After a 20-year playing career in Mexico’s First Division, Jose Luis Gonzalez was looking to move into the coaching ranks with one of the professional soccer clubs in his country.
But the Mexico Soccer Federation had other plans for the former Atlante team captain. The federation felt Gonzalez would be the perfect choice to coach its Under-17 national team.
The federation obviously knew what it was doing. Under Gonzalez’s direction, the team qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament is set for Oct. 24-Nov. 1 in Nigeria.
Mexico's Victor Mañon figures to be a main player on Tuesday night against the Gauchos.
In preparation for the World Cup, Gonzalez has brought the Mexican team to California to play a series of three matches. The first match is tonight against the nationally ranked UCSB men’s soccer team at Harder Stadium. Tickets are $15 for the 7 p.m. international encounter.
The matchup pits two programs that made history this decade. In 2005, Mexico won the U-17 World Cup, giving the country its first FIFA -sanctioned world championship at any level.
In 2006, UCSB won its first NCAA soccer championship.
The action tonight figures to be fast and furious. UCSB has its fastest team in program history, while Mexico plays a free-flowing, attacking style of soccer.
The Mexican team is led by forward Victor Mañon and midfielder Cesar Ibañez, both of whom play for first division teams, Mañon with Pachuca and Ibañez with Atlas. Martin Galvan, another standout player who plays professionally with Cruz Azul, did not make the trip because of an injury.
Although he worked as an assistant with the world championship team in 2005, Gonzalez admitted that he had some reservations about taking the head job with the U-17s.
“When I was first approached to coach the U-17s, I wasn’t convinced at the beginning,” he said through a translator while having lunch Monday at Los Agaves Restaurant on Milpas Street. “When I retired after a long career, my idea was to coach in the first division. But now that I’ve been with the group for about seven months, I am very grateful and lucky to have this opportunity to be with the team. I am proud that I made the right decision.”
He’s enjoying the role of preparing these players for the next level.
“I take a lot of pride in being able to train kids at a crucial age when they can turn (their careers) around. This might be the last fundamental steps before these guys get an opportunity to play in the first division. I am very grateful to be a part of their lives in a crucial moment.”
At the World Cup, Mexico will play Switzerland, Japan and Brazil in its first-round group.
“It won’t be easy,” Gonzalez said. “It’s going to very challenging, but I feel Mexico can do a good job and go on (in the tournament).”
Asked if he or the players feel pressure because of the 2005 team’s success, Gonzalez said, “It’s not really a burden; it’s something we don’t stress about. On the contrary, we use that as a motivational thing. We know it’s been done and we draw off that historical moment and continue to prepare ourselves for what’s ahead.”
Tuesday’s match is part of UCSB’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Prior to the match, sophomore men’s basketball forward Jaimé Serna, accompanied by several other UCSB Latino and Latina athletes, will welcome the crowd and speak about Hispanic Heritage Month.
The pre-match festivities also will include a ceremonial coin toss by Rogelio Flores of the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard and a ceremonial kickoff by Pedro Nava, assemblyman from Santa Barbara County. Additionally, fans will be greeted by a mariachi band and, at halftime, the dancers of Alma de Mexico will perform.
UCSB enters the match after going 1-0-1 over the weekend in Wisconsin. The Gauchos (5-1-1) beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2-0 on Friday and tied the University of Wisconsin 1-1 on Sunday.
