For many families, soccer truly is a family affair. And in the eyes of 16-year-old brothers Jose and Rogelio Funes of Arlington, Texas, the game is even more meaningful because they spend much of their time playing together. Both are juniors on the varsity squad at Arlington High School, a Dallas-area suburb.
And so, it shouldn't be surprising that they were teammates once again Saturday at Sueno MLS 2008. Rogelio netted four goals for his side while Jose scored once, as the two are among some 2,000 participants trying to fulfill their dream of playing professional soccer.
"I just wanted to come out here, have fun and play soccer," Jose Funes said. "We know each other and how to play together. It's great to do that and to have fun."
Rogelio's scoring outburst shouldn't be a big surprise. A forward for his high school team, he found the back of the net 31 times in 2008 and also assisted on 18 other goals for the Colts.
"I had four goals today and it was pretty good," he said. "I like to have fun, play a lot and my goal is to score. I was able to do that today and that was it."
After scoring once in the first half, Rogelio found the scoring column three times in the second half. Not to be outdone, Jose also found the back of the net with a scorching blast from about 22 yards out late in the game.
"They passed it to the middle, I looked inside, shot it and it went in," Jose Rogelio said about his goal.
The Funes brothers are originally from Argentina but have been stateside for the last seven years and play in the FC Dallas youth system. No matter what happens in Sueno, they will return to Pizza Hut Park next month as their club team will take part in Dallas Cup 2008.
Both are clearly excited about the great opportunity that Sueno represents.
"This is my life and all I've been waiting for, is to be a pro soccer player," Jose Funes said. "That's what I want to do in the future. It would mean something extra for us to do well since we are from the area."
Rogelio echoed his sibling's sentiments. "I am very excited to be taking part in this and to have a chance," he said. "I knew it would be hard because there are a lot of good players here. I just wanted to come out here and do my best. It's great to play with him and to be able to do this with him."
They are also big FC Dallas fans but do disagree on who their favorite player is. Jose names now-ex FCD striker Carlos Ruiz, who was traded to the LA Galaxy in January as his favorite player while Rogelio follows Juan Toja and Dario Sala, a fellow Argentinean.
For Rogelio, being one of the 60 players selected to advance to the next round would be a great achievement but sharing it with his brother would make it even more meaningful.
"I would be so happy," Rogelio Nunes said. "I hope they call me because I want to come back and show everyone that I can play soccer. Having my brother come back with me would make it even better. I am very excited and hope we can make it. It would be very fun."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
