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From Soccer to Futbol...
Varsity Soccer Player Competes in United States, London alex perry staff writer
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oarding his flight to London, England, sophomore Noah Merlin did not consider anything to be unusual since this trip would mark his third international venture within five years. While most people travel abroad for vacations and various interests, Merlin’s purpose was quite different. Arriving in London, he was already acclimated to playing soccer at an accelerated skill level as he had previously flown to play in other nations. “I’ve played in England, Italy and France,” Merlin said. “When I was 11, I went to France and played in a tournament there. I also played in a tournament in Italy when I was 14.” In only his second year at Oakton, Merlin has already been playing soccer for the last decade and has excelled enough to play internationally since 2004. Yet at an older age, he met stiff competition in London, facing a very talented pool of players and teams. Some of the clubs and their members have been internationally recognized for their abilities. “I played with a team there for two months,” Merlin said. “I trained with a team there and played against clubs based in London. I also played against Fulham, which is a club in the Premiership. Playing against Crystal Palace [another team], I went against Victor Moses who’s on the U21 [under 21] England national team.” While overseas this summer, he had other opportunities to be involved with soccer. When he wasn’t practicing with his team, he had the chance to participate in an audition to be trained by premier players. “I did a freestyle competition sponsored by Wayne Rooney, Coke Zero and Nike,” Merlin said. “I completed in Birmingham and advanced with seven other kids out of 250. After that, we seven got an opportunity to film with famous players on a street course. Then one of us was picked to train with Wayne Rooney along with 10 other kids, and there is a TV show about it now in London.” Upon returning to the United States, Merlin was invited to play for the U16 [under 16] D.C. United Team, a club that is part of an academy that was just recently developed. “The main goal of our team isn’t to win our league or our tournaments but rather to develop players on our team to eventually play for DC United or professionally elsewhere,” Merlin said. “There is a U16, U18 and a U20 team. It’s a club where I get to go across the country and play different teams. For instance, we’re going to Los Angeles in December. It’s also free, and you get the best training and the best exposure in pretty much the whole country. We have national teams’ coaches at almost all of our games and there’s always college coaches watching us play. ” Additionally, he plays alongside his brother, senior Jacob Merlin, for Oakton’s varsity boys team.
fast facts
10.29.08
alex.perry@oaktonmedia.net
— Favorite food is Chipotle — Favorite soccer team is Olympique Marseille — Favorite musical artist is Lupe Fiasco or The Kooks — Favorite soccer players are Samir Nasri and Alex Davani — Favorite tv show is House
The pair has been playing soccer for the majority of their lives and continues to support one another in their numerous exhibitions. “It’s been really fun since we’ve always been competitive with each other and always push each other. Though we have brotherly competition and get in fights over soccer, I enjoy watching him play. In the end I know he’s better than me in some aspects of soccer, but not in general,” Jacob Merlin said. “He’s always played at the most competitive level possible. His club team won the state championship in both 2006 and 2007.” While Noah has had remarkable success in soccer and asserts that the best part about it has been “traveling and spending time with his parents,” there have been moments stricken with difficulty. “Last March, I was playing state ODP (Olympic Development Program), and our team won the regional tournament as we qualified for nationals in Texas,” Noah Merlin said. “Our first game was against Southern California, and they were basically shoe-ins to win the whole tournament. We beat them 3-2. In the finals we played Indiana, and we were winning the game 2-1, but in the last minute of regular time, we got scored on so we went into extra time. In the 105th minute of extra time, our team was awarded a penalty kick. I took the penalty and hit the post, and then in the last minute of stoppage time we ended up losing 3-2.” These adverse experiences have contributed to his development as a player over the years. Though he played the position of goalie early on, he is now a field player. “Noah starts for Oakton’s varsity and does really well,” Jacob Merlin said. “He can basically play any position.” His talent has shown through in these games as noted by coaches for the varsity team. Despite his age, he has provided veteran skill and leadership that could result in an extended career. “[He has shown] good effort in practices and games, displaying knowledge and talent,” Assistant Coach Doug Kaltenbaugh said. “I believe that Noah can play in college as long as he keeps playing at a high level and has the motivation to improve at all times.” Playing after high school has been a dream of Merlin’s for most of his life. While he does not know exactly where he will pursue this potential career, he remains optimistic. “Hopefully, I can play professionally out of high school,” Noah Merlin said. “If that doesn’t happen, I hope to play in college and then professionally and, if at all possible, overseas.”