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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Catching up with: Former Norman North Soccer Player Dominic Cervi
Central Oklahoma, OK
By: Adam Brooks, VYPE
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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In December, University of Tulsa goalkeeper Dominic Cervi looked at his future after four years of college soccer.
He figured he would complete his last two semesters, apply to physical therapy school and move into a career.
Then he got an e-mail that put him on a path to a professional soccer career and possibly to the Olympic Games in China this summer.
Cervi, a Norman North High School product, found out in December that coaches from college and Major League Soccer wanted him to come to the league’s scouting combine in January.
Soon, his career began a rapid rise. He says he started hearing talk about going in the first or second round of the draft, which made him realize it might be time to withdraw from school.
Then Peter Nowak, the coach of the under-23 national team, asked Cervi to join his squad as it prepared for an Olympic qualifying tournament.
Soon, the Chicago Fire drafted him in the first round. And he stayed with the U-23s: In five games in the tournament, he started two, earning his first match for the U.S. – a 1-0 shutout in which many reports named him the man of the match. That game put the Yanks one game away from China.
“I was nervous, excited, just thrilled – anything you can imagine,” he said. “I’m still pretty speechless about it.”
While many of his teammates had played for their nation at various youth levels – including players such as Freddy Adu -- it was Cervi’s first time in red, white and blue.
“A win, a shutout ... you can’t ask for much more than that,” he said.
The semifinal of the tournament, which determined if the U.S. would qualify for Beijing, saw the U.S. dominating Canada 3-0. Cervi said the scene after the game was more relief than celebration.
“It was a chance to be thankful for our hard work,” he says.
One of his rewards for his effort was to start the final, which determined the region’s champion. Honduras beat the U.S. 1-0 on an overtime goal.
Despite his success with the national team, Cervi doesn’t think his professional future lies on this side of the pond. With less than a week to go before the kickoff of the MLS season, Cervi had not signed with the league.
He said he wants to explore opportunities in Europe, “where the best soccer is.”
Ideally, he would like to play in Italy, because that’s where his family comes from. Also, it’s the home of his favorite goalkeeper, World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon.
To get there, Cervi said, he will need to fall back on the things his father taught him.
“My dad always pushed me. He’s always got me to work hard,” he said.
While nobody can say yet where he will play or if he’ll be chosen to go for gold this summer, he knows one lesson will remain true.
“You’ve just got to keep working,” he said.
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