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Franklin grad tries out for German pro teams
By Lenny Jurado / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 07/26/2008 11:12:48 PM MDT
Antiga
EL PASO -- Luis Antiga's jet lag lingered a bit Thursday as he settled in at a Pizza per Tutti restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Even two days after landing, the recent Franklin High School graduate still was trying to adjust after the 14-hour flight and eight-hour time difference.
The grueling travel and drastic flip-flop in culture and scenery was something he'd never experienced in his young life.
In some ways, it was like a dream.
Here he was, thrust into a foreign environment with nervousness and excitement engulfing him all at once.
The 17-year-old is in Germany to try to reach a lifelong goal. He hopes to play professional soccer.
"It's always been a dream of mine," Antiga said in a telephone interview. "I never really wanted to go to a university. I wanted to move on to a professional team. I got this opportunity, and I'm going to try my best to reach this goal.
"I'm excited. I'm ready to play and I'm going to give it my best, but I'm also nervous. It's a different country and a different language, but I'm going to try hard."
Antiga's German agent, Rainer Derber of Derber Sports Marketing, said "several" German teams are interested in Antiga, who earned first-team all-city honors in 2007 and 2008.
Those teams include FC Kaiserslautern (Second Bundesliga), 1. FC Cologne (First Bundesliga), TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (First Bundesliga), TSV 1860 Munich (Second Bundes liga), SC Freiburg (Second Bundesliga) and possibly VFB Stuttgart (First
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Bundesliga).
"Myself and (Andress boys soccer coach) Marc Rosch have been looking for talent throughout the (American) Southwest, and Luis Antiga is our first player who we think has potential, commitment, determination and discipline to succeed in the European soccer environment," said Derber, a former teammate with Rosch at the semi-pro level.
Antiga, a 5-foot-7 forward, began practicing with FC Kaiserslautern on Friday and will try out for SC Freiburg later in the week. Thereafter, he and his agent will determine which other stops to make.
Rosch believes Antiga could be a gem in Germany.
"I was an assistant at Franklin for one year, so I know what he can do, I knew he had talent to go," Rosch said. "(Derber) told me to bring him over. Mexican players are in demand in Germany right now. A week later, my friend (Derber) came up with several teams. They pay for his trip. ... It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Cougars boys soccer coach Gilbert Montes also has faith in Antiga, who in 2008 helped lead Franklin to its first-ever Class 5A regional semifinal appearance.
"Coach Rosch and myself, we worked together," Montes said. "I told him that he (Antiga) had the potential to go anywhere. He got recruited by Ohio State, but after weighing all the options, he decided to go this way.
"We just hope this works. Luis did a tremendous job at Franklin. We were very successful, and that made this possible. He's a very complete player."
Over the past two days, Antiga has absorbed his new surroundings while trying to rest up.
"It's a great place," he said. "It's nothing like El Paso. It's green everywhere, trees and everything.
"Everything's been great. My agent here has been treating me good. He gets me what I want, and he's a good person and everyone else has been good."
When it comes time to show his stuff, Antiga intends to put his right foot forward.
And by then, he should be completely rested and adjusted to hopefully make his dream a reality.
"I'm very confident right now," he said. "I've been waiting for this all my life, to have a professional tryout. Now that it's here, I'm not going to let it go. I'm going to give it my best."
http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10010341http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10010341
hab es vom tm
mit 17 will er hier profi werden wie ich es lese muss er schon bei uns gewesen sein zum probetraining
By Lenny Jurado / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 07/26/2008 11:12:48 PM MDT
Antiga
EL PASO -- Luis Antiga's jet lag lingered a bit Thursday as he settled in at a Pizza per Tutti restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Even two days after landing, the recent Franklin High School graduate still was trying to adjust after the 14-hour flight and eight-hour time difference.
The grueling travel and drastic flip-flop in culture and scenery was something he'd never experienced in his young life.
In some ways, it was like a dream.
Here he was, thrust into a foreign environment with nervousness and excitement engulfing him all at once.
The 17-year-old is in Germany to try to reach a lifelong goal. He hopes to play professional soccer.
"It's always been a dream of mine," Antiga said in a telephone interview. "I never really wanted to go to a university. I wanted to move on to a professional team. I got this opportunity, and I'm going to try my best to reach this goal.
"I'm excited. I'm ready to play and I'm going to give it my best, but I'm also nervous. It's a different country and a different language, but I'm going to try hard."
Antiga's German agent, Rainer Derber of Derber Sports Marketing, said "several" German teams are interested in Antiga, who earned first-team all-city honors in 2007 and 2008.
Those teams include FC Kaiserslautern (Second Bundesliga), 1. FC Cologne (First Bundesliga), TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (First Bundesliga), TSV 1860 Munich (Second Bundes liga), SC Freiburg (Second Bundesliga) and possibly VFB Stuttgart (First
Advertisement
Bundesliga).
"Myself and (Andress boys soccer coach) Marc Rosch have been looking for talent throughout the (American) Southwest, and Luis Antiga is our first player who we think has potential, commitment, determination and discipline to succeed in the European soccer environment," said Derber, a former teammate with Rosch at the semi-pro level.
Antiga, a 5-foot-7 forward, began practicing with FC Kaiserslautern on Friday and will try out for SC Freiburg later in the week. Thereafter, he and his agent will determine which other stops to make.
Rosch believes Antiga could be a gem in Germany.
"I was an assistant at Franklin for one year, so I know what he can do, I knew he had talent to go," Rosch said. "(Derber) told me to bring him over. Mexican players are in demand in Germany right now. A week later, my friend (Derber) came up with several teams. They pay for his trip. ... It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Cougars boys soccer coach Gilbert Montes also has faith in Antiga, who in 2008 helped lead Franklin to its first-ever Class 5A regional semifinal appearance.
"Coach Rosch and myself, we worked together," Montes said. "I told him that he (Antiga) had the potential to go anywhere. He got recruited by Ohio State, but after weighing all the options, he decided to go this way.
"We just hope this works. Luis did a tremendous job at Franklin. We were very successful, and that made this possible. He's a very complete player."
Over the past two days, Antiga has absorbed his new surroundings while trying to rest up.
"It's a great place," he said. "It's nothing like El Paso. It's green everywhere, trees and everything.
"Everything's been great. My agent here has been treating me good. He gets me what I want, and he's a good person and everyone else has been good."
When it comes time to show his stuff, Antiga intends to put his right foot forward.
And by then, he should be completely rested and adjusted to hopefully make his dream a reality.
"I'm very confident right now," he said. "I've been waiting for this all my life, to have a professional tryout. Now that it's here, I'm not going to let it go. I'm going to give it my best."
http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10010341http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10010341
hab es vom tm
mit 17 will er hier profi werden wie ich es lese muss er schon bei uns gewesen sein zum probetraining
