Zidan Ochoa '24 Recruiting Profile

Football is more than a game to me. It's engraved in my blood and my family. My father played from a young age through ODP teams, regional teams, and the national team. My brother is a goalkeeper and played in junior college, so from the start I had soccer in my life and everywhere around me. I competed with my brother despite the age difference (8 years) and I still do to this day. I love to win, it can be a chess game, trivia, Fifa match, or even a board game, but no matter what I have a winning mentality. Despite my winning mentality I accept loss and admire growth and development. I always plan on getting better as a person and a football player. I put in the work on and off the field daily. I began my football life with the Seattle Sounders at 10 years of age when I was invited to a very special tournament in Ypres, Belgium. From there I simply kept putting in the work and I've been all over the world and played top level teams because of it. Seattle Sounders also put me into a very good school system for the last few years. I love to learn and put the same effort on the pitch into the classroom always. I won the Sheffield trophy with the Sounders Academy in 2019 by beating Celtic F.C. in the finals and only letting in 1 goal the whole tournament. Although I love to see myself succeed and develop I also love to see others be the best versions of themselves. I am a leader on and off the field. I always push others to win and learn from each other because that's the point of football to me, to learn and work with others. Ultimately winning should be the standard. Putting effort into my training and games is non-negotiable and will always be the standard every minute on the pitch. I sacrifice for my team and expect my teammates to do the same. Ultimately, I know I would be a great candidate for a division 1 school and that's my goal but I always have an open mindset and will play anywhere the standard is high and professional. I wont make this too long but if you are a coach and want to learn more shoot me a message and to get to know me better. Looking forward to it! Thank you for reading my statement.