oregon State with a Speech Communication degree and am currently in the application process for the School of International Affairs at Penn State. After graduating, I felt it was time to get out of Corvallis and see what soccer was like on the East Coast. I knew the criteria of program I wanted to step into and had coaches talking to other coaches, trying to spread the word of my release. My final choice was between Penn State and Indiana. I know what it's like to live in a college town and I want to win a College Cup. I’m very confident in Penn State’s program for the fall and can't wait to be a part of the team.

Photo belongs to Kaia D'Albora, The UW Daily

Photo belongs to Kaia D'Albora, The UW Daily

Most players transfer because of lack of playing time but you're transferring for grad school. So how does this affect your allegiance to the two schools? Are you more Beaver than Nittany Lion? Or some hybrid now?

I have definitely heard how unique my situation is. I know going from captain of one school to wanting to lead another is not the most common, but I’m not terribly surprised of this route. After finishing high school and college early, I haven't been known to follow suit with traditional routes.

I told the coaches earlier in my career that after my senior (4th) year I was going to pursue a professional career with Real Salt Lake or somewhere in Europe. As the situation worked itself out I received a lot of advice encouraging me to head back to school while I still can, but never was I going back to OSU. The coaches and I were in a mutual understanding that I was not going back to OSU and therefore were able to plan for the future and get a very good player in Nolan [Wirth]. It was very good for him to get some games when I hurt my knee in the first game of the season last year so they will have no issues in the goalkeeper position next year.

Early on I knew that even if things didn't work with my homegrown option, if I went back to school I would have wanted it to be a different school. I enjoyed my time in Oregon and loved being a captain of the team, but I also wanted to test myself and see if I could walk into a high profile team like Penn State and be a leader from the start. I came in with my freshman class from OSU and left with them, which is something I take a lot of pride in. I will always have an allegiance to OSU but I am very excited to begin supporting Penn State athletics. I'm looking forward to a new environment for my next five months and I'm very happy that place is State College, PA.

You've spent some time with Real Salt Lake academy and recently trained with Sporting Kansas City. What sticks out about the two organizations?

While I didn't get to see much of how Sporting Kansas City handles their youth academy, I think they both have put themselves in a very good position when it comes to development. One of the benefits to Sporting is that the youth and professional teams share a location for practice therefore you can easily have some of the academy players play with the first team in sessions whenever [Sporting head coach Peter] Vermes wants. Real Salt Lake had the first academy with a residency, which I was very lucky to be a part of their first ever team. The facilities in Casa Grande were amazing and it definitely helped contribute to the mindset of being a professional. Overall, there is a reason both of these first teams are consistently at the top of MLS: they develop great players from a young age.

How much of a possibility is there of a future homegrown contract with Real Salt Lake?

After graduating in December, the original plan was to link into a contract with the first team at Salt Lake. They already had three signed goalkeepers for the first team and the only talk of contract came from first year Real Monarchs, their USL affiliate. Having a fifth year in my back pocket, there wasn’t any point in leaving college early unless it was on MLS money.

By not offering a first team contract, I am no longer a homegrown option for RSL and am now draft-eligible, which is a change from last year where I was a senior and was unable to be drafted due to my ties with RSL. I was invited to preseason with SKC, RSL, and Seattle, and chose SKC since I had enjoyed my ten day stint with them in July of last year. [SKC goalkeeper coach John] Pascarella is a great coach and I enjoyed being a part of every session for the last month out in Tucson. I had already done two MLS preseasons with RSL beginning when I was 17, then the next year at the academy. It’s pretty cool that I have three preseasons under my belt before actually signing a contract so I’ll be prepared when the opportunity comes knocking.

How are you spending your college off-season this spring?

Photo belongs to Justin Quinn of the Daily Barometer

Photo belongs to Justin Quinn of the Daily Barometer

I am keeping myself very busy, to say the least. I was in preseason from January 25th through March 1st, and am currently writing this in an airport in Madrid where I will be spending the next month with a couple third division clubs outside of Valencia, Spain. I will get the month of April to be home with the family -- a pleasant change -- then head to Oregon on May 5th to be a part of [PDL club] Lane United. I will end July with Camp Shutout in Stevens Point, Wisconsin before heading into preseason in Pennsylvania in August. Add in a few trips here and there to San Diego with the girlfriend and a trip out to New York to visit my college roommate Khiry Shelton with NYCFC and you could say I'll be doing a good amount of travel this offseason.

Looking ahead, what's the perfect situation you'd like to have for yourself in five years?

