The Freshman Centerman: Brody Meija

Brody Meija scanning the field at a Carrillo soccer game (photo: Maitri Rane, The Puma Prensa)

By Maitri Rane, centerspread editor

His teammate, sophomore Micah Hoese said that Brody is fully capable of playing in varsity: “He fits in perfectly. He's younger, obviously, because he's one of the only two freshmen on the team, but we all get along.” Brody’s game strength, according to Hoese, is that he can keep the ball well, he distributes perfectly, and he can find that crucial pass before a goal. Moreover, he admires Brody’s communication skills in and out of the game. 

His twin Bryson said he looks up to Brody’s “technical skills'' and that “he's a step ahead of everyone else.” He agreed with Hoese that Brody works really hard and his skills show that he's worth being on varsity. That said, one Bryson did say that Brody” should get stronger because he then can shoot from farther”. 

One of the coaches for the men's soccer team, Salvador Sahagun, asserted that Brody works very hard and is a great athlete to have on the team. “This is the first time in a while we have had a freshman make the team on the first year of their try out, and he and his twin have impressed us doing that,” said Sahagun. 

On the other hand, varsity men's soccer coach Trevor Brady mentioned, “Brody plays soccer in a system that I like. He plays simple in the best way, doesn't take extra touches if it's not necessary, and looks to get players involved.” When describing what Brody is like outside of the games, Brady states, “even outside of soccer practices it's very clear that Brody is a dedicated player and he wants to get better. Especially as a 9th grader, his skills far exceed what their grade level is.” Like most everyone on the team, Brady cannot tell the difference between the twins. He stated, “I'm a twin myself, but I have a hard time telling them apart because they look so darn similar. As a coach, I should be able to differentiate, but they wear the same clothes. They tell me one of their hair is darker, it's still hard for me to tell.” Brady adds, “Both him and his twin are very good kids, very talented and I look forward to having the opportunity to work with them not just the remainder of this year but moving forward.” In Brady’s opinion, “they are an indication that there's more positive things ahead for Maria Carrillo soccer.”