My journey here has been incredible. I have covered many miles and met some pretty cool people. I don’t know how much you know about my situation post San Jose. I took some time off after the news and tried to let my body heal from the heel issue (bruised or fractured) and that terrible sickness I got (put me under for 2 weeks in a hotel in San Jose). Once I finally got fit and healthy Anthony LaPaglia, who is the man by the way, was pumped on me and loved the way I played that he was determined to find me a team. After playing a few games with Hollywood United I was able to gain some game fitness and play some soccer again. Special highlight in my career was to beat Portland Timbers with our mix of no namers and over the hill pros that no longer belonged on the field or never got a fair shake. So after a good experience with Hollywood I was off to Sydney.

Once I got out to Sydney it was a different story, first day at training was a lame ass weight session and I was introduced to the team as, “Hey guys this is Matt, he knows Anthony, he will be training with us for a week.” Right then I knew that there was no opportunity to play in Sydney. I spoke to the coach a couple days later (after two weight sessions, a pool session, and a boxing session, not a real good trial situation, but then again it never was a trial for me) and asked straight up, whats the deal. He said, right now, no money, no spots, and we need a left back, but you are welcome to stay and train as long as you want. Meanwhile I knew the outcome, so Anthony was working on a different contact in Adelaide.

One of my good friends, Diego Walsh, plays there and was voted their player of the year for Asia Champions league. I cruised down there after a couple weeks in Sydney. My welcome here was much different. The day I showed up, I already knew that there were no foreign spots open, so I don’t know why I went in the first place, but I wanted to see Australia, hang out with my buddy, and make some contacts (hopefully). I had a warmer welcome in Adelaide, and after the first practice, people were really interested in my story and what I was doing there.

I started to hit my stride there and i was playing really well. The team embraced me and really wanted to sign me, but they had a Brazilian they signed by DVD and he was struggling a bit, which made me look even better. The coach said he wanted to sign me and told me that he wished I was Aussie or there were some spots open. Same old story, every coach loves to have a guy that trains hard, can play the game capably, and has a good attitude, so he made the same offer, you can stay as long as you want and stay fit till the next thing comes around. At the end of the two weeks, I made a decision that I was going to say thanks to the coach for his time and walk out on the sport for at least the rest of the year, if not forever. I was saying goodbye to the team, I was pretty emotional too, that was some hard stuff. I barely even knew these guys, but in my eyes it could be the last real locker room that I got to kick it in and bullshit with the guys. Its something that is underrated and never really talked about, but I would really miss that.

I had plans to travel Australia for a couple of months and then head to Asia and hit up Thailand and some other cool countries. It was my post soccer backup plan that was now the only option left for me. On my way out of the locker room Paul Agostino, rad dude, says “Hey mate, what are you doing?” I looked back and said, “Dont know, guess I’m going to travel”. He said “Why the do you want to do that, you are way to good to just go off and travel, you need to find a club, you need to be playing somewhere”. I said “Ya, this was kind of the last option for me, haha there wasn’t even a spot for me”. He said, “Mate i spent 10 years in Germany at 1860, I know you can play there. 2nd Bundesliga would be a great start for you, then you could work your way up from there and make a great career”.

I said listen, I am about to call it quits right now, if there is anything you can do, I would appreciate it so much, I am desperate right now. I gave him my phone number, sent him my video and CV, and later that night I got a call from him. “Hey Matt, I got a hold of my good mate who is an agent, when I am done playing I am going to help him out with his agency, sent the video over and he is going to start looking around”. I said my thanks, and much more over the phone and I was off to Sydney again the next day. He told me to be available and stay fit.

Lets just say that was tough, traveling the coast of Aus, hostel to hostel, waking up the next day to run, then surf and sightsee. It was a great ten days. After ten days I started to get a little down on the whole situation and I was giving up hope. I went for a night to the rainforest in the boonies out of phone service and no email. When I got back into town I had about 7 messages and 10 emails from these guys. I was on a flight to Frankfurt two days later. I got to make a pit stop in Hong Kong, I facebooked Sasha K and Brad G, but they arrived the in the middle of the night and I left early in the morning. Too bad I missed the guys, but I got to see the spectacle that is China.

I arrived in Frankfurt, at FSV, a team that had just been promoted to the 2nd league. On my arrival, the head coach really didnt know who I was, they had about 7 trialists in the week that I got there. Again, didn’t seem to promising, not much respect from the start. A couple of days went by, they signed another forward from another team that wasn’t on trial and I asked the coach the next day whats going on, he said yea, not going to work out, thanks for coming. well, by this time I was used to failing the trials, or lack thereof never even got a real quality trial to this point. I took a train to my agents place and crashed there. At this point he said he had a couple of things in the works but nothing to write home about yet.

Out of the blue, we hear that Koblenz is looking for an attacking player, the season starts in two weeks and they want to take a look at me. Paul Agostino gave the coach a call on my behalf and said that I would be worth taking a look at. It always helps when a respected name puts in a good word for you. The next morning, we woke up at 4 am and drove up to Koblenz, have an incredibly hard session 2.5 hours with fitness and hard intense games. I played really well. The coach told my agent he liked what he saw and wanted to take a look at me in a game that night. I was knackered, and i had to take an hour bus ride and play a game in the night. In between the first training and the game, I had no hotel so my agent and I ate at a restaurant and chilled for 4 hours until we had to be back at the stadium. The game came and went, I didn’t play all that well, tired, the whole team was tired so I didn’t feel that bad. Trained well for the next 6 or 7 days(about 4 or 5 were hard, really hard double days) and eventually they offered me a contract three days before the season opener. Bottom line is, Paul Agostino is the man, Anthony LaPaglia is the man, My agent is the man, and everybody else that helped me along the way, Hollywood United, Ian Carrington, my family, friends and most of the people that I have met in the sport.

I am so thankful to have experienced a journey like this because it allows me to truly appreciate what I have accomplished and what I get to do for the next period of my life. That is the very short version of my story. Oh yea, now that I am here, I started my first game and scored a bust, left footed volley from twenty out, couldn’t have had a better debut.

Word,
Matt