San Jose Earthquakes Academy player and Paly student Josh Totte (’14) got a first-hand glimpse at professional soccer, and it was in front of a crowd of 12,659 at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, Calif.
The Yale commit was notified about his calling-up to the Earthquakes’ reserve team along with seven other players from his Academy team.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Totte participated in the reserve’s preseason matchup against the Professional Development League’s (PDL) Fresno Fuego. Totte started the entire second-half of the game at outside-back.
His play captured enough attention from the first team coaches to be brought up along with four other Academy players to the first-team game against the Los Angeles Galaxy. The match was held directly after the reserve’s game.
“It definitely created some butterflies while warming up [with the first team], but once you step on to the pitch and are focused on the game, you don’t even notice that you’re playing in front of a crowd,” Totte said. “It was a great learning experience.”
A learning experience that is seldom available to soccer players of Totte’s age. Totte shared the field with soccer professionals from the Quakes and Galaxy including soccer-stars Jon Busch, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan.
This was Totte’s closest experience in such a professional and high-intensity style setting.
“It’s faster and more technical [than what I’m used to], and everyone is constantly communicating,” Totte said. “It’s really the small things that are done with such precision that separate us from the pros. They are great at everything, and fantastic at one thing.”
Although both the Quakes’ reserve and first team both lost 2-1 to the Fuego and Galaxy, Totte walked away from the experience very pleased.
“I was definitely surprised and just super excited to have the experience,” Totte said. “I just wanted to savor every moment of it, and hopefully make enough of a mark to be called up again.”
