Taking the Next Step: Gilberto Garcia

The first time I met Gilberto, he was playing for the UPSL’s FC Grande, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. As a supporter of the club, I could see his talent, that was obvious, but, more than anything, it was his passion that shone every match he played. Even the matches he didn’t play, he was always on the bench, trying to catch the coach’s eye to get into the match. And after the matches, he always made a point to talk to the fans and supporters. This season he played with San Antonio Runners, but has been working hard on landing an international spot. He’s a bright talent with a story, and, with a big move to Spain happening this month, we’re letting him tell it.

- Dan

What’s your backstory?

My name is Gilberto Garcia, I’m 22 years old and I was born in El Paso, Texas but I spent the first few years of my life in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico(where my family is from). I picked up soccer when I was 4 years old, I played for a local club in Juarez and fell in love with the sport, I just wanted to be like my older brothers who also played. I’m grateful my father was such a big fan of the sport, who also played his whole life but never had the support that I’ve had.

Can you describe your playing style, preferred position, players you model yourself after?

I would say my playing style has evolved throughout the years, I must admit I hit a stump in my career while in high school. I stopped taking it serious after I got a knee injury my junior season, as I was coming off winning a district championship and being the youngest on my varsity team. So in high school I would rely heavily on just speed then it evolved once I got to college, becoming more of a finishing player. I modeled my game after Luis Suarez, Lewandowski, you know all the great strikers. Once I got into the semi pro scene, I kept my striker mentality and also started becoming a better passer. I feel like I’ve now turned more into a playmaker but can still finish the play when needed. I started watching players like Isco & Neymar. So all in all, I like playing striker and CAM. 

The UPSL’s Southwestern foes, like Sporting AZ FC, helped Garcia to be ready for his move to Spain.

The UPSL’s Southwestern foes, like Sporting AZ FC, helped Garcia to be ready for his move to Spain.

You’re a veteran of the lower league scene in the US, where have you played and what was the experience like?

I’ve been in the trenches of the lower leagues in the US since summer of 18’ after I decided college wasn’t really getting me noticed. It’s definitely been a learning experience as you sometimes play against grown men so it gives you that Sunday league rawness. I’m grateful for the expansion of all these leagues as it made players like myself have more opportunities to get themselves out there. I’ve been at it for 3 seasons now, having my debut with FC Grande in Las Cruces, New Mexico. You’d be surprised how much local talent there is near the border, I then switched teams to the San Antonio Runners, in San Antonio, Texas to be closer to my sports agent Dr. Mario Sanchez. We had been cooking up the idea of playing in Spain for a few months so it was a good move. 

IMG_4431.jpeg

Where are you headed next?

I am now headed to Alicante, Spain to play for Santa Pola CF. 

How did you attract international attention?

As I mentioned, I linked up with my agent through one of my high school teammates who also went to Spain. I just messaged him one day and asked how he got noticed. I went to San Antonio in July of 2019 and conveniently the coach was in town visiting my agent so we met up and discussed the possibility of me going overseas and it took of from there. 

What’s your goal for your first season in Spain?

My goal for my first season in Spain is to develop into a lethal striker, and honestly work on my all around game. 

Any particular advantage of Spain versus another country?

I feel Spain has one of the most competitive leagues in the world being La Liga, so being in that country will turn me into a better player and hopefully I can climb up the ladder and make it onto a higher league team. The sky is the limit at this point so God Willing things will go well. 

What are the biggest problems facing players in the states?

I believe the biggest problem in the US is that we don’t have the same system they have in Europe, where they play year round in professional  academies. In the states, you have to fight to earn a scholarship and play college ball. In my opinion, it’s not the best route as you’re only in season about 3 months, and honestly Soccer isn’t viewed the same in the US as it comes second to American Football and Basketball. 

Gilberto played the 2019 Fall season with the UPSL’s SA Runners.

Gilberto played the 2019 Fall season with the UPSL’s SA Runners.

Do you see yourself as a success story yet?

I like to think of myself as a success story in the making, I was a young kid when tragedy struck my family. We hit rock bottom and I have had to climb myself out of it for the past 5 years. Having to work full time jobs and still having to go to training an hour away then coming home to family issues can be draining on a young adult, but I know the most successful people come from struggle so I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder. So this is only the beginning of my story, I want kids younger than me to have somebody they can relate to and to know that no matter what life throws at you there’s still a way out. 

What are your long term goals?

My long term goals are to make it to the big leagues, I know this career path isn’t forever but if I can get a good 10-15 years doing this then I’m happy. I just want to make my momma proud, my dad is the reason I got into the sport and my mom is the reason I never gave up. I want my brothers to live through me. 

Expanding the Map: Denton Diablos

It started as a conversation between myself and Brian Burden. We had both been talking with expansion clubs for the 2019 NPSL season and were comparing notes. Brian came up with the idea and pitched it. What if we followed these two clubs over the course of this season. Got close with the people involved, discussed the process of building a club from scratch, week by week. He came up with the idea and I named it, “Expanding the Map.” Over the next year, we’ll be working with two expansion clubs in the NPSL, each of us producing an installment article every two weeks on what the club is working on, dealing with, planning. The clubs are coming from different levels of development and vastly different parts of the country. Today is my first installment of Expanding the Map: Denton Diablos.

Putting together a team from scratch seems incredibly complicated from the outside looking in. Discussing that process with Damon Gochneaur, co-owner of the Denton Diablos, doesn’t make it seem any less complicated. What is clear, however, is that there is a plan for the club and they are ticking boxes off as they move towards the opening match for this expansion side.

