The Golden Dream

By Jeremy Padilla

Carlos Calderon is a humble normal eighteen year old boy from Pasadena California. While most teenagers spend the summer of their eighteenth year getting ready for college, Carlos is spending it competing against the world in his favorite sport, soccer.
Carlos is on the United States under 20 mens national team, and he and his teammates are competing in the FIFA Under 20 World Cup. For Carlos and his teammates this is only the first step to achieving their dream of representing the U.S. in the World Cup. Their dream is shared by their opponents of this tournament but unlike Carlos and his teammates, most of those players will one day carry the hopes and dreams of their entire country when they play in the World Cup. Also unlike their opponents, the American team is criticized for being inexperienced and accused of having non-citizens as players.
Carlos and his teammates must now overcome their critics, and play their best to show the World what American soccer has in store for the future, and hope that those back home will one day have The Golden Dream that they and the rest of the World all share.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781465327864

Book preview

PROLOGUE

July 17, 1994. Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States

94,194 FANS PACKED the Rose Bowl for the FIFA World Cup Final on July 17 1994. The World Cup, the world’s most prestigious sporting event, came to the United States with many not knowing how it would turn out. Many fans were worried that because the United States were not as enthusiastic as the rest of the world when it came to soccer the tournament would not be as welcomed as other events such as the Olympics would. To the surprise of many around the world the citizens of the United States took a vast interest in the tournament as large and lively crowds packed the stadiums at every match. It also had very important moments on and off the field. Argentina’s hero Diego Maradona tested positive for a banned substance during the group stages and was banned for the rest of the tournament. Later Columbian defender Andres Escobar was shot and killed in Medellin, Columbia following his country’s shocking first round exit from the tournament. Despite these tragedies the tournament quickly became one of the most memorable World Cups.

The tournament set the World Cup record for highest average crowds and highest total attendance, as well as the most attended single sporting event in United States history. First time qualifiers Nigeria and Saudi Arabia defied the odds and advanced to the knockout stages, and Bulgaria stunned the world with a captivating semi-final run and finished fourth. However on the last day only two countries remained. On a hot July afternoon the entire world turned its attention to the massive Rose Bowl for the final match between Italy and Brazil.

After great games throughout the tournament many were thinking the final would be one of the greatest ever, but it ended up being very anti-climatic. Neither team scored a goal in regular or over-time, and the game was forced into a penalty shootout. This dramatic ending had the entire Rose Bowl anxious and nervous. Many players and fans hated this ending while others felt that it would be a fantastic ending to the tournament. After Brazilian captain Dunga scored his penalty Brazil had a 3 to 2 lead in the shootout, and the Italians had their best striker Roberto Baggio coming up. He knew that if he missed his penalty Brazil would win the tournament. Nervous and fatigued he stepped up and to his complete and utter devastation sent the ball over the crossbar. In one of the most famous images in the history of the World Cup, Baggio stood in front of the goal with his arms by his side in disbelief. The Brazilians ran on to the field and celebrated the fourth of their currently five World Cup titles, they won the tournament again in 2002, and the Rose Bowl exploded with cheers.

The World Cup is the world’s greatest sporting event, with citizens all over the world counting the days before the tournament and praying that their country can qualify or win. This puts major pressure on the athletes, as they are not playing only for themselves but for the dreams of their entire country. It is maybe the only event in which national holidays are created just for qualifying, people packing the streets after a victory, and so much national pride is spread throughout the countries, that a nation is covered in its flag. It also can produce tragedy as some players are attacked or even killed if they perform poorly in the tournament, and some fans may even go as far as committing suicide if their side does not live up to expectations. Despite all this it is a wonderful and glorious event that occurs every four years.

For the players in this tournament the road to it usually begins at the FIFA under 20 World Cup where players as young as sixteen compete to be crowned youth champions of the world. The tournament preps young players for what they will experience at the World Cup itself, and many countries see it as a preview of the World Cup later on. It is where all those dreams, of all those people around the world begin.

CHAPTER ONE

The Final Qualifier

THE LOCKER ROOM was quiet, as players put on their shin guards, and tied their cleats. These players were the young men on the United States Men’s Under 20 National Team. The team was talented and very diverse just like the United States these boys were anywhere from sixteen to twenty years old and here they were representing their country in the sport they loved but often overlooked in their country.

