________________________
________________________
By Loren Kopff
Wherever Joul Farah is, a soccer team isn’t far behind. The former successful Gahr High School girls varsity soccer head coach has now put together another club team based in Cerritos.
In April of 2009, Farah took over the Downey FC Under-11 team and one year later, started the Cerritos Football Club Liverpool Under-12 team. In just three years, the team has climbed up the ladders as one of the top club teams in Southern California. When Farah took over the silver-level team in 2009, it had six players after the team was going to disband. At the time, the team finished the season in third place in the premier division. Over the past couple of years, the team has gotten stronger and stronger. Last season, the team finished in sixth place and allowed 27 goals with an inexperienced goalkeeper between the pipes. The Liverpool advanced to the semifinals of the league cup before losing to North Huntington Beach in a shootout despite outshooting NHB 28-2.
“It’s all over the field,” Farah said of his team’s strengths. “Especially right now since we picked up a goalie that is probably the best goalie I’ve ever had. I [also] picked up a sweeper and I picked up a midfielder. They’re making a huge impact on the team.”
When the high school season concluded in March, the team went to the Eclipse Showcase in San Juan Capistrano and finished in third place. After that, it was off to nationals in Lancaster and the Liverpool advanced to the round of 32 where the squad fell to the eventual champions, the San Gabriel Valley-based Albion, in a shootout. The latest adventure for the Liverpool, now an Under-15 team was a trip to the Avalanche Tournament in Park City, UT, a college showcase. The team played three games, losing twice and tying the other one. Farah said in order to be accepted in college showcases, you have to be a high level premier team. In August, the Liverpool will become an Under-16 team but before that, the team is looking to play in more showcases.
The CFC Liverpool also has an Under 11-team, coached by Farah’s daughter and former St. Joseph High standout Natalie Farah. While in high school, the prolific scorer received a four-year scholarship to the University of Oregon but played at Cypress College. Alongside Natalie Farah is former Valley Christian star Jackie Roman, a key component of the Lady Crusader’s defense during her high school days. This is Roman’s first coaching experience anywhere.
“They are in the same place that the older ones were four years ago,” Joul Farah said of the younger team. “We just need to pick up a few more players.”
“They’re getting it; they want to be there,” Roman said. “We have a bunch of girls out there who love to come and play. They’re learning how to play as a team. They see the older girls and a lot of them strive to be like them.”
Roman was also a player under many of Joul Farah’s successful and mostly unbeatable club teams and the fact that he is in charge of the CFC Liverpool program, it’s making Roman’s coaching debut much smoother.
“I just try to think back to what he was teaching me as a kid,” Roman said. “So, I try to instill that into them now. It’s nice because if I have a question, he’s right there giving me advice.”
Among the teams that Joul Farah has coach have been the AYSO Dream Team, the Cerritos Illusion and Gahr, where he had three successful seasons. In fact, in the three seasons before he took over Gahr, with three different coaches, the Gladiators went 5-44-4. In Joul Farah’s first season at Gahr, the team went 11-5-2 and barely missed the playoffs. Since he left coaching high school, the Gahr program has had four straight losing seasons. But one major problem facing the CFC Liverpool has been a place to practice. Joul Farah says he’s getting no help from the city of Cerritos
“I’ve lived in Cerritos for so many years and even when I coached in AYSO, we made a name for Cerritos,” Farah said. “A lot of teams didn’t even know where Cerritos was. Because we won, [people] got to know Cerritos. I always have a special place in my heart for Cerritos.
“The only problem is [the city] of Cerritos will not work with us to give us fields to have our team play in Cerritos,” he continued. “We’re practicing in Norwalk, we’re practicing here and there and we would love to practice in Cerritos because we are always making a positive name for Cerritos.”
The members of the CFC Liverpool Under-15 team are: Emilie Botello, Kayla Delgado, Amanda Duran, Emily Flores, Miranda Flores, Sabrina Gonzalez, Meagan Gruber, Natalie Hernandez, Lana Hudson, Tara Kazimi, Emilia Mariolis, Miriam Melendez, Patricia Moreno, Marlene Palafox and Kayla Rivas.
The CFC Liverpool Under-11 players are: Arena Avila, Kerigan Colin, Ashley Correia, Ajas Jaurique, Samantha Maldonado, Ashley Merrifield, Eliana Mariolis, Victoria Navarro-Sandoval, Gabriella Obeso and Nathaly Silva.
For more information on the CFC Liverpool, go to its web site www.cfcliverpool.com.
