Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 16
The 15th Youth Soccer Championship 2009, being held at Kohima from August 17 to September 3 will have an “American touch” this year. One of the local clubs in the fray for the coveted trophy has in their arsenal two ace soccer players from the United States of America. The local team in question is Seso FC of Kohima.
Last year Seso FC played in the 14th edition of Youth Soccer Championship and NSF Martyrs’ Trophy under the name Life Sports which is an initiative of Life Ministries. Its director Colo Mero said Life Sports is the sports wing of the ministry which was started in August 2008 “with an aim to transform the youth and sports through Christ.” He said that the ministry is aiming to venture into other realms of sports aside from soccer.
The two overseas players reached Dimapur on Saturday and after an overnight halt, headed for Kohima on Sunday evening. Seso FC has their first match lined up for August 24.
The Morung Express caught up with the two Yankee soccer players during their brief stopover in Dimapur. They are attacking defender Zach Reynolds and midfielder Wate Yamaguchi, who plays in the left flank. They have come all the way from the land of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. They have been playing for several top soccer clubs in the United States for quite a while now it was learned.
Zach Reynolds is 36 years of age and has been playing the Beautiful Game for the past 33 years. He started playing by the age of three – “knee-kickers” – as it is known in American jargon, he said. And till today his passion for the game has not died down a bit and it is not going to any soon.
Reynolds said he has played at the collegiate level and “high club level” in Southern California – the soccer capital of the USA.
Aside from playing professional soccer, Reynolds has another trade. He is a commercial construction contractor back home and works with his dad. Earlier he revealed that he worked as an editor of a rock climbing magazine called “Climbing” which is based in Colorado. He had also worked for a skiing and mountain biking magazine, adventure sports of which he is also an avid follower.
At an age when most people would call it a day, Reynolds said that he keeps himself fit by playing soccer, mountain climbing and biking, “no better game for fitness than soccer” in his own words. He is a father of three.
Wate Yamaguchi – the name sounds Japanese – yes he is half Japanese, half German and lives in the United States. He is in college and plays professional soccer. The son of a “preacher”, the 20 year old said he has been into the game since he was four and been associated with several top clubs in the region he comes from. Earlier he played for the top club of his hometown called “Blitz” he revealed. On the future he said “I’m living life with my hands open”. He said he will keep his options open but it seems obvious that his love for soccer will never leave him.
Zach said he is looking forward to tasting some “crazy local delicacies” – snake, crickets and worms – was in his ‘must eat’ menu. On how they are looking to adapt to the high altitude conditions in Kohima both said that the place where they come from is similar in condition and elevation here. They are dying to get a first hand experience of the nature of play here and hope that their style of play gels with the other team members.
On losing, Zach said he likes games to be fair, “even when losing, if it’s fair it’s ok, but when it’s not fair” he said he finds it hard to take.
