Brayan Mora and Cesar Vazquez are turning their American dreams into realities as foreign language student-athletes at Wilson High.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just showed up on our front doorstep,\u201d Wilson boys\u2019 soccer coach C.J. Brewer said. \u201cWe\u2019re better with them, and we\u2019re trying to make their lives better as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vazquez is a naturally deft defender who is here to learn English before returning to his native Mexico after graduation. Mora is a supremely talented striker who fled Venezuela as a political refugee last year with an unpredictable future.<\/p>\n
The duo have helped the Bruins take over first place in the Moore League. Wilson (8-3-2, 3-0-1) continues its league schedule on Wednesday, at Cabrillo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we can handle these situations well because of the nature of our staff, the needs we have at our school and how we just really care deeply about all of these kids,\u201d said Wilson Principal Gonzalo Moraga, who also attended Wilson as a foreign language student.\u00a0\u201cSometimes the scope of the work goes beyond what we do at Wilson.”<\/p>\n
Mora, 18, never played organized soccer while growing up in T\u00e1chira, Valenzuela. The senior learned his exceptional footwork during the never-ending street ball games with the older kids from the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the middle child and no one else in my family played soccer,\u201d Mora said through translator and soccer team manager Giovanna Barajas. \u201cThe younger kids played inside with toys, but I wanted to go outside. Playing soccer is my escape.”<\/p>\n
Mora isn\u2019t very big but he plays a big attacking style with light feet and impressive balance. Going against older competition taught him to be tough, so he\u2019s not the type of player that easily goes to ground on a foul. He is<\/em> the type of player who turns heads.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to come play in America,\u201d Mora said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the American dream I\u2019ve heard of in stories. That\u2019s the only reason I thought it was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n International news outlets have reported on the Venezuela government\u2019s intimidation tactics used on its’ own people in order to stay in power. According to Mora, he and his family were targets of threats after he attended political rallies. In essence, each political party is trying to recruit the youth for their cause, and a physically fit young man like Mora is highly prized. However, Mora\u2019s parents had procured him a travel visa in 2012 for family vacations, and that\u2019s how he flew to Orlando, Florida with his aunt in 2017 to start a new life.<\/p>\n “The situation affects me a lot because I love my country and my people who are still there,\u201d Mora said. \u201cMy parents miss me a lot, and I talk to my mom on the phone every night when I get home.\u201d<\/p>\n After spending a month in Florida, Mora moved to Utah for his junior year at Timpview High where he had some friends from Venezuela but still no opportunity to play organized soccer. That changed when he found his uncle Henry Mora living in Long Beach.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always been looking forward to having structure and organization,\u201d Mora said. \u201cI just want to play for a team.\u201d<\/p>\n