On Saturday, about 500 aspiring soccer players will descend on Plex in Stafford, Texas, to begin their tryout for the two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo as part of Dynamo Trials 2008, presented by LALA.
The players, who have signed up from more than 30 different countries, will be assessed on their performance and could earn the right to advance in the tryout process to a training session with the Dynamo Academy team. On Saturday, the players must prove that they are in peak physical condition and have what it takes to play for an elite club.
One player enters the fitness tests with plenty of confidence. Rafael Rodriguez, 23 years old, has been playing soccer since the age of 4 and appears to have learned how to handle the pressure of the soccer scene.
A midfielder who now stands 6-foot-1, Rodriguez rose through the youth ranks at UANL Tigres, one of Mexico's more famed clubs, and has also played with CF Monterrey. Despite his calm demeanor, he has high expectations for Saturday's tryouts.
"The physical preparation with Tigres has kept me in great physical condition," Rodriguez said. "I expect that the tryouts will be efficient and will take a good look at the abilities of all of the soccer players. I feel that I have a great chance, because I can play at that level."
Rodriguez comes to Houston with a solid knowledge of the Dynamo and their status as the top club in Major League Soccer.
"I really understand the high rank of this club," Rodriguez said. "I know it is one of the most important clubs in the MLS, and I always have aspired to play for great teams. I watch MLS games, and the most recent game I watched was a Dynamo game."
As soccer's popularity rises in the United States, the perception of Major League Soccer has changed among the Latin American clubs and players.
"I think MLS's level is advancing in huge steps. I believe they are playing more technical soccer all the time rather than with force," Rodriguez said. "And what to say about the Houston Dynamo? They are the two-time champions of MLS. I think they are the most consistent team in the last few years out of the MLS."
With hundreds of other competitors Rodriguez must make his presence felt with his athleticism and, if he advances to the April 26 skills tests, his soccer talent.
"My position in soccer is about self-control. In reality that is the ideal position for me, because I am a player with a strong leg, that doesn't back down, that plays easy," Rodriguez said. "I rarely lose the ball, and I like to lead my team. For a large part of my career as a soccer player I have been a captain."
Every player has some sense that they can be better than the other 500 soccer players. Without any trace of arrogance, Rodriguez explained why he is the man for the Dynamo.
"I was trained by the Tigres club, and all of my life I have passed through all of the divisions until I made the first team," Rodriguez said. "I hope, with God's grace, I will be a part of the great team that is the Houston Dynamo."
