An unheralded soccer player crosses the pond to tryout with a renowned English Premier League (EPL) soccer team. Fans of the team have never heard of him or the tiny West Coast school he came from. Then out of nowhere, the young player impresses his coaches and is in talks to join the club.
No, this isn’t a script outline of an upcoming soccer film; it’s the true story of former Cal Poly midfielder Anton Peterlin.
“It’s always been a dream of mine when I was growing up and got to watch Manchester United play and all the EPL teams that if I could ever play professionally it would be awesome to go to England,” Peterlin said.
Just months after completing his collegiate soccer eligibility, Peterlin’s dream is one step closer to reality. On the recommendation of Ventura coach Graham Smith, Peterlin landed a tryout with Everton, one of the top teams in the EPL.
“I went over there and trained with their first team and their reserve team,” Peterlin said. “I showed very well over there and I’m currently in negotiations to join them for next season.”
The move to England would represent a huge increase in competition for Peterlin who is already well-traveled since leaving Cal Poly.
He has tried out for the San Jose Earthquakes and Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer and currently plays for the Ventura County Fusion in the Premier Development League (PDL), which is viewed as the fourth-tier of professional soccer in America.
But a move to Everton would catapult Peterlin onto one of the best teams in arguably the world’s toughest league. While it may seem like a huge jump to some, Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher said he knew Peterlin could play at a high level when he first had him at UC Santa Cruz four years ago.
“If people have watched Anton over the last three years here, the one thing that Anton has is just an amazing work rate,” Holocher said. “He is a tireless worker. He’s in a defensive midfield position which is really an important position on the field and he has learned to master that position.”
Holocher had such little doubt about Peterlin’s play that when he took over the reigns of a rebuilding Cal Poly program, he brought Peterlin with him.
“He was our captain for two years,” Holocher said. “His character is outstanding. We’re leaving this dream with him.”
While he failed to sign a contract with MLS squads earlier this year, the chance to play at Everton had a greater meaning to Peterlin.
“It’s huge for me,” Peterlin said. “My family is very close to Denmark and my whole family is in Europe. So it’s like home to me as well. I think it’s a bigger buzz in my opinion to play over there than in the MLS.”
An aspect of Peterlin’s game that helped him succeed in his tryout is his intelligence. Holocher described him as a “smart player” and his current coach, Smith, was also impressed as much by his mind as his soccer skills.
“I felt he had a chance,” Smith told the Ventura County Star of Peterlin’s tryout. “He’s a very intelligent young boy. He will go into medicine if he doesn’t make it as a soccer player. He has the mental capacity as well as the physical capacity to succeed.”
While his coaches were confident in his ability, Peterlin also had little doubt that he could play at soccer’s highest professional level.
Just going over there and having the opportunity and having that chance — you can’t doubt yourself,” Peterlin said. “You have to give yourself the best opportunity to capitalize on that chance and I think I did well.”
Everton finished fifth in the English Premier League and will take on Chelsea in the FA Cup Final on Saturday.
“It’s just amazing for them to get Top 5 in the EPL,” Peterlin said of his possible future team.
Holocher agreed that Everton was one of the top squads in the world.
“Everton is definitely one of the best soccer clubs in the world right now,” he said. “The Premiere League is by far the best professional league right now.”
Peterlin would be the first former Cal Poly player to play in the EPL. Holocher said he was happy to see his former player succeeding.
“It’s thrilling,” Holocher. “It’s Anton’s dream and we’re part of that dream. We feel the same way he does. He’s a great player but he’s also a great person. Hopefully one day we’re going to watch him in Everton or some other uniform and we’ll know that we were a part of that. We’ll be very proud of him.”