Leah Chan is training in Spain for the 2024 Pinatar Cup with the Philippine national soccer team. Chan spent three seasons at Cal Poly Humboldt before his graduation and is currently aiming to play professional soccer in addition to joining the national team. (contribution)
Leah Chan's college soccer career ended last November, but after scrolling through social media and seeing a tryout for the Philippine national soccer team, Chan, who has dual nationality and U.S. citizenship, I thought I was myself. He's excited to give it a try once he graduates from UC Humboldt in the fall.
“Honestly, it just kind of fell into place. I didn't plan on playing after college, but I saw people trying out on social media and thought I'd give it a try. '' said Mr. Chan. “I had nothing to lose.”
Chan sent his game footage to the head coach and was invited to a 10-day tryout period in Southern California, along with varsity players and other players from around the state looking to join the team.
“Of course, this is a team sport, but you have to make yourself stand out, so you push the girls, you try to be as agile as possible, and you don't want to show that you're tired,” Chan said of the tryout competition. He said this while explaining the nature of “You're doing this for yourself, but you're also doing it for your country.”
Two months after his tryout, Chan received a call from his coach telling him to be ready in case he is called up to the Pinatar Cup in Murcia, Spain in 2024. Chan said her coaching staff kept her involved in her position on the team and provided feedback on her play. Three weeks before her Pinatar Cup, Chan received a phone call and was told they wanted her on her team for the tournament.
Even after the phone call, the negotiations were not fully completed. Chan received an email confirming that he had been selected to join the tournament team.
“I was just screaming, 'Oh my god, I got an email!'” To be honest, I didn't tell anyone much after that. I wanted to wait until it actually arrived,” Chan said.
This was not Chan's first tryout for the Philippine national team. She also tried out when she was 15 years old, but since then her national team had a new staff and head coach, so Chan did not attract the team's attention.
“I think it was three days later, they pulled me aside and said, 'Why haven't we heard about you?' A lot of these varsity teams are from UCLA and the PAC-12. I think they reference schools like ,” Chan said, noting that Division II schools like Cal Poly Humboldt weren’t on their radar. “At least I got their attention. There was some excitement, but also a new sense of nervousness. Of course, I don't mean to show it, but they're paying attention to you. .”
Chan transferred north to Cal Poly Humboldt after his freshman season at Pacific University and spent three seasons with the Jacks, finishing with a 13-5-2 senior season.
“She was in her third season with me, and I felt like every year she got better and better, more consistent, more confident,” said Cal Poly Humboldt Women's Soccer Head Coach Grant Lundy. ” he said. She said, “At the higher levels, she needs to be tactically savvy, so I think that's a good recipe for her at the next level.”
In addition to signing with the national team, Chan has also signed with an agent and is aiming to play for a professional club. Chan cites his connections with veteran players on the Philippine team as a great guide for navigating the professional soccer scene.
“When I was a senior, you feel old. Then you go to varsity and they look at you like you're a young player,” Chan said. “Some of the players are in their 30s now, but I have a lot of respect for older players because I think, “They have so much experience.'' It gives me great hope that there is.”
Chan spent two weeks in Europe for the tournament and played three games in the Philippines. What impressed Chan was the detailed plan the players were given to plan their day, from meals to clothing to training.
In the match, Chan did not play in the first two games of the tournament, but in the third game the coach told Chan to warm up and informed him that he would be playing against Slovenia. During warm-ups, Chan was unaware of the groove and sprained his ankle just before his national team debut.
“Obviously it was disappointing,” Chan said of the ankle injury. “It was the stupidest thing. I was warming up and there was a groove and I couldn't hear the other players say that there was a groove where I was and of course I stepped into it. I did. You hear a little crack and you think, “Oh no!” I looked at my trainer and said it was fine, but she said, 'Well, it's swollen, so I can't go in.' ”
But this is not Chan's only opportunity. She was recently invited to play in a friendly in South Korea next month, where she is expected to make her national team debut.
“I'd like to get more experience there and hopefully play, but you never know,” Chan said of his next adventure with the team. “My mindset has changed a little bit and I've reached a more competitive level. I'm here to play, so it's not natural for me to fool around or say bad things anymore.”
Despite his time at UC Humboldt, Chan provides an example of what an athlete is capable of after their college career is over.
“I'm so proud of her and excited for her. It makes me feel great as a coach if our players can continue to play with passion and a desire to continue playing,” Lundy said. Ta. “I don't think we've ever had a player play on the national team. Players from both of my universities have played semi-pro or overseas, but it's been a small number. Is difficult.”
The Philippine national team is scheduled to play against South Korea on April 5 and April 8, and Chan could potentially make his international debut.
Dylan McNeil can be reached at 707-441-0526.
