Marco Almazan took another step toward liv - ing out his dream of play - ing professional soccer.
The Marble Falls High School junior spent the last five months in Cadiz, Spain at the Inter - national Soccer Academy with the goal of making a pro roster. "La Liga is the top division in Spain it's where everyone wants to be," he said. "I played for one of their academies. It's what I've been doing my whole life. I love the game." The academy works closely with Cadiz Club de Futbol, a Spanish pro - fessional football club founded in 1910. Soccer academies are created throughout the world with the sole purpose of devel - oping promising young - sters in to professionals. So for Almazan, who returned to Texas May 14, to be offered a spot at the academy was huge, he said. "I was invited through my (Capital City) club," he said. "We were play - ing in the MLS Next Fest in Arizona. A scout there saw me. I got the email a couple of days later." In Spain, his day be - gan at 8:15 a.m. with breakfast then he went to a training session at 10 a.m. that included weights, video and skills.
At 2 p.m., he'd eat lunch and attend online school at Arizona State University followed by homework. Dinner was at 9 p.m. and then it was off to bed at 11 p.m.
