'Best this market has to offer': 5 Stockton soccer players try out for FC Cincinnati club

The journey to playing professional soccer can be an unpredictable road, especially for youth soccer players hailing from the 209.

With the city’s talent constantly being overlooked, Chris Hernandez is doing all he can to give athletes opportunities to showcase what Stockton soccer players are made of. The Stockton F.C. founder and Franklin soccer head coach took five local athletes to a three-day trial for F.C. Cincinnati’s youth club from March 12-14.

“I just network, that’s what I do and I try to have conversations with people and see if anybody's interested in our players and our market here in Stockton,” Hernandez said. “I just got lucky. I mean somehow, someway, I find a way to, like, garner some interest for this area.”

Thanks to Hernandez’s connections in the soccer world, Franklin’s Daniel Guerra, Aaron Chavez, Angelo Vieyra, Lincoln’s Caleb Cliburn and Venture Academy’s Angelnoe Perez got to test their luck in Cincinnati.

‘Best this market has to offer’

As someone who is constantly searching for Stockton’s next Alex Alcalá, Hernandez hand-picked five players to make the trip to Ohio. These athletes have played key roles in their high school and club team’s season this year, making them standouts to Hernandez.

Cliburn was a leader for the Trojans this past season and was their key aggressor at the midfielder position. Perez, who doesn’t play for Venture Academy’s soccer team but for a Stockton club team, has a relentless work ethic. Guerra, whose last name means warrior, is just that on the pitch for Franklin as one of its more physical players.

Vieyra stands out as the only left-footed player out of the five players, making him difficult to defend. This is his second time traveling out of the state for a youth soccer trial after making the trip to Germany in July 2023. Chavez is the youngest of the five, a 6-foot-2 freshman who played varsity for the Yellowjackets this past season.

“I’ve known these players for some time now and with me being so close to this market and studying it, I think they're the best this market has to offer,” Hernandez said. “So for kids who were born between 2007 and 2009, that class of players, these five represent the best for me.”

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Out of their comfort zone

Throughout their three-day trial, the five Stockton athletes participated in various training drills and scrimmages with the hopes of catching the eye of Larry Sunderland, the director of player development for FC Cincinnati.

Sunderland has a long history of molding and discovering young talents in the soccer world as the former USA Youth National Team coach and youth technical director for the Portland Timbers.

“During my time at Portland, I was quite familiar with some of the better talent pools and markets around California and Stockton was certainly one of those places where we had anticipated scouting and looking for talent,” Sunderland said. “It has a pretty diverse market, much different than the talent pool here in Cincinnati.”

The five players showcased that diversity, shining in their own fashion through the trials. It wasn’t an easy transition for them though as they were up against a level of talent they hadn't seen in Stockton. For Perez, facing that level of skill was his favorite part of the trip.

“Not being one of the best players there was my favorite part,” Perez said. “I like being around people that are a little bit better than you are or at the same level you are. It feels good to get to experience that.”

Along with facing a new level of competition, the athletes got a taste of what it’s like to train in an MLS facility.

“The first day we got to meet the director of the club and then we got a little tour of the facilities where the pros train, their locker room where they eat and stuff, like crazy, super, awesome stuff,” Cliburn said. “Then we got our jerseys, got to change in the locker room and meet a couple of the guys from the team.”

What’s next?

Since the trial ended on March 14, the five athletes are waiting to see if their number is called up for a possible open invite to FC Cincinnati youth club and a chance to play for Cincinnati’s GA Cup team.

According to Sunderland, the club isn’t looking for a particular player profile but for a player that fits the club’s needs and playstyle. They won’t have a decision until closer to the day of the GA Cup, which runs from March 30- April 7.

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While the five wait for their professional fate to be determined they can relish the fact that they had an opportunity not many other Stockton-area soccer players get to have.

“It feels good because I get to travel to other states and countries to play soccer,” Vieyra said. “This trip for me, it felt like more was on the line because I know I don’t have much time left. It’s hard to get to teams when you’re getting older so I’m thankful for this opportunity and thankful for Chris.”

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Five Stockton soccer players try out for FC Cincinnati youth club