It shouldn't be a big surprise that 16-year-old midfielder Bradlee Baladez is among the final 18 in Sueno MLS Dallas 2008. After all, the Houston-born Baladez, who now lives in Dallas, is the son of a successful coach who led his high school teams to the state finals on six different occasions.
His father, Lupe Baladez, who also played semi-pro soccer, now coaches his son with the XCELEX Soccer Club in neighboring Mesquite. Bradlee is also a member of the North Texas 1991 Boys Olympic Development Program (ODP) team and plays for the Mesquite H.S. varsity squad, where he is currently a junior.
But despite an impressive soccer pedigree, Baladez admits that after his first day at Sueno several weeks ago, he didn't think his chances were good of advancing.
"On my first day of Sueno, I honestly didn't think so (that I would be among the final 18)," he admitted. "I tried out at forward on that first Saturday and didn't do very well. Then, I tried out at midfielder on Sunday and had a pretty good showing. My father said that I had a pretty good showing that day and I felt like I had done well. I did a lot better on the second day."
Since then, Baladez feels that he has found his groove, especially during last weekend's training session with the other 17 players remaining.
"It went pretty well," he said. "It was great to get to know the other guys that I will be playing with this Saturday. They're nice, outgoing and talk a lot. I think it will be a good performance for us this weekend."
He knows that the real test will come this weekend when they will play an actual, 90-minute game as a team. "I'm not really anxious about anything," Baladez said. "I'm actually kind of nervous. I'm looking forward to playing a really good game on Saturday with the other guys."
Baladez knows that to be among the final three players left in Sueno, which will be announced on Sunday, he will need to have a big impact in that match.
"I think that I will need to have a great showing on Saturday," he said. "I will just have to go out there and do what I can do. I need to do my best, score some goals and get some assists I'm guessing."
While Sueno will be his sole focus on Saturday, Baladez's club team is competing in the Dallas Cup, one of the top amateur tournaments in the nation, which begins this weekend. And with next week being spring break, he plans to spend the entire time playing.
"My first game (in Dallas Cup) is on Sunday and my next one isn't until Monday," he said. "So, Sueno won't affect that. We're on spring break next week and I will spend it playing in Dallas Cup. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my spring break."
Baladez started playing when he was four and calls current Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo his favorite player. "I like the way he plays and the things he does," he said. "I see the opportunities that he creates and love to watch him play just because he's a joy to watch."
He isn't alone in the group of 18 as Baladez knows four other players still remaining. Two of those, 17-year-old midfielder Jael Barrerra of Dallas and 16-year-old striker Angel Reyes, also of Dallas, are currently teammates of his in the ODP program.
Admittedly, being among friends makes Sueno an even more meaningful experience but Baladez realizes that essentially, they're all still competing for the same prize.
"It does add a lot," he said. "Even though they're my friends, we're all in a competition together. I know what I can do and also what they can do. We all know what each other's strengths are."
He calls participating in Sueno the most unique experience he's had as a player. "The Sueno experience has been a joy," he said. "I've never been through anything like this before with my club team or my high school team. It's been a great experience for me."
One constant for him during the entire process has been the presence of his father who after each game or training session, has always been there to offer his son some praise or constructive criticism, something Bradlee appreciates.
"My dad isn't going to lie to me about anything," Baladez said. "Him being my coach and my dad, he tells me anything he can to make me better. He doesn't want to put me down in any way but he's going to criticize me to help me become a better player. He's there for me and supports me in everything I do. He's my wingman."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
