By Jim Hague
When Cesar Markovic was hired last year as the new head soccer coach at New Jersey Institute of Technology, he told Kearny’s Franco Gamero that he had connections with the Puerto Rican national soccer team.
“It was the first day I met him,” said Gamero, who was a standout soccer player at Kearny High School before moving on to NJIT. “He asked me if I was Puerto Rican and he told me he had a friend involved with the Puerto Rican national team.”
Gamero’s mother is from Puerto Rico. His father is from Argentina, but he was born in the United States. When Markovic made that statement when the coach met the player for the first time, Gamero didn’t think much of it.
That is, until recently.
“I struck up a friendship years ago with the vice-president of the Puerto Rican Soccer Federation, Dariel Collazo,” Markovic said. “We became good friends. A couple of years ago, I had an opening at Stony Brook (where Markovic coached before NJIT) for an assistant coach and I brought Dariel in. He stayed with me for six seasons, then he went back to Puerto Rico.”
Collazo called Markovic and asked if he knew of any players who were of Puerto Rican descent. Markovic immediately thought of Gamero, a junior at NJIT who led the Highlanders in scoring last fall.
Markovic told Collazo that Gamero would be a good addition to the Puerto Rican national team, so Collazo invited Gamero to come to train with the squad for some international friendly contests against El Salvador and Nicaragua later this month.
“Honestly, when I first heard of this, I thought Coach (Markovic) was joking,” Gamero said. “I never thought I would get this kind of opportunity. But when he said it, then he called the coach and put me on the phone with him, I realized it was for real.”
Gamero leaves later this week for San Juan and will join the Puerto Rican national squad for the two contests and another opponent to be determined.
In essence, it’s like a tryout for Gamero, but it’s coming on the international soccer scene.
“They’re bringing in five or six guys from the United States who are Puerto Rican,” Gamero said. “It’s definitely the biggest opportunity of my life. There is nothing in my life I’m looking forward to more.”
“It’s a tremendous experience for Franco,” Markovic said. “He’s getting a chance and we’ll see where it goes. At the very least, he’ll get an international cap (appearance) out of it and that’s a tremendous experience in itself. No one will ever take that away from him.”
Markovic said that Puerto Rico is trying to develop its national team, so it’s a good situation for Gamero to be in.
“Puerto Rico is a country that is still trying to develop the game of soccer,” Markovic said. “But over the years, they are getting better. They are working their way up the ranks. They’re still a developing soccer country and it’s different than the other Latin American countries. But the growth has been tremendous and they’re developing a good soccer background.”
Gamero was asked if he would be ready to play competitive soccer again. After all, the Highlanders’ season ended in October.
“Coach Markovic has us all in full training mode, like it’s preseason,” Gamero said. “We’re doing workouts at 6 a.m. three times a week. We’re working with a strength and conditioning coach. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we have two-a-days. I feel like I’m in good stamina shape. We’ve also been working outside, because the weather has been nice. I’m pretty sure I’ll be alright, even though I really haven’t been playing.”
Gamero will be gone until the end of the month, traveling to Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
“This is definitely a door-opening situation, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Gamero said. “I have to take advantage of it. I honestly thought that it was first the U-23 (under 23) team, but it’s the real national team. I’m traveling to Central America with a chance to play internationally. This is the kind of stuff I only dreamed of. I’m thankful it’s happening.”
Markovic believes it’s a blessing for the entire NJIT soccer program.
“It gives us exposure and gives him tremendous experience,” Markovic said. “It gives Franco more of an understanding about international soccer and he can share that with his teammates. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
And definitely a dream come true for a kid from Kearny.
