Giovanni Calderon has continued to impress the Puerto Rican Men’s Soccer Federation and was recently called up to play two games with the señor national team. The first friendly was on September 5th versus Honduras and Giovanni was thrust straight into the starting line up becoming the youngest player at 17 years old to debut for Puerto Rico. Five days later they went on to face Guatemala where Giovanni came in as a substitute where he continued to gain some valuable game experience. Not only did Giovanni become the youngest player to debut but he also got the opportunity to play with his older brother Joshua Calderon. Giovanni said, “I never thought I would be able to compete alongside my older brother” , “It was a dream come true that we will never forget”.
Giovanni is now back with his U19 Beachside family and looking forward to the upcoming season. When asked how the Beachside environment helped with his debut with Puerto Rico he said, “At Beachside, you always need to be prepared and professional. Bags lined up, balls in a pile, shirts always tucked in. You’re expected to be ready mentally and physically to compete every time you step on the pitch.” I also asked Giovanni what advice would you give to the younger players in our program and he said “Success is a choice you make every day. You need to put in the extra work on your own to reach your full potential and to play with passion”. He was also excited to announce that he has verbally committed to the University of Hartford where he will continue his soccer career while also furthering his education. The club is extremely proud of Giovanni as a soccer player and even more as a person. We wish Giovanni and his teammates all the best.