New Everton signee Anton Peterlin
A Story Meant for the Movies
How many times have you seen a sports movie where an athlete is plucked out of virtual mediocrity and dropped onto one of sports’ biggest stages?
That’s the basic story of Rocky, when Apollo Creed gave a no-name southpaw from Philly a title shot.
What about Disney’s Invincible? It was even based on a true story about a bartender who played in the NFL.
There have even been a few cheesy incarnations of the fame-out-of-nowhere story … Rookie of the Year comes to mind. You know, the one about the kid with the freak accident that gave him a 100-mph fastball.
In the above three examples, the athlete in question got his opportunity right in his hometown.
But there’s a kid from the Bay Area whose life is unfolding like a movie script and who just flew more than 5,000 miles to take a shot at making his dream come true.
Born in San Francisco to a Danish mother and Slovenian father, Anton Peterlin chose to play a sport that’s more popular everywhere else in the world. Three times he won league championships playing soccer at Lowell High School, Peterlin got the chance to play in college at UC Santa Cruz before eventually settling in at Cal Poly.
He was later plucked seemingly out of thin air by a top-5 team in the English Premiership while playing for the low-level Ventura County Fusion – a developmental team playing in what’s considered the fourth-tier of American soccer.
How did he get noticed?
VC Fusion coach Graham Smith, a former goalkeeper who graced the pitches of Notts County, Colchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Cambridge United – all English teams – gave a nod to Everton Football Club manager David Moyes.
Peterlin flew to England in March to have a tryout with Everton as the club were in the midst of an amazing run in the FA Cup. It was a tryout that must have went well, because just this month Peterlin signed with Everton, which has one of the longest and richest traditions in English history.
Everton were runner-ups in the FA Cup and finished fifth in the Premiership in their 2008-09 campaign. Peterlin will be playing under Moyes, who won the league’s top-manager award, and will be living and training in Liverpool – one of the country’s most storied cities. Perhaps you remember The Beatles?
In fact, Peterlin’s story until now has resembled one from another sports movie. Santiago Muñez went from Southern California to play for a then-Premiership side Newcastle United, now playing in England’s second-tier. That movie’s title includes the phrase “The Dream Begins.”
And that’s just what Peterlin has, a dream shot at playing for one of the best clubs in one of the best leagues in the world.
Not only will Peterlin have the chance to line up against Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton’s much-hated rivals Liverpool, but he’ll have a chance to play against some of Europe’s best teams as Everton prepare to compete in the Europa League – a competition that pits club teams from different leagues in Europe against each other.
It’s an amazing opportunity Peterlin’s been given, and hopefully he’ll make the most of it. At the end of the day, Peterlin will likely realize that 5,000 miles isn’t too far to go for a kid from California to make a dream come true.
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