Juan Antonio Verano had no place to stay, no money and no one to help him when he left Los Angeles for Chula Vista to try out for the Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles soccer team.
No problem.
He slept on the ground outside of Hilltop High School the night bofore his big break. His persistence paid off. Verano, 18, plays for the Xolos U-19 Academy, one step from the big time.
Based at Southwestern College, the academy trains future players for La Liga MX
“It was a little funny,” he said. “I didn’t know that tryouts were going to last two or three days. I didn’t go back to L.A, so I got my stuff and slept outside of the school. (Xolos coach) Rene Ortiz asked me how I came back and I told him what I did. He thought it was interesting.”
For two months he lived in a downtown Tijuana hotel, but crossed every day to attend Chula Vista High School.
“Leaving my friends and family behind was hard,” he said. “Everything I know I left behind. Being new to school and not knowing anyone was also hard. I tried to adapt fast to not feel stressed out or sad.”
Verano said he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Francisco Verano, who played for Mexico’s U-17 national men’s soccer team in 2011.
Francisco is one is his biggest supporters, he said.
It has been more than a year since Verano joined the Academy and his dream remains strong, he said. Academy Director Rafael Palacios said he admires Verano’s ambition and tenacity.
“He comes from a humble backround, but he has done everything possible to fulfill his dream,” Palacios said.
Verano is a senior at Chula Vista High and working towards a spot on Club Tijuana’s U-19 team.
“All I ask for is a tryout,” he said.