A year ago, two talented Colombians came to MLS in New York Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel and FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja. Both were all-stars in their first year and generated their share of fans over the course of the season. One participant in Sueno MLS 2008, Christian Navarette, wants to follow in their footsteps by playing in MLS.
Navarette is an 18-year-old forward who plays for Lincoln High School, which won the New York City championship in 2006. His father is Colombian and Navarette admits he has been an Angel fan even before he came to the league thanks to his exploits with the Colombian national team and English Premier League side Aston Villa.
"He's Colombian, so I feel a connection with him," Navarette said. "I also used to watch Aston Villa all the time when he was there. He was a really good player and scored a lot of goals for them. I was also a big fan of the Red Bulls and when he came here, he also scored a lot of goals and practically carried the team through the season. I love watching him and seeing how he scores. I remember a game he had against Chicago where he had a couple of goals. He also did well for the Colombian national team and is just a really good player."
Although a big fan of the Red Bulls, Navarette is also a big fan of Toja thanks to his flowing locks and his resemblance to a rock star. But there is another Red Bulls player he also likes to watch.
"I also love Jozy Altidore," he said. "I saw that he scored a goal for the U.S. team [against Mexico on Feb. 6] and was really excited."
Navarette remembers first being exposed to soccer when he was four.
"When I was four, my father put me on a team in Flushing Queens called the Incas Soccer Club," he recalled. "I really didn't know anything about soccer. I didn't know how to kick the ball, run or the passes.
"I learned about more than just soccer. I learned about life and I really grew up around the game. Then, I played on a team in Jersey City and stayed there until I was 12. I had to take a train into the city and then a bus to practice. That was really hard but I wanted to play soccer so badly, so I didn't really mind it."
He credits his parents' roots as a big reason why he started playing in the first place.
"My parents are both from South America and soccer is really big down there," Navarette said. "It's the national sport down there and soccer is a really big part of their lives. My father instilled that passion for the sport in me because he has always been passionate about soccer."
He remembers his father always being there to help further his soccer career.
"He's the one who got me on my first team and always tells me that I can do anything as long as I practice hard and do my best," Navarette said. "My father has really helped me because he always filled out my registration forms, bought my uniforms and things like that. My mother, who is from Peru, was also a big help. She always wanted me to focus on school because in case soccer didn't work out, she said I should always have something to fall back on."
Navarette is eagerly anticipating the start of Sueno MLS and remembers exactly how he first found out about the competition.
"I'm really excited," he said. "It's a great opportunity for me to be something. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a professional soccer player. It got harder to make that a reality as I got older but one day I was watching TV and I saw something on Sueno. Then, I knew what a good opportunity it was and it couldn't hurt for me to give it a try."
He realizes that the competition will be fierce but that would make winning the event even more meaningful.
"It would be amazing," Navarette said. "To become a professional player would be incredible. I can't even imagine that happening but if it did happen, it would be great. It would be great because I would be able to help my family out and set them up for the future."
Navarette and his father will be flying to Dallas but thanks to a family member who is a pilot, at a much reduced rate.
"We're flying on U.S. Airways," he said. "My brother is a pilot for them, so he got us a really cheap ticket. Otherwise, it would've been $400 and that's a lot. I'm going with my father. We can't really afford to take anyone else."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
