"It was just a chance for some guys to get together and play a little," said Yanez, who played some soccer in his native Chile for a while, then returned to Jersey City to pursue a career as a firefighter and coach. "We would play some league games and then we entered a tournament on Long Island."
The Hoboken All-Stars, as the team is known, headed to Long Island last May to participate in a U-19 tournament, with the winner getting an all-expenses paid trip to Mexico and an international tournament there in July.
"We didn't think that we would be able to compete on Long Island," said Yanez, who has been recently hired to be an assistant coach at Rutgers-Newark, after coaching at Hoboken High for the last two years. "We didn't realize the scope of the tournament. We just went for the experience and the chance to play, maybe give some of the players some exposure for college."
However, when the Hoboken All-Stars, who were sponsored by Ivy Rehabilitation, started to play in the Long Island tourney, something magical happened.
"We just ran right through it," Yanez said.
Sure enough, the Hoboken All-Stars won the Long Island tourney and earned themselves a trip to San Luis Potosi in Mexico to participate in a 14-team World Cup-style tournament.
Because they captured the five-day round robin tourney, the Hoboken team earned the right to play in the Tourneo Mexicana in San Luis Potosi, outside Mexico City, last week.
The team went to Mexico last week and played five games south of the border before returning home last Saturday.
"Mexicana Airlines paid for everything," Yanez said. "They picked up the tab for the hotel, the airfare, the meals, even warm-up sweats and uniforms. It was amazing."
When the Hoboken team arrived in San Luis Potosi last week, they had no idea of the magnitude of the tournament. Fourteen teams from the United States were invited to participate. The Hoboken team represented the Northeast region of the U.S.
"It was a bit overwhelming," Yanez said. "Most of the kids didn't believe it until we got there. Some of them had never even been on an airplane before."
"I had no idea that we would eventually play internationally," said Daniel Mezzina, the former Emerson High School standout and 2004 Hudson Reporter Player of the Year who will enter his sophomore year at Rutgers-Newark in the fall. "Basically, I was playing just to stay in shape. Playing in Mexico never came to my mind. But it was a good experience. We got to meet some really cool people there. Playing in another country was excellent. It showed me how soccer was played there."
The team featured a host of top-flight players from the area, including Patrick Albuja, Dennis Castillo and Kleber Gomez of Hoboken, Felix Villegas, Francisco Carrada and Mezzina of Emerson, Brian Garcia of Memorial and goalkeeper Ryan Woods of High Tech.
Some other standout players from Harrison (like New Jersey City University standout Cristhian Acuna) and schools in Bergen County joined the Hoboken All-Stars on their excursion to Mexico.
In their first game, the Hoboken team lost to Chicago, 1-0, then dropped a 6-0 decision to Dallas, the eventual champion.
The local kids then locked horns against the pro team that resides in San Luis Potosi and ended the journey to Mexico with a 3-1 win over Baltimore.
The game against the pro team in San Luis Potosi was played in a professional stadium with more than 20,000 fans watching.
Yanez said that he was amazed with the way his team was treated in Mexico.
"I don't think any of us expected the amenities that we received," Yanez said. "It was amazing."
Woods said that he was floored by the treatment.
"It was really great," Woods said. "I don't think the results were what we were hoping for, but we faced some really good competition. I think it opened my eyes to what soccer is like on the world stage and we got to see what soccer is all about in different countries. This was a good way to learn that."
Woods liked the camaraderie between teams as well.
"We beat Baltimore in our last game and they allowed us to come back and hang out with them," Woods said. "That showed there were no hard feelings. I think that's what the tournament was hoping to spread, a little goodwill with teams from different nations. I was so psyched to get out there and lead the team, show what I could do. It was a real good experience for me. It would have been so totally different if we played well."
Mezzina agreed.
"There were a lot of positives to take out of it," Mezzina said. "We were able to go to Mexico and play in a big-time tournament. We played a pro team there. It definitely wasn't easy to play in those conditions, with the fields being bigger and all. It took some time to get used to."
The altitude in Mexico also affected the players.
"The altitude took its toll," Yanez said. "We had kids who were in tremendous shape who couldn't breathe with it."
"You can definitely see the difference between amateurs and pros," Mezzina said. "I really learned a lot. But it was a nice way to stay in shape. I wasn't sitting around on a couch all summer."
Yanez was happy to give the kids an experience that would last a lifetime.
"It was culturally enriching for the kids," Yanez said. "The soccer was one thing, but learning about the culture of other countries is fascinating. I thought it was a great experience for me and I think it was for the kids as well."
Needless to say, Woods will use the international experience as a springboard for the coming high school season. He was playing with and against top-flight performers who are mostly all two years older than him.
"I definitely think it was a good experience for me," Woods said. "Being so young and being one of the youngest guys on the team, it's going to only help my confidence in the future. I still have more time to develop on this level. Actually, this has already gave my confidence a boost. I know I can play with anyone around this area."
Not to mention, San Luis Potosi, Mexico as well. - Jim Hague
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