Ronald Cerritos looks at Dennis Alas and sees a spitting image of himself, albeit 10 years ago. He sees a man with the same natural talent, the same dreams he once had, from his same homeland too.
He also sees a man that needs his help.
Both are El Salvadoran-born and bred, and played on their country’s national team together for three years. But Cerritos is 33, a 10-year veteran of Major League Soccer who understands what professional soccer is all about. Alas is just 23, about to begin his first true pro season this spring for Real Maryland, and has only been in America for a month this year.
Luckily, in his fellow countryman, Alas has a teammate and a willing teacher, ready to take him under his wing.
‘‘When I came to the United States, I was just like him,” said Cerritos, who began his career with the San Jose Clash (now the San Jose Earthquakes) of MLS in 1997 at 22 years old. ‘‘I never went to school first of all, so the words I say in English are because of my friends on the field and outside of it. He’s maybe a little bit shy but I’ll help him with that. I think he’s going to take some classes too.”
Indeed, the first and most noteworthy barrier for Alas is communication. He speaks only a modicum of English, just like his running mate in the midfield did when he first came to America. But you’d never know it listening to Cerritos speak now — he speaks the language completely and fluently, with an accent only emerging on certain words. He even serves as Alas’ interpreter in most interviews.
Hand-in-hand with the native tongues they share is a certain comfort level they have in each other. This, however, is more a reflection of what really brought them together in the first place — their performance on the field.
Cerritos’ quality is well-known. In just his first season of pro soccer, he was voted one of the MLS Best XI — an honor given to the league’s top 11 players — as a forward for the Clash. In over 200 MLS games, he scored 70 goals.
He’s also been on the Salvadoran National Team since 1995, the past several years of which he’s been teammates with Alas.
‘‘I know him well and I feel like I can learn from him,” said Alas, through Cerritos’ interpretation. ‘‘Especially since he’s playing with me, it [makes it easier] on me. I know how he moves and wants to come to the ball.”
Alas may be a lesser-known quantity in the U.S., but he possesses all the skills of his mentor. Like Cerritos, he comes over from San Salvador F.C., a Salvadoran club that plays in the country’s top league, the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional.
He is known for his deft touch and gifted passing ability, which he showcased in an April 6 scrimmage against Crystal Palace Baltimore. In the game’s 22nd minute, he lofted a pass roughly 35 yards in the air, over a defender and right onto the foot of forward Nilson Ricardo Perez for the only goal of the match.
‘‘He’s an animal in the midfield,” says Cerritos.
His defining moment, however, came last June 7 in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup with the National Team, when he scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago, which competed in the 2006 World Cup.
Both called it one of the proudest moments of their career. A team that was doubted by even their own citizens not only won a match in the premier biannual matchup between teams from the Caribbean, North and Central America, but competed gamely two days later in a 1-0 loss to Guatemala. They lost to the U.S. in their final game in group play and missed out on advancing to the knockout stages. But it was still a big accomplishment.
Essentially, Alas, Cerritos and the rest of the team proved they belonged.
‘‘That moment felt so good because people from our country gave us nothing,” said Cerritos. ‘‘They said ‘You won’t win one game. Nothing, you’re nothing, you’re not even a national team. Why are you guys doing this?’ Nobody gave us nothing. Then we started winning. We did it together.”
Now they are on the same team for the third time. But while they do share similar goals, mainly to make Real Maryland a powerhouse in their first year of United Soccer League Second Division competition, their careers are headed in different directions.
Alas wants to make a statement. He’s out to prove that he is a premier midifielder, and can play at the highest level of soccer. Already having garnered tryouts with Chivas USA, an MLS team based in Carson, Calif., he hopes his performance with the Monarchs — Real Maryland’s nickname — shows that he belongs amongst some of the best in the U.S.
‘‘I want to be a part of the MLS someday definitely, any top level,” he said. ‘‘It is a different style of soccer here. It’s more physical, more strong players with more speed, and that’s a very big difference. Hopefully, I can learn from experienced players like [Cerritos].”
On the other hand, Cerritos admits he’s in the twilight of his career. He’s already talking about coaching — like he has already done with 16- to 18-year-old youths in California last year — and plans to take his License A and License B for national coaching certification.
For now, he thinks of himself as a coach on the field for Real Maryland and head coach Silvino Gonzalo. Aside from being the team’s premier name and captain, he is a bridge between the team’s international and U.S.-born players. And though he is already thinking about life after his playing days, he still feels he has a lot left in the tank, just like his protégé.
‘‘I mean, he’s younger, but I’m 33 — I’m old!” he jokes. ‘‘But I feel young, and that’s the important thing, I wake up every day and I tell God I don’t want injuries, because that’s difficult to overcome when you’re older. But with my experience, I think I can help this team. The people respect me, Silvino’s given me that respect too. I have to talk on the field, I have to work, I have to run, I have to lead. That’s why I’m here.”