Thinking of a five year plan is so crazy in this sport. You never know where you'll end up landing in the future. If I had a choice, I'd love to play domestically first and make a name for myself in MLS before heading to Europe for a couple years. Five years down the road, I want to be a starter for an MLS side with a couple years already under my belt.

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?

I tried to take superstitions out of my game ever since I was young because of one horror story. When I was younger I loved to do the same exact warm up for every game. Then there was one tournament in California where I didn't have enough field space to do my routine and I had a rough game mentally. Since then, I just show up wanting to play my game. The rest will show itself. The closest thing I have to superstition would be having MT17 written on every single glove or cleat I own. MT17 stands for my friend Matt Tilton. He was a friend of mine from one of my early soccer playing days, and the first close friend where I've had to mourn their death. He passed in April of last year, and I struggled with it last spring. So every time I touch a ball, I'm honoring him in someway because he was always my biggest fan.

What’s the most important game you've played in your career thus far?

I think the most important game of my career thus far would have to be our 2-0 win at University of Washington to clinch a spot in the postseason. I think it is just ahead of the most rewarding game I've ever played which was the next game, the first round of the NCAA tournament hosting Denver. Being the first team to make it to the postseason since 2003 was amazing but being the team to go the farthest in school history was even better. I've known what the second round feels like, now I want to head into Penn State and see what the Final Four can be like.

Stellar save at 1:17 against Denver in the first round of the 2014 NCAA tournament

Who has helped you get as far as you have gotten?

Obviously, apart from the family who have been there for me every step of the way in any way I needed, I owe a lot of my development and current situation to Stan Anderson and John Galas. Stan is the creator of Camp Shutout and tried recruiting me to Marquette back when he was a goalkeeper coach there. We have stayed very good friends and I definitely look to him as a mentor as we continue to work together in finding me a home at the next level and even working the Camp Shutout Big Show in the summer. He's there if you need a phone call about soccer or even just a tip with how to handle a life situation.

John Galas and his brother created the PDL team Lane United and I've known John since he was my goalkeeper coach back in the RSL academy. Similar to Stan, John will break his back for you in any way he can help. Most recently, he was incredibly helpful in getting in touch with coaches, letting them know I had my release from OSU, and was looking around or helping work this Spain trip out. Both of these guys have contacts around the world and if they see something in your play, they are not afraid to put their name on the line to promote you to the next level. And they’re good guys, so that's a definite plus.

Cover photo belongs to Scobel Wiggins of Oregon State Athletics.

Hunter Harrison Interview: A New Road to College

Hunter Harrison is a nineteen year old goalkeeper from Dallas, Texas. After playing for the Dallas Texans, the four star recruit committed to Oregon State but soon fell off the map. Hunter recaps what happened at OSU and what the outlook is now.

Last fall, you were signed to go play at Oregon State. What about OSU attracted you?

I was originally looking at SMU and Tulsa.  I met Terry Boss at one of the Tulsa University camps where he was the coach prior to him moving to OSU.  He was moving to Oregon State to become the Beavers goalkeeper coach and I wanted to play for him.  I also really enjoyed with OSU’s location, soccer program, and facilities in Corvallis.

I've heard differing reports about your time at OSU, some saying you were released from the team. So talk about your exiting. How it unfolded, why it happened, who you talked to? Would you change anything going back?

Right before the season started Terry moved to the University of Virginia after he got married.  So that was a setback.  On top of that, my last years of high school I attended a small private school where the curriculum was a better fit for me personally. It had a better student–teacher ratio and allowed me the flexibility that I needed in my studies while focusing on my soccer training and travels.  When I began to attend classes at OSU, I was having trouble feeling comfortable with the size of the class and the pace of the classroom studies so I was struggling.  I returned to Dallas, continued training while taking a couple of courses at the community college.  My coaches, parents, and I all agreed that this was my best decision, as opposed to hurting my NCAA eligibility.

So what's the plan now?

After leaving Oregon State, I received some interest from clubs in Germany, Norway, and Guatemala but obviously not having an agent, which would ruin my college eligibility, made it tough. I trialed with OKC Energy and for the Tulsa Roughnecks - where I was the youngest player out of everyone there at both trials - but as of right now, I will be playing for Oral Roberts University next fall. I’m ready to return to college and the classroom.  I look forward to playing for Oral Roberts and the coaching staff.  

And what's the current outlook like at the moment?

I’m positive. I’ve been working hard despite the setbacks. I have plans to play for a good program in the Fall and time to develop over the next year. I’ll continue to prepare as I pursue my goal to play professionally.