Interview with Marcelo Freire

How long have you been playing soccer?
I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I could remember. I started playing when I was 4 and started playing competitively when I was 6. So yeah, soccer has become a big part of my life.

Was there a major influence that made you chose to play soccer?

My father was the person who influenced me to play soccer. He was the person who trained me when I was young and coached me for a small period of time. And soccer just runs in my family so I just kept the trend going.

Do you have any pregame routines? If so what are they?
I wouldn’t say I have any specific pregame routines. I just like listening to music and praying before every game.

Who would you say is the biggest influence in your life currently?
Currently, my parents are my biggest influence. They have raised me to become the boy that I am today and they continue to inspire me with the things that they do. In the soccer perspective, I would say that Lionel Messi has influenced me a lot because of the impact that he has had in soccer.

Are you looking to play college soccer?
I am very interested to play soccer in college. I wouldn’t say that I am 100 percent sure that I would play soccer in college because I am still unsure how to manage school and soccer.

What is one word that you would use to describe yourself?
One word that I would use to describe myself is hardworking. This relates to both school and soccer because I always try and give my best in both topics.

Do you currently have a personal goal (or goals) for this season? If so what are they?

Well, we were planning on winning or making it far in the county tournament, but we recently got eliminated. Right now, we want to focus on our season games and going for that number one spot.

If you could play for any pro team, which team would it be?

If I could play for any pro team, it would have to be FC Barcelona. Their team is extremely good and have inspired me because of how they play. I would also love to represent the United States in the national team.

Does anyone in your family play soccer? If so who?
Yeah, as I mentioned before, my dad was a big soccer player. He played Varsity soccer in high school as a sophomore and was offered many scholarships to play in college. My older brother also plays as a goalie. My younger brother also plays soccer as a forward.

Do you play for any teams outside of our school team? If so what teams?
Yeah, I play for a soccer academy called PDA. They are one of the top clubs in the state and have teams of all age groups. I have played with them since I was 13 years old.