Photo: Houston Dynamo
On Feb 15th after flying for two hours from Houston to Mexico City, 17-year-old Houston Dynamo Academy midfielder Christian Lucatero went to Mexico’s National Team training grounds, known as Centro de Alto Rendimiento, shortened to “CAR”
There,he trained with El Tri’s U-18 during four days, with a group of players who gave him a great welcome.
As an attacking midfielder, Lucatero is Dynamo Academy’s leading goalscorer with 10 goals in the US Soccer Developmental Academy league. His favorite players are Isco from Real Madrid and Eden Hazard from Chelsea, while his favorite Mexican club is Pumas.
He likes the English Premier League and believes Chelsea will win this year’s Champions League final in Berlin.
Here is more of the interview:
Question: Tell me about your time with El Tri’s U-18, what were your expectations when you received the call-up?
Answer: I knew the style was going to be way different than here, so I was already expecting that. I knew they were a lot more technical over there than here, so I thought that was going to be a good experience to go out there and learn and do my best so they would like me and could keep calling me up. That all that went through mind.
Q.: Did you make good friends in the team, how was their welcome?
A.: It was good, they all welcomed me. Everyday we went to breakfast and would be talking. It was a great environment, honestly. Most of them had been together since the U-15 and were now in the U-18, so they knew each other for a while now.
Q.: What were the first orders coach Juan Carlos Ortega gave you upon your arrival?
A.: He told me to go out there and do my thing, that was pretty much it because he just wanted us to have fun and do our best.
Q.: Did you get to meet other El Tri youth team coaches like the U-17 coach Arteaga or U-20 coach Sergio Almaguer?
A.: I saw them but didn’t meet them.
Q.: Did you play in that friendly between the U-17 v U-18, which finished with a 3-2 win for your team?
A.: I played in the second half in that game. They play a 4-4-2, and I was playing as the no. 8. They don’t play with an attacking midfielder, they just go with a 4-4-2, and two in the middle, so you just switch off with another midfielder.
Q.: What was the score when you came onto the pitch?
A.: It was 1-0 for us [U-18 team], and then we went up 2-0. Then two slip-offs coming out of the back cost us two goals, and then right at the end, we scored the winning goal.
Q.: Your case is interesting because last year you got called-up by the USMNTs U-18 and this year you got called up by El Tri’s U-18, from your point of view, did you see any differences between the two camps in regards to preparation and how the players acted?
A.: Of course, the players over there have a different mentality than here in the United States because their lives are just soccer, soccer, soccer. The players over there have already signed a contract with their respective clubs, so all they think about is soccer every day. Everything is different over there, honestly, than here. Even the warm-ups, everything.
Q.: So it feels more professional?
A.: Yeah everything is more professional over there.
Q.: You once wrote on Twitter, maybe you’ve forgotten, but you said that Mexico’s youth teams are always good, now that you’ve been with them for some days, Christian, why do you think they are good?
A.: I was talking about their warm-ups, they do them at 110%. That really tells you something about their dedication. They take the little things serious, though, so that’s why they’re one of the best.
Q.: Tell me a little bit of your story, how did you become part of the Dynamo Academy?
A.: I went to one of those camps, they hold every year about 3½ – 4 years ago. I went to that three-day camp, and they chose me. Ever since then, I’ve been going up the ranks with the Dynamo, and it’s been good.
Q.: How helpful has the Academy been in your young career?
A.: Very helpful because they’ve helped me develop into the player that I’m now. They really just help all over: mature, grow, and be better as a person. I really thanked them for that.
Q.: Where is your family from, your parents?
A.: My dad is from, I guess you can say Jalisco, but he’s from kind of outside from that area, and my mom is from San Luis. So yeah, both of them are Mexican.
Q.: Favorite team from Mexico?
A.: I go for Pumas, but they aren’t doing that good.
Q.: Favorite player from Pumas?
A.: My favorite Pumas player used to be Martin Bravo, but he left.
Q.: What are your short-term and long-term goals?
A.: My short-term goal is to try to get a professional contract. My long-term goals would definitely be becoming a successful professional and being called-up to the National Teams, and doing everything.
Q.: Would you accept a professional contract offer during your time at Oregon State?
A.: I definitely have to look over it, I mean if it’s a really good contract, then of course, but if it’s one of those mediocre contracts, I would just go to Oregon State and build up from there, you know, increase my stock.
Q.: Was it tough picking a college or you had Oregon State in mind all along?
A.: Oregon State was one of my top ones, and UCLA, but I saw UCLA got a lot of players in my position, so I picked Oregon State, where I can try to help them make them go up in the ranks at the college level.
Q.: Which player or players do you look up to?
A.: Definitely Isco and Hazard are my two favorite players. I watch them every week.
Q.: In your opinion, what makes Isco so special?
A.: He definitely has that spark that you know not other players have. He helps Madrid every week he’s probably one of their consistent players, he’s very technical, you know, if Madrid didn’t have him, the team wouldn’t have had all those wins. He’s just the type of player that you need in a squad.
Q.: Do you have a favorite football league? Is so which one and why?
A.: I like the Premier League because of one of my favorite teams, which is Chelsea. The league is physical and everything, but for some reason I like it and it attracts me. I like watching it every week.
Q.: What do you think about Mourinho? You never know he might be your coach one day.
A.: He’s definitely a great coach. He’s coached in Madrid and other teams in the Champions League. He’s great and knows a lot about football. It will be good to be coached by him.
Q.: Favorite team to win the Champions League is Chelsea?
A.: Yeah, Chelsea.
Q.: How do you see MLS in 10 years?
A.: I see it growing, players are already coming from Europe. It will definitely be bigger and hopefully it will grow into what I hope it will become, and hopefully the people here in the United States will appreciate and support MLS, helping it grow as it needs to.
Q.: Where will Christian Lucatero be in 10 years?
A.: In 10 years, I don’t know where I’ll be, hopefully somewhere good being successful.
