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E-mail StoryEx-MLS player Arias ready to contribute to Brigade
Former Highland High standout to play role as mentor for club
| Friday, May 9 2008 10:43 PM
Last Updated: Friday, May 9 2008 11:10 PM
Former Highland High soccer standout Steve Arias will never forget the thrill of playing his first MLS game for Chivas USA in 2005.
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Even the final result that day a shutout loss to powerhouse DC United doesn't take away from his memory of playing at the Home Depot Center against some of the top soccer players in the world.
Something else Arias has never forgotten is how, that season, former veteran Chivas USA teammate Francisco Gomez mentored the then 23-year-old rookie.
"We were definitely close," Arias said. "Francisco took the responsibility of showing me the ropes of how professional sports work and all that good stuff. That's part of the reason we're such good friends now. He took me under his wing and taught me a lot about soccer and continues to do so today."
Gomez, currently the head coach of the Bakersfield Brigade, and Arias played only the one season (2005) together for Chivas USA. But now three years later the two have reunited in effort to try and bring a PDL championship to a franchise that finished 6-10-0 in 2007. The Brigade will play Los Angeles at 7 p.m. today at Bakersfield Christian.
"Basically he's just a friend that came back to finish his school at Cal State Bakersfield, Gomez said "He's doing me a favor and wants to play and wants to play for the Brigade."
The Bakersfield native is about three classes short of receiving a degree in sociology from the University of Connecticut, where he was honored in 2003 with the Eric S. Lund Award for being the soccer team's Most Improved Player. Arias played three seasons at the Big East school, before being selected in the fourth round of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft.
The Brigade is counting on Arias to use his valuable college and MLS experience to help guide the younger players on the team.
"I expect him to be a leader," Gomez said. "He's someone that's played at the high level. We want him to lead and take these young players that come from college under his wing and show them the way it's done at the higher level. Hopefully the boys will take that in and learn something from him."
"I'd just like to bring some experience to some of the boys and the younger kids. Do what Francisco did for me and take them under my wing a little bit."
Arias is also expected to have an impact on the field by giving the Brigade a tough defensive presence. But because of the position he plays and his defensive mentality, Arias isn't likely to put many balls in the back of the net for the Brigade. He scored only one goal and had seven assists while at Connecticut. Arias also registered just one goal during two seasons in the MLS.
"I love to stay in the back," Aria said. "I'm a center-back and I love to play defense. I love to sit at home and do the dirty work."
With the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Arias playing in front of talented Cal Poly San Luis Obispo goalkeeper Eric Branagan-Franco, the Brigade should be one of the tougher teams in the PDL to score on this season.
"He's a very good man marker," Gomez said. "He (Arias) understands the game and can read the game real well. He's very good on the ball. He's very comfortable coming out of the back. And he's someone that is very hard to beat one-on-one. We're expecting a lot from Steve."
Arias is not only playing for the Brigade this season but he's also coaching the team's under-16 squad. It's a role that he takes very seriously.
"I love being able to teach kids some of the stuff I've learned through my journey in soccer," Arias said. "I really love being a part of their life off the field as well. Making sure they stay on top of their school work, stuff that I didn't do growing up. I just enjoy showing these kids the ropes and having them learn from me."