GILROY—This year’s 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament features not one, but two former Mustangs.
Alfonso Motagalvan, a 2005 Gilroy High grad, and Andy Moya, Class of 2009, are competing among top soccer players from the amateur to Major League Soccer levels from around the country. But both have very different goals.
Moya, a senior at San Jose State University, is looking to kick off his professional career. He played two years for the Spartans at midfielder and now he’s looking to turn heads with the Ventura County Fusion, a Premier Development League team.
The Fusion notched a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy II, a United Soccer League professional team, in the second round of the tournament on May 20, setting up a match with the Irvine-based PSA Elite on May 27. Though Moya didn’t see any minutes against Galaxy II, he’s hoping to get a chance to get on the soccer pitch.
“(The tournament) provides a lot of opportunities for young guys like myself to get scouted and hopefully get picked up,” the former Gilroy High and Gavilan College player said. “It’s going to be tough for me right now…I’m not getting a lot of minutes. If I get a chance to play in the tournament, I’ll definitely take it.”
Motagalvan, on the other hand, isn’t worried about getting noticed. He’s in his seventh year of playing professionally since graduating from UC Santa Barbara. He’s had stints in San Jose, Dallas, Rochester, N.Y., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Pittsburgh before signing a two-year deal with his current team, USL Sacramento Republic FC.
Motagalvan played 90 minutes for the Republic in its 4-2 win over Sonoma County Sol on May 20 and will face Chula Vista FC on May 27. The winner of this game not only advances, but will be hosted by the San Jose Earthquakes to play the fourth round of the tournament at 7:30 p.m. June 16 at Avaya Stadium.
“The game of soccer has evolved so much that on any given day anybody can beat anybody,” Motagalvan said of the tourney. “We treat it like a normal game out here. We prepare the same way and we don’t take our opposition lightly.”
The U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament, which means each team is fighting to stay alive. For Moya, every game is another chance to get noticed by professional scouts and to achieve a dream he has had since first lacing up his cleats at 4 years old.
“For me, soccer has been everything. It’s helped me not just playing wise, but it’s taught me how to value things in life,” Moya said. “In Gilroy, I learned you work hard on the field and off the field. If you do all the right things, you’ll do big things and hopefully I can (by pursuing) a professional career.”
While Moya looks to start his pro career, Motagalvan said his is coming to a close. The Republic midfielder said these two years in Sacramento are probably his last as a player.
But that doesn’t mean he’s done with soccer.
All of his experience as a player, Motagavlan said, has prepared him to take the reins as a coach. He’s already tested himself in that role as a voluntary assistant at his alma mater Gilroy High as well as at Gavilan and Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose. He said he’s pursuing a coaching license through the United States Soccer Federation, which would allow him to instruct at all levels—including pro.
“I think with the experience I’ve had I’m able to give really important coaching lessons,” Motagalvan said. “Now I’m slipping into the stage of where I’m starting to prepare for what’s next.”
Alfonso Montagalvan and the Sacramento Republic advance after beating Chula Vista 7-3 Wednesday in Sacramento. The Republic will face the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. June 16 at Avaya Stadium.
Andy Moya and the Ventura County Fusion were eliminated from contention Wednesday evening after falling to PSA Elite 2-1 in Ventura.