“We’ve got a lot that needs to come together, but I think we’re in a really good position.”

The first and biggest focus of the club currently is staffing the team with players. To get there, the team has been holding open tryouts in Denton, looking for the right mix of players to field a competitive side in a conference full of strong teams. Two open tryouts have already been held with one more to come on the 17th of February. The tryouts that have been held have sold out and the upcoming one is on track to sell out even faster than the previous two. Two weeks out and the slots are already halfway filled.

I’ve always been curious about paid tryouts, if they are money makers for clubs, so I probed a little on how much was being charged. Denton charges $50 for entry. But Damon was quick to offer that there’s more value being offered than shot at a roster spot. “Every player gets two tickets to a home game of their choice for the Diablos’ regular season. We give them a t-shirt as well. The fee goes to the staff and actual physical logistics it takes. What I tell every kid that tries out, ‘If you come back to the club, this is the last money we’ll ever ask of you.’ Talking to other clubs at the annual owners meeting in December, if you go too low [with the fee] you get kids that aren’t qualified.” The tryouts do require a large number of staff present. At each tryout there’s 6-8 staff members, a head coach, a general manager, and one of the owners.

KmJAfpuL.jpg

The tryouts has been held at a facility with two fields, each turf, and the players divided up to scrimmage against each other. The staff is evenly divided between the scrimmages to observe and collect data about the players involved. So far the team has worked out 88 players, 44 a tryout, 11 players per team to scrimmage each other. What type of players are showing up for the tryouts? “The first open tryout we had, the best player on the pitch, in my opinion, was the oldest player there, 33 years old. He was so composed on the ball, so well positioned, played with so much knowledge, you could tell. We’ve gotten everything from the youngest kid was 17… but mostly it’s kids just out of school, 19-20, 30%-40% of the group. The other group is just out of college, 22-26 [age] range, that’s another 40%-50% of the group. That’s the bulk of it.”

Denton is taking the approach to roster building in an interesting fashion. The goal is to carry a player pool, somewhere over thirty players, to offer the club flexibility for its game day roster. The players will “train, get equipment, be officially registered with the club, the whole nine yards.” The players will be competing for the starting eleven throughout the season. The club has 23 players signed and rostered, so the pool still has room to grow through the upcoming open tryout. Those already on the squad include players with “national team experience, MLS experience, international club experience. Guys are current NCAA All-Americans and local standouts.” That description certainly sounds as if Denton will be competitive from day one.

8tTHDZ-c.jpg

The depth of available local talent was part of the plan in putting a club in Denton. “When I made this bet, that Denton would be a great community to try and make this team home, part of it was the knowledge, that when I graduated from high school twenty years ago, I could go field a team of 15-20 guys, just out of my group, that would have been really strong. In the twenty years since then, the metroplex has exploded and with three academies, thirty classic league teams, and all of the different opportunities for kids to play now, there’s just so much talent getting turned out in the metroplex every year.” Does geography and demographics give the Diablos an advantage over other clubs? Damon certainly thinks so. “I’m not a guy who gambles much. Talent, both from a coaching standpoint and a player standpoint, I felt it was just overflowing [in Denton]. It’s crazy.”

With much of the club’s focus being on finalizing the rosters and locating player talent, the challenges of starting a club from scratch means even more for Gochneaur to deal with. “Right now, I feel like it’s the hardest it will ever be, because there’s never been more things trying to get created out of nothing with so many moving parts.” Aside from rosters, the club is working to nail down sponsors, developing and solidifying those relationships - with the goal of finalizing kit sponsorships. Kits have to be ordered for players. And there’s the issue of where games will be played. Denton is home to the University of North Texas (UNT). The Diablos have entered into an agreement with the University to play their home matches at UNT Soccer Stadium, just over 1,000 seats, but it can hold up to 3,000 - if you include standing room. But there’s still details to nail down - specifically beer sales and parking - and finding out what will be allowed in the facility as it pertains to game day atmosphere - drums, smoke, horns. “We’re 90 plus days away. We’ve got a lot that needs to come together, but I think we’re in a really good position.”

“We’re approaching the season as a brand new club, with a lot of unknowns.”

While there’s a tremendous amount of hope that Denton will be a great success, I asked Damon if he was prepared to lose money. “You have to be. You have to get into your why - why would you do this? Yes, am I prepared to. Do I plan on it, no. The first place I always go in conversations [about the club] is ‘I want to know the worst case scenario,’ because then I can plan, mitigate potential losses. So yes, I’m prepared. I’m not doing this as a part of my portfolio from an investment perspective, but we plan on creating a sustainable, and profitable club starting in year one.”

When I asked Damon about the schedule for the season, he mentioned that he didn’t want to reveal any information that wasn’t public. However, while the schedule isn’t public yet, he was willing to tell me that the beginning of May will see the first matches played in the 2019 edition of the Lone Star Conference. As Gochneaur described it, moving back from that match, the club plans on playing several friendlies in the second half of April. Which clubs will face off against Denton remains to be seen, but Gochneaur did offer that Denton’s opening regular season match would be against a conference opponent, but not against local rival, Fort Worth Vaqueros.

Looking forward to the next two weeks, the milestones are big. Later this week, the schedule should be announced for the 2019 Lone Star Conference. And with that announcement, all the things that come with a schedule can begin happening - selling tickets, planning fan engagement, building a buzz. And part of that buzz is the second milestone Damon is looking towards, announcing the first player signings for the club. As he put it - “Who and when are we playing and who will be on our team!”

- Dan Vaughn