Home › Sports › Soccer
Wynalda joins Bakersfield Brigade
Download this story as a podcast!
STORY TOOLS 
More from SoccerA familiar face will line up against the Ventura County Fusion when the second-year soccer club opens its second Premier Development League season against the Bakersfield Brigade tonight at Buena High.
Westlake Village's Eric Wynalda, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, passed a physical Thursday and was cleared to join the Brigade tonight, seven years after the end of his playing career.
"People are going to be a little bit freaked out," said the 38-year-old retired U.S. international. "They're not going to expect this."
The Westlake High product played in three World Cups, held the U.S. men's national soccer team's career goalscoring record for more than a decade and netted the first goal in Major League Soccer history for the San Jose Clash.
Since retiring in 2001, Wynalda has been most visible in his former position as an ESPN soccer analyst. But he's also begun coaching youth soccer while continuing to play in adult leagues.
He credits this "comeback" to the fruit drink Monavie, which is based on the South American acai berry.
"My life since I retired was the managing pain from 11 surgeries," said Wynalda. "Ever since I've been drinking that stuff, I haven't taken one Advil.
"I've been playing all weekend for a year and a half now."
How Wynalda fares against a youthful Fusion backline that could feature Brazilian Henrique de Paula, Joe Buppert of Santa Barbara City or Brad Rusin of UCLA has become an interesting storyline tonight.
"I feel good, I feel healthy," said Wynalda. "I feel like I'm somewhere in my 20s again, rather than 38 years old."
Wynalda, who lives in Westlake Village, has also recently joined Real California F.C. as its technical director, joining his Wynalda Soccer Academy with the Camarillo-based youth club.
"There's a pretty big buzz around here," said Tim Kelly, Real California's director of coaching.
Posted by bjharrah5 on May 4, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree! Monavie is amazing!! It is truly a miracle what this juice does to your body!! I feel like a new person. Everyone should be drinking it!!And it's just fruit!!
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.