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So you think you can be a professional soccer player?

Keyvan Heydari thought he could too. Almost did. Now some 20 years after he first tried, after he covered six World Cups (starting with Mexico 1986) as a journalist and broadcaster, after he contributed to outlets such as NPR, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, The Washington Post, L’Equipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Paris Match, Univision, ESPN, Gol TV and Telemundo, not to mention a couple of soccer books published in Italy… he wants another shot.

After the jump, Heydari delivers the second part of his exclusive dispatches from a place where, yes, even a 45-year-old has a chance to live the dream.

caribbean dream, pt.2

by Keyvan Heydari

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My basic parameter was: 1) do not hurt myself 2) do not embarrass myself. Everything else would be considered a success.

But playing in the Puerto Rico professional league has turned out to be a different story than playing in a Sunday or midweek league, even if at times we had retired pro players like Holger Quiñónez (former captain of Ecuador), Luis Cálix (former captain of Honduras), Joe Max-Moore and a gaggle of former pros from Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Honduras and Brazil who populate the local leagues of Miami and tournaments such as Copa Latina. Although most of the players who participate in the adult leagues like the one in Amelia Earhart Park know or care not who these guys are, I think watching games and knowing styles is important in understanding the game, an infinite learning curve. The talent and myriad of games in Miami kept my mind fresh.

Once I got to play with George Weah’s adult team; a guy like him makes things so easy. I first met Weah in the 1990s when doing a story for France Football magazine, and I always found him to be generous and uncomplicated. When you have the former Milan forward on your side, all a defensive midfielder like me had to do was intercept the ball, get it to the 1995 World Player of the Year, and he basically dribbled around three guys to score. And then he did it again. And again.

Besides playing there, I had a steady diet of local pickup games of variable quality. But the last time I played in a league game, in February, I broke a bone in my hand. I don’t know how, but I noticed at halftime when I went to pick up a bottle of water. Then, a succession of pulled muscles and other niggling injuries pushed me to the sidelines. Was I just too old, too fragile?

Although it may seem like a simple concept, I believe that playing competitively is the only way you can tell if a player performs when the result is in dispute. Beyond the need to ready the body, Whether a player has the tactical discipline and knowledge to play in a team is just as important. There’s a lot of guys in Miami who are good on the ball, and think that makes them a big-time player. It doesn’t, because it obviates the need to get other players involved and play in a unit.

In the early 1980s, there was an Argentine phenom with amazing technique and moves who was on the national team. And when Menotti asked the Argentinos Juniors youngster why was he playing below his capacity, he answered that because of his religious convictions Sunday was not his favorite day to play.

Pibe, si no jugás el domingo, ¿cuando vas a jugar? was Menotti’s response. (Kid, if you don’t play on Sunday, then when?)

Menotti decided to place his confidence in another kid, Maradona, and the rest is sporting history.

In the late 90s, I remember having to modify my passes when training with a fourth division team in a drizzle in Italy to compensate for the slide on the ball. Great for through balls and also for shots that bounce in front of the keeper. But it also means that—depending on your confidence—you take the flash out of your game. As I made the commitment to play again, I knew I had to modify some things.

I was practicing jiu-jitsu three days a week, and playing a couple of easygoing matches on the weekend. I played 5-a-side soccer at Downtown Soccer, a new facility in Miami. Good, but not good enough. The small-sided games are limited. They were good showcases for “toca-toca”, but not for full-field play. Overlaps, backside and lung-busting runs to cover back are not part of the game. Most of the small-sided games are played without a goalie, so there not much use for long-range shots, which is something you hope is a part of a defensive midfielder’s arsenal. So years of that style can imprint on your game, and I didn’t have full confidence in my ability to switch the point of attack with an accurate pass on a consistent basis.

I used to love the way Fernando Redondo played the position, but my style was probably closer to that of Dunga, Didier Deschamps or Chris Armas–my contemporaries. A lot of hard work and sometimes a little sound and fury – à la Diego Simeone or Edgar Davids – never hurt. As a player gets older, he moves from the front to the back of the lineup. From forward to midfield, midfield to libero, etc.

So in July I traveled to San Juan to film the story on the new PR pro league and saw the uneven level of play, and after coming back, I called a friend and said, “are you in shape to play? Get ready.”

After filming some interviews, the cameraman and I had joined them in a kick-about, and noticed the naiveté of the young Puerto Rican players. We spoke with the owner of one of the teams bringing up the rear, Humacao, to see how we could help with a couple of players. Owner Evaristo Pérez also needed the press, since he was trying to convince Pachuca – which has a cooperation agreement with Humacao Tornados - that he needed reinforcements to compete.

Upon returning, I recruited and got together with Honduran Ricardo Alcerro, a friend and teammate whom I had spurred to consider playing in the Puerto Rican league. Alcerro had played with the Islanders a couple of years ago, is in his mid-30s, and his experience, touch and mobility give oxygen to a midfield. I tease him that he takes better care of himself than a top model, but it means Alcerro’s always in good shape, and I needed him as a partner to get myself in playing shape. We both took US Soccer’s “C” coaching course, and he had a supply of idle players to summon.

A couple of months ago, a good friend with many of the Honduran national team players—Maynor Figueroa, Wilson Palacios (Wigan of England), Amado Guevara (Toronto FC) and Danilo Turcios (Olimpia)—joined Alcerro in a local 11 v 11 friendly after a World Cup qualifier against a local team. I heard about it, but I was not – and won’t be – near that level of play. There was no question, however, that Alcerro would be priceless in my bid to return to the field.

Now I had to find a place to play on a regular basis (I was no longer on a competitive team) and it meant starting dreaded two-a-days. And as a diabetic, it meant going to the doctor.

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Read about the Puerto Rico soccer league final happening Saturday, Oct. 18th at the league’s website.

get a visual feel for the league here:

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Banner photo courtesy of Heydari taken in Miami at Downtown soccer. Several players used the Miami games to get ready for the PR league. Ricardo Alcerro has the t-shirt with Arabic writing, and Yaikel Perez, former Cuban national team defector and PR league leading scorer, is the guy looming large to his left.

Check back in the coming days for Heydari’s continued adventures in returning to the game in Puerto Rico.