Isael Lopez smiles as he works through a drill with his Battle Born FC teammates Tuesday evening on Carson High's practice field. Lopez and the rest of the roster are eager to take advantage of an opportunity to showcase their skills at the semi-professional level.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
“It’s nice to go back to your old roots, a lot of nice memories on this field,” said Lopez, who has been playing collegiate soccer since graduating. “The fitness is key, not stopping playing.”
Staying in shape is a priority for the players who plan on returning to play collegiate soccer after the summer, but for players like Junior Mahi, the opportunity could be life changing.
Mahi was born in Paris, France before moving to Nevada in 2018.
The 22-year-old was playing through youth academies in Europe before his family decided to move to the United States.
Mahi said, along with the pandemic, one of the biggest challenges has been recovering from a broken leg he suffered in a game when he was 17.
“I was home for one year and I stayed home with nothing to do. I thought about giving up on soccer,” Mahi said.
In his eyes, it’s a blessing to be where he is now.
Angel Hernandez is playing for Battle Born FC after a year of playing professionally in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Hernandez has trained under Martinez since he was six, but opted for a professional opportunity in Mexico prior to the pandemic.
“My family is actually from there. That was my first time playing professionally in front of my family,” Hernandez said. “I am here looking for an opportunity, … I have nowhere else to go, so I figured I would try it out.”
It’ll be a season-long experiment in growing chemistry, but the players of Battle Born FC are confident they can make an impact.
A few didn’t believe they could showcase results in such a fashion this early in the club’s history.
After starting 3-1, the whole club has quickly turned its sights from getting off the ground to getting into the postseason.
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