Several International Players on UA Club Soccer Team

Monday, 21 September 2009 19:52

The University of Arizona Men’s Soccer Club Team is consistent with winning as well as keeping a wide variety of players on the roster.

The soccer team is very diverse when it comes to its players. Sure some of the members are from Tucson and the Phoenix area and they have several players that were born in Mexico and a few study abroad students from England.

Tryouts were held the first week of school from August 25-29 on Bear Down Field and Rincon Vista North. Tryouts were open to any enrolled student at UA.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for me coming from across seas to play in America and keep up my habits,” said Michael Stead, a study abroad student from Bristol, England.

“I got involved with the club team at UA because I play football regularly for The University of East Anglia back home and wanted to keep with it,” Stead said. “I have now played since the equivalent to your elementary school and have played the past two years at East Anglia."

While Stead doesn’t think that soccer is as big in the U.S. as it is back home, he was still surprised at how much Americans follow, play and watch soccer.

“As football is the national sport in England, the fan base is obviously far greater than that in America, in terms of sheer numbers,” said Stead. “But, for me, the surprise was the few people that did watch soccer and genuinely loved the sport, had a very good knowledge of the game.”

Stead said that the club team at UA is not as competitive as what he is used to in England, but he still enjoys playing across seas and having a great experience. There is also another student from Stead's university in Bristol, Daniel Rayner that plays on the UA club team.

Mike Ouellette, a senior backup goalie for the UA club team said, “I like that our team enjoys and welcomes players from all around the world. It’s great getting a variety of players, and they know the game very well and play like they have been playing since they were three.”

“This is my second year playing with the club team and last year we had two kids from Chile on the team and welcomed them just as anyone else," Ouellette said.

Along with Ouellette is second year junior forward Sean Blea who also feels great about the variety of the members on the roster this year. Blea adds to the diversity of the group in his own way, as he grew up in Guaymas Sonora, Mexico and he lived there until he was 11.

“I grew up playing soccer in Mexico with my classmates and neighbors after school every day that I can remember,” said Blea. “It is definitely different than growing up here because you are basically born playing at a very young age and stick with it.”

“We never really had the options of like baseball or basketball or football growing up. Iit was always you must play soccer and like it," Blea said.

“I had my most memorable goal against Arizona State last season. I got five goals and it made me think of all the hard work from living in the dumps and coming to America,” said Blea.

Soccer in the U.S. and soccer in other countries is completely different when it comes to fans and even the structure and style of the game.

“In my opinion there is a bigger stress placed on strength which plays into the stereotype of a 'kick and run' mentality that I have seen a few times whilst playing in America,” said Stead. “The style is no more different than in England. It is simply the fact that having a coach makes training sessions much more rigid in their structure.”

The success will hopefully continue throughout the season as some veterans and fresh faces take the field this year.

The UA Men’s Soccer Club team has started strong with a 3-0 record and hopes to keep up with this winning streak for the entire season.

Written by Grant Becker