Benji Joya is another promising young player to watch over the next few months as he looks for a spot with the National Team during a match laden 2013. He may be a long shot, but his grow in the Mexican Premier League is not going unnoticed. Mexico has been a hot spot for U.S. players in recent years and Joya's time with Santos Laguna is showing his maturity and skill. Joya has not disappointing playing along side Herculez Gomez on one of the most powerful teams in Liga MX.
Hector Benjamin Joya Jimenez is a Mexican-American born in San Jose California in 1993. He was brought up through the U.S. Soccer Federation Academy with the De Anza Force. He joined Santos Laguna and began the 2012 Clausura with the under-20 team. Last month he moved up to the first team with Santos Laguna.
September11, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; USA fans celebrate their team
Joya has been called in by Tab Ramos on several occasions with the U.S. under-20 team. This month he was part of the roster for the Marbella Cup in Spain. The rapid movement through the system at Santos Laguna and figuring prominently with the U.S. youth teams can be daunting. However, Joya mentioned he has some guidance to keep him calm after he made his profession debut in Liga MX.
I was comfortable before the game but when they called my name to go in, I was very nervous. Herculez was actually telling me just to do what I know. I felt very confident after about five minutes and thought I did well.
Joya best skill seems to be using his weaker foot, which he know favors in shooting opportunities. He can play in an attacking midfield role but has moved to the wings with Santos allowing him to come center and look for opportunities with his left foot. The versatility is a skill the U.S. team can use and the Mexican squad may have missed out on. Joya now says his childhood dream of playing for Mexico is just a memory.
Joya caught the eye of Santos Laguna by filling in during a training week when the team needed bodies. Now his gaining confidence and attacking mindset have made him one of the bright young stars tied to the U.S. Soccer Federation. It's a far cry from his nights of no sleep and helping his mom with janitorial duties while training for soccer.
It's a feel good story that makes you want to see Joya succeed. Perhaps Gomez summed it up best.
What I love most about this kid is that he is the prototypical Chicano player. He's got a very American mentality that says, 'I've got to work and put my head down, I want to do this for my family.' I can relate to that, and I think if he keeps that same mental approach, he's going to be fine.
Tags: Benji Joya, Santos Laguna
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