L.A. Galaxy Former Bruin Sasha Victorine
kicked the winning goal for the U.S. team.
By Will Whitehorn
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Australian turf in Hindmarsh Stadium was wet on Sept. 23,
making play even tougher for former Bruin stars-turned U.S.
Olympians Peter Vagenas and Sasha Victorine. This particular soccer
match had gone into overtime and was now headed toward a shoot-out.
Across the field lay an equally determined and victory-hungry
Japanese national team. Only one team would advance to the
semifinals of the 2000 Olympic Games.
“I was originally scheduled to kick last,” Vagenas
recalled of the impending free kicks that would decide the game.
“I had gotten a kick by (Japanese goalie Seigo Narazaki)
earlier in the game, and I felt if I went first and got one by him
again, then it would psyche him out.”
Vagenas’ kick missed, but the U.S. had one more shot at
victory.
Victorine, who as a last-minute addition to the United States
men’s soccer team was kicking last, suddenly found himself
with the eyes of both his country and the world on him.
“The whole time I told myself to stay calm, kick it solid,
and look for a chance to get it in,” Victorine said. “I
wanted to make sure not to slip, and kept telling myself to stay
calm.”
Victorine’s concentration paid off as the kick went
through and propelled the United States to a 5-4 win over
Japan.
That’s the kind of stuff Peter Vagenas and Sasha Victorine
have done since they left UCLA.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” the 22-year-old
Victorine said of going to the Olympics. “You dream about it
as a kid, and then you’re there. You’re not worried
about who you’re playing tomorrow, you’re just excited
about being there.”
 L.A. Galaxy Former Bruin Pete Vagenas
(right) is now a midfielder with the L.A. Galaxy. Vagenas was a
member of the U.S. Olympic team last summer.
Vagenas, also 22, concurred. “Obviously it’s a very
surreal moment in terms of being an athlete. It’s years of
work culminating in this one moment. It’s like the icing on
the cake.”
Teammates at UCLA (where they guided the Bruins to two Final
Fours, including the NCAA Championship in 1997) as well as on the
Olympic team, the two are now teammates again as midfielders for
the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.
“It’s like a dream come true,” said Vagenas, a
Pasadena native and captain of that 1997 Bruin team. “To
practice and play in front of family and friends, and to play with
people you admired growing up.”
The UCLA presence on the Galaxy roster is not limited to Vagenas
and Victorine. No less than nine players currently on the team once
donned UCLA blue and gold. The assemblage of former Bruins is
beneficial, according to Vagenas.
“Sometimes in practice we divide ourselves into smaller
teams. The UCLA teams versus the other guys. And we usually do very
well. It’s a demonstration of the kind of talent that comes
out of UCLA.”
Victorine agrees.
“There’s some heckling that goes on within the team,
about us all being from UCLA, but it’s good-natured. It adds
to the relationships, it builds camaraderie.”
Both players tentatively plan to return to UCLA to continue
their education. Vagenas, who graduated with a degree in sociology,
plans to return to UCLA for his masters but is not sure whether
he’ll pursue a career in that field once his playing days are
over.
“Hopefully soccer will take care of everything,” he
said.
Victorine, who studied economics, wants to finish his degree and
is uncertain about graduate school.
“I’m still debating that,” he said.
“Right now I’m just concentrating on finishing up and
graduating.”
What they miss most about campus life is the environment.
“In college, you’re going through the best years of
your life, and there’s the sense that you don’t have
huge worries, other than classes. You’re just having fun,
learning, and going out with friends,” Victorine said.
Vagenas concurred. “In college, your roommates are usually
your teammates. It’s different not seeing your friends every
day.”
The Galaxy and its collection of Bruins will be on display this
week as they participate in the Football Confederation Champions
Cup.
“It’s like the World Cup, only there’s a
random drawing, to see who goes,” Victorine said.
“It’s a pretty prestigious tournament, and
there’ll be a lot of scouts there. It’s a great
opportunity to be recognized.”
On the line are a $1 million purse and a berth in the World
Championships in Madrid, Spain, to be played later this year. The
tournament began Tuesday at Titans Stadium in Fullerton, with the
Championship at the LA Coliseum on Jan. 21.
The competition is stiff, but Vagenas and Victorine have become
accustomed to high standards.
“Like at UCLA, the Galaxy is always trying for that
championship,” Vagenas said.
A championship so early in their careers would be a fitting
prize for the pair, who have already accomplished so much in so
little time.