OC Register StoryFULLERTON, Calif. -- Mirin Fader of the Orange County Register talked to center back Ricardo Covarrubias about leading the Titans defense by example and serving as the anchor of the backline.
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By Mirin Fader | Full Story
Ricardo Covarrubias wasn't one of the "big-name" players at the tip of college-coaches' tongues. He didn't play for a well-known high school and he didn't play club soccer.
He played pick-up games in the streets in Bell Gardens, starting at 6 years old. He tagged along with his older brother, Alejandro, who now plays with the Los Angeles Galaxy II of the United Soccer League, playing from sun up until midnight — sometimes 1 a.m.
"Until our mom would get mad and tell us to come home," Alejandro said.
Covarrubias, usually the smallest on the field, didn't sub in until Alejandro signaled. Most of the time, Covarrubias observed the movements around him, memorizing every trick he saw.
With players much older, bigger, stronger and faster than him, he learned to not run from a challenge. He learned to use his speed and smarts to make up for his stature.
Now, the 5-foot-7, 145-pound Covarrubias, a center back who competes against 6-foot-1 players or taller, has morphed into Cal State Fullerton's defensive anchor.
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