Funes, Reyes realize Sueño dreams

Winners appeared on Univision's Republica Deportiva show

By Steve Hunt / MLSnet.com Staff

Gabriel Funes (left) and Briant Reyes (right) pose with their new jerseys and trophies. (FC Dallas)

"I am speechless," Funes said. "I'm so excited and proud of myself to win this. I can't wait to start. I have a lot to give. I hope that I do well. I just want to get out there and play."

He admitted that he was a little jittery before appearing on TV but once his segment began, Funes was clearly at ease, even cracking a few jokes during his appearance.

"I was a little nervous before I went up there," he said. "I always see the show and it's very funny. But I think that I did pretty well up there."

Then, about 15 minutes later, Chivas USA director of soccer Dennis te Kloese appeared on the program alongside the Los Angeles Sueno MLS winner, 17-year-old midfielder Briant Reyes, to present him with a Chivas jersey of his own.

"I'm very happy to be right here," Reyes said. "It's a dream come true. My parents are so happy for me. I always thank them because they have been there for me since I was little. I hope that I can get better and reach the upper levels like last year's winner Jorge (Flores) but I know that will take time. I will try my best every time I go out there to get better."

Reyes learned that he was the winner on Wednesday, when he received a phone call that he was needed for an interview.

"They had the whole thing planned but tried to surprise me," he said. "I went (to the interview) and they told me that I was going to win. I was very happy."

When he was named as one of five finalists for the Los Angeles event, Reyes knew that he had a very good chance of prevailing.

"There were five players in our final group," Reyes said. "To tell the truth, I had a good feeling that I was going to win because the competition was between myself and a forward. I thought I was going to win because I tried my hardest every day to show my best."

The person presenting him with his jersey, te Kloese, was pleased with his choice.

"I think he stood out because he brought a good mentality to the field," te Kleose said. "Physically, he's very good and apart from that, he's a good soccer player. He's technically good for his size and age. He still has a way to go. I think that starting with our Under-16 youth developmental team will help them and then working into our system. With a little bit of patience, we hope that he's going to be a good player for our club."

Reyes, who made the trip from L.A. to Frisco by himself, admitted that before appearing on the program, he did come down with a case of nerves.

"I'm kind of nervous because I have never been on TV before," he said. "I've been on TV before but never like this with so many people around. I get nervous being around all of these people."

Knowing that his family was watching at home in California eased his nerves. He also wanted to take advantage of this chance to thank the two people who helped get him here.

"My dad has always been there for me since I was a little kid," Reyes said. "He has gone to every game and has been with me everywhere I have gone. He's the one that has really helped me. Both of my parents have always been there for me. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I would be here."

In fact, Reyes has his mother to thank for being in Sueno in the first place.

"My mom saw the news on Saturday night and on Sunday, I went to try out," he recalled. "The first cut was easy. I thought I was going to make it because after the first game, one of the coaches came up to me and asked me how old I was and some things about myself. I thought that was a good sign for me."

Reyes did keep track of last year's Sueno event and also got to converse with winner Jorge Flores before coming to Frisco.

"I watched it some," he said. "One of my friends was in it last year. I was going to do it last year but it was too late. I met him this year and got to talk to him some. He's a nice guy and told me to try my best. He told me that it's not easy to make it this far and that you have to work hard for everything you want."

Te Kloese admits that it might be a little unfair to expect the same results from Reyes as the club has gotten from Flores but this year's winner is a year younger than Flores but still has considerable potential.

"I think in this case, you never know," te Kleose said. "It's a little up in the air as to how he takes his first steps in our organization. I think we should give him the opportunity to grow and mature a little bit. Jorge (Flores) was a year older when we brought him in compared to Briant (Reyes), so we need to give him a little time on that end to mature a little bit. But he has some qualities, that's why he won."

For Reyes, today's announcement represents only the first step toward realizing his dreams.

"This is a big dream for me," he said. "Since I was five, I have been playing soccer. When they would ask me at school what my dream was, I would tell them that I wanted to be a professional soccer player."

But he still realizes that even as well as he has performed to reach this point, he needs to step it up even further to reach the professional ranks.

"It's going to be a whole other level," Reyes said. "There are older people that are already there and know what it takes to get there. I have to get to that level by practicing hard and trying my best every day. I need to work on my conditioning and my touch. If I can do that, then I will be cool."

Both Funes and Reyes were honored just prior to kick off of the FC Dallas-Chivas USA game as each player received a crystal trophy for their respective achievements.

Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.