Who Are Ya!! - Orlando & Hugo Morales

Hey guys this is going to be a dual one for me and my brother . I, Sebastian... yeah...that's my first name (Orlando) and Hugo Morales

Where were you born?
We were both born in Quito, Ecuador our parents are of Spanish (Spain decent) and Brazilian

If you were not born in the Kansas City area, when did you arrive and what circumstances brought you to KC?
We both came to the U.S. when we were small. I (Orlando) was eight and Hugo was four. We came as my dad got an opportunity to come play abroad in the US, but as you all know given the soccer popularity back then it was nothing and it died, and we stayed in the U.S.A., Apparently we chose the Midwest where we lived in Lake of the Ozarks as it was the closest body of water here that caught my dad's eye (since we grew up by the ocean). I (Orlando) got a scholarship to Mid America Nazarene and Hugo to Avila therefore we came to Kansas City and have established base here now

What team(s) do you support as a fan?
Sporting KC by far, it's been phenomenal being part of the cauldron and we love playing the drums during the chants and the atmosphere.  Not to mention we get a kick out of seeing Troy's face get redder and redder with every chant

What is your earliest soccer memory?
Wow, our first toy was a soccer ball, we both vividly remember before our dad's every game we would run out to the fields, stadiums and establishments and just start playing with the ball...the security/staff thought we were cute  (I know) and we would play on the same fields that many soccer greats got to set foot on

How did you find the Youngs Park game?
We wanted to play a lot more especially in the summer when we didn't have school and it was nice weather, I used to live behind Shawnee mission west. Troy and Wasim and Tom with his goals that he bought were extremely friendly really genuine individuals and invited us to play, letting us know the location changes and different days and reminding us, we felt welcome and not ousted, we have seen it grow when it was 7v7 maximum of people, to now playing with over 38 people at once! We both love that everyone has fun, and everyone has a tremendous love of the game or wants to truly learn to play.  No one plays dirty or plays like it's life or death as opposed to few other places we've played . So we really have to thank all of you for making the game truly beautiful as Wasim once said this is a "gentleman's game"

Can you tell us something about yourself that not everyone in the group would know?
We both are hardcore Sporting KC Cauldron fans and go to as many Sporting Kc matches as possible wearing masks, wigs, etc and play the drums there. We should all organize a get together and catch a game and who knows some of you might become fanatics in the cauldron.

P.S. I forgot I extremely hate the no corner rule if you didn't know...

Who Are Ya!! - David Cooper

Where were you born?

I was born in Abilene, TX, but lived in Texan, California, Oregon, Washington, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Oklahoma and Kansas before settling down in the KC area.

If you were not born in the Kansas City area, when did you arrive and what circumstances brought you to KC?

I moved to KC in 1984 to work on finishing my college degree at MidAmerica Nazarene College (now University), but ended up working as a trim carpenter and getting married instead of finishing college.  We left KC in 1992 to serve as missionaries in Costa Rica and Guatemala until 2002.  That is when we moved back to KC.

What team(s) do you support as a fan?

I am a big KC Chiefs fan.  I know, the wrong football but I still enjoy watching.  I also love watching the World Cup and cheering for the US and the African teams that make it.  I also like to watch Manchester United, Arsenal and Madrid.

What is your earliest soccer memory?

I began playing soccer when my parents moved to Costa Rica when I was 12 years old.  I picked it up again in high school and played goalie in high school and college.

How did you find the Youngs Park game?

I found the game when we moved back to KC in 2002.  Nick Edinger introduced me to the game and I played until moving last July to South Africa.

Can you tell us something about yourself that not everyone in the group would know?

Most know that I am now living in Johannesburg, South Africa working as a missionary in the Church of the Nazarene.  I am the Personnel Coordinator for all of our missionaries all over the continent of Africa, so I travel and communicate with people in various countries.

I still love playing soccer and started up a game at the condominium complex we live at.  It is usually only 3-5 per side, but it keeps me active and kicking shins from time to time.

Hope to play with you guys again when I am back for a visit later this year.  If you are ever in Johannesburg come on by.  Email:  dcooper@africa-region.org.za

Who Are Ya!! * Revisited *

It has been about a year since we last sent out a request for participation in this feature. The following is the original request - if you didn't send in a submission last time and want to participate, please let me know by clicking the link at the bottom of the post:

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Who Are Ya!!

This is a great idea suggested by Bob G:

We have played soccer together over the years, yet many of us don't know each other that well. In this section of the Youngs Park Blog, please share about yourself so others can get to know you. Keep in mind this is the Internet, so be careful posting sensitive information, but include as much as possible to let people know Who Are Ya!!.

You can use the following questions as a starting point, if you like, or just write whatever comes to mind:

1. Where were you born?
2. If you were not born in the Kansas City area, when did you arrive and what circumstances brought you to KC?
3. What team(s) do you support as a fan?
4. What is your earliest soccer memory?
5. How did you find the Youngs Park game?
6. Can you tell us something about yourself that not everyone in the group would know?

If you would like to participate, please send me an email. I will run them in the order they are sent, posting one a week.

Hope you find this interesting!

Here are some pics from one of the games over the holidays. Thank you, Ramiro, for the great shots!

Lost & found from Sunday, 01.01.2012

L white shirt & UnderArmour hat