Let’s go!

Coach Roberts’ voice echoed through the locker room. The players looked up and saw the big wooden door shut behind him. This was it, their final qualifying game for the FIFA under 20 World Cup in France. This was their last step in getting a spot in that tournament. The players walked into the tunnel ready for the game. One player though was nervous.

Carlos Calderon of Pasadena, California stood in the tunnel of the stadium with his hands shaking nervously. This behavior from Carlos however did not surprise his teammates. Despite being one of the most talented players on his team, Carlos was extremely modest and afraid of failure and at times his fear would cause him to be nervous, and usually his performance would be affected.

Nervous?

Carlos looked behind him and saw Rafael Lozano smirk at him.

Yeah. Carlos answered.

Don’t worry we’ve beaten these guys before. Rafael said trying to relax him.

It’s not that, it’s just, you know the usual for me. I’m just afraid I’ll mess up. said Carlos

Hey Carlos you’ll be fine, Ryan Martinez said coming out of the locker room, you scored that winning goal against Panama and set Rafael up for that winning goal against Guatemala. You’re a great player. I can’t believe you’re even worried.

Yeah, but all of that happened in Los Angeles, near my hometown, I’ve practically done nothing in this tournament. Besides those two were only exhibition matches. said Carlos

Hey, Carlos just pretend Amber is in the crowd, James said coming out of the locker room, she was always at the games in Los Angeles.

James was a defender on the team who moved from England to Pasadena when he was five. He became a citizen and now plays for the U.S. He became a normal American kid, except for the accent in his voice. He was Carlos’ best friend, and was normally the one who would try to cheer him up whenever he was down.

Yeah she’s practically you’re girlfriend. Brian said joining in the conversation.

Brian was another defender who lived in Pasadena until he moved to Mobile, Alabama when he was twelve. He, Carlos, and James were best friends when they all lived there. When James moved to Pasadena Brian and Carlos were the first ones to make friends with him and every summer until Brian moved away they spent their days outside playing soccer. Brian was sometimes a little goofy and not exactly a genius, at least when it came to common sense.

She’s not my girlfriend, we’re just really good friends! You guys have been at this since we were seven, when are you guys going to give it a rest!?

Amber was a good friend of Carlos who knew him since they were both infants and was one of the few people Carlos always smiled around. Amber was a girl who had many interests. She loved music regardless of genre. She also wore different types of clothes every day. One day she would wear tennis shoes, jeans, and a t-shirt. While other days it would be a nice shirt with a skirt and sandals. Her relationship with Carlos seemed like a case of the princess and the barrio boy. Amber’s family, the Wagner’s, the richest family in Pasadena, lived in a big house with a pool and a tennis court. Meanwhile Carlos was from a barely middle class family. The company that his dad worked for went bankrupt and Carlos’ dad was laid off which forced his mom to have two jobs. They kept the house that they lived in but they could not afford a lot of the luxuries in life. Mr. Wagner had offered Carlos’ dad a job, but the offer was denied. Mr. Calderon was determined to find a job on his own. Mrs. Wagner and Mrs. Calderon had known each other since they were in middle school. Mrs. Wagner was Catholic like the Calderon family and was Carlos’ godmother.

Hey c’mon Carlos, whenever you score, or do something good Amber is the loudest one in the crowd. said James.

Hey enough guys. We have to go, the game is about to start. Rafael said as the team left the tunnel.

The game was against Costa Rica in the final of the Hartford, Connecticut North American qualifying tournament. Only the top three teams from North America would go to the Under 20 World Cup, the winners of the two tournaments, and the winner of the playoff between the two second-place countries. The American team wanted to book their trip along with Mexico who had defeated Canada in the final of the other tournament in Queretaro, Mexico just that afternoon.

The starting whistle blew and almost in a flash of light Ryan took the opening kickoff, went past the entire Costa Rican team and scored twenty seconds into the match. The Costa Rican team was left stunned at the early goal and watched the Americans celebrate on the field. Costa Rica set up an attack ten minutes later but James stole the ball and cleared it to the American midfielders. Rafael took the ball and shot it into the bottom left corner of the net. The American players celebrated the goal and had a comfortable lead. After the game restarted it looked like Carlos was going to put the Americans up by