Longview High School (LHS) alumnus Jose Francisco Torres has earned a spot as midfielder on the  U.S. World Cup Soccer team.  Longview locals are already expressing their pride in Torres’ accomplishment, as Foster Henry Middle School teacher Margaret Wright noted immediately after Torres (who also attended this school) was named to the international team.
“This is so huge here,” Wright said with a smile. “Jose’s going to find out he has relatives he never knew about.”
Longview has produced a number of sports standouts.  Another LHS graduate, Chris Davis, is first baseman for the Texas Rangers.  Washington Redskin offensive lineman Trent Williams and wide receiver Malcolm Kelly are also Longview natives.  Longview generic cialis 20 mg has a long list of “Notable People” on Wikpedia. Many are athletes, but the list includes union activist Karen Silkwood and actor Mathew McConaughey.  Torres’ inclusion is of great pride to the local Hispanic community.  LHS soccer coach James Wright put this clearly.
“Jose is a celebrity in the Hispanic community here,” he said.  “Being named to the World Cup team was a big relief to the Hispanic community. They really believed he deserved it, but were worried to the last minute if he’s make it.”
Jose was born in Longview in 1987.  His parents are Francisco “Pancho”  and Lisa Torres (nee Mizzell.)  Pancho immigrated to Longview from Tampico, Mexico.  Here he met Lisa and introduced her to what Mexicans call “futbol.”
“When we were dating he told me he was taking me to a futbol game,” she said.  “When we got these I said, ‘Football in Spanish is different from our football.’”
“I was born in the U.S., and my dream was always to play for the U.S. national team,” said Jose. Lisa started playing soccer and helped coach Jose’s youth team called Bad to da Bone.  He later played on a team called Elite.  After he started attending LHS he, as a sophomore, shattered the school’s records for scoring and assists.  Coach Wright says Jose really developed by playing in a local adult soccer league called the Mexican League.  He was also approached by the Mexican Olympic team, but decided to stay in East Texas.
“That’s really where he developed his skills,” said Margaret.  “You’ve got teenagers playing with and against 35- and 40-year-olds. He really matured playing in that league.” Torres dropped out of high school before his junior season started, and joined the Mexican first division franchise Pachuca, debuting at first team before he turned 19 in 2006.  He earned a spot in the starting lineup in 2008, and has been going full-speed ever since.  His family was not surprised.  As a little boy he would watch Mexican soccer on television, point at the screen and say, “One day I’ll play there.”
“Jose was always behind the ball,” Lisa says.  “He slept with his ball.  He would watch Mexican soccer on television with his dad, and when he saw something he wanted to learn, he’d go in the Cheap Cialis backyard and work on it until he could do it.  We had mini-goals in the yard.  He also went to his father’s and his uncles’ games.”
“You couldn’t get the ball away from Jose,” said Coach Wright.  He was truly amazing.  I have one picture of him with me when we played in a tournament in Tyler.  Now that all this is happening, you wonder, ‘Why didn’t we take more pictures?’”
Able to play either centrally or as a wide midfielder left-footed Jose played in five games on the national team in 2009–every appearance in World Cup qualifying.  His performances have been brilliant.
After declaring his intention to play for the American team he was on the squad as a substitute in the 6-1 victory in RFK Stadium on October 11, 2008.
He was on the team that made it all the way to the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009.
He made five appearances for Bob Bradley’s team 2009 during the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Sportswriter Steve Goff of the Washington Post has written this about Jose:
“And in the first half the Americans were outpaced and outclassed. The introduction of Torres and Findley helped turn the match.  Torres, an enigma since joining the national team two years ago, distributed the ball with precision and purpose from central midfield, and, for a change, provided defensive assistance.”
It is a heady time for this 22-year-old, 5’7, 135-pound superstar. Despite being a newcomer his talent and confidence are rubbing off on his teammates.  He is making the future look bright for U.S. soccer.