As FC Tucson Pro Academy embarks on its second year in USL Academy, an important piece of building the club is the inclusion of top local talent. That includes providing opportunities for players outside of the traditional U.S. pay-for-play model.
In working toward that goal, the club hosted its Community Combine last Friday. The event brought together more than 20 players from across Southern Arizona from a multitude of backgrounds.
They all had one thing in common: the skills to pursue the next level of their development and a passion for the game.
“It’s important to us that FC Tucson represents the entire Tucson community,” said FC Tucson head coach Jon Pearlman, a longtime fixture in the region’s youth soccer scene and one of the club’s founders. “There are some very talented players in this region and we want to make sure that as Tucson’s professional soccer club, we’re providing that pathway for players to pursue their ambitions to play pro soccer.”
Pearlman was joined at the Community Combine by FC Tucson Pro Academy head coach Sebastian Pineda, as well as Director of Goalkeeping Vito Higgins and Academy Assistant Coach Mike Corbus.
“The Community Combine is part of a larger process for us,” said Pineda. “We wanted to give these players a chance to come together and showcase their talent. We will continue to watch these players and others, follow their progress and provide them with our feedback.”
Miguel Eduardo Ceballos García has been playing soccer since the age of 2, first kicking the ball around with his father before playing in Nogales.
Now 17, he drove up to Tucson from Nogales looking for a spot with the team and to get professional coaching experience.
“I wanted to be here and and I started checking for information to see how I could get in,” García said through an interpreter. “I went to an FC Tucson game and I liked the environment.”
Brothers Mossi, 18, and Mahumudu Ombeni, 14, are originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and currently reside in Tucson. They began playing the sport when they were 6 years old.
“Our dad played soccer, so we started playing when we were very young,” said Mossi Ombeni. “The coaches push the players to be better and show their potential.”
The two said they are looking forward to continuing to trial with FC Tucson and learn from the technical staff.
The FC Tucson Pro Academy staff will host its Pro Academy Combine on March 4 before finalizing its 2022 roster. The team will begin playing in April. Last season, Academy players Brandon Sanchez and Luke Lawrence made appearances with the first team.