Josh Alcala

Josh Alcala

Personal information
Full name	Joshua Vincent Alcala
Date of birth	(1984-01-05) January 5, 1984
Place of birth	Austin, Texas, United States
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current team	Austin Aztex
Number	13
Youth career
2002–2006	South Carolina Gamecocks
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005	Austin Lightning	7	(0)
2007	Crystal Palace Baltimore	19	(3)
2008	Austin Aztex U23	9	(1)
2009	Austin Aztex	14	(1)
2012–	Austin Aztex	6	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 18, 2012. † Appearances (goals)

Joshua Vincent "Josh" Alcala (born January 5, 1984 in Austin, Texas) is an American–born soccer player of Filipino and Hispanic descent.^[1] He is currently a free agent.

Career

As a College Soccer News Top 100 incoming freshman to watch, Josh Alcala secured a starting job as a left back. On the year Alcala scored 1 goal against Duke in a 3–0 win in Durham.^[2] Mid-season injury and surgery, Alcala missed two games and regained the starting left back role and helped the Gamecocks into the NCAA tournament where the team would lose in the first round at home against Coastal Carolina.^[3]

As a second year left back, in 2003 the team struggled offensively although the Gamecock defense allowed just under a goal per game and posted eight shutouts, alongside freshman goalkeeper Brad Guzan with the team ending the year with a 0.96 goals against average.

As a junior in 2004, Coach Berson moved Josh in the midfield to bring a different persecutive to the soccer field. After comfortably filling the midfield role, Alcala finished the season with 11 points on three goals and five assists. After going 1–0 down the first half against Davidson, Alcala grabbed his first goal the year on Sept. 29 where the Gamecocks would put in 3 more in the second half finishing the game with a 4–1 win.^[4] USC would find themselves down 2–0 against Gardner-Webb where Josh nabbed the game-tying goal at the 87:47 mark and then knocked home the game-winning goal a minute later, from an assist by forward Ryan Deter for a 3–2 comeback win.^[5] On Halloween the team faced No. 13 Duke, where Alcala grabbed an assist in a 3–1 win that punched the Gamecocks ticket into the NCAA Tournament. For the season Alcala was named to the Soccer America team of the week once as well as the College Soccer News team of the week.^[6]

For 2005, Josh's senior season, the midfielder moved up to forward as the coaches didn't know where he'd fit, struggling with an abundance of midfielders. Played and started in 19 games on the season, in his most successful season offensively, capturing 23 points on 7 goals and 9 assists. Help lead a huge turn around where the team started the year 0–4, the team went on to finish with an 11 game unbeaten streak. In that time registered two assists against UNC Wilmington 9/21 in a 4–2 win at home.^[7] Against UNC Charlotte, just three days later, tallied first goal of the year where USC would win in overtime by a goal from forward Ayo Akinsete.^[8] In the busy month of October, Alcala started the month gathering 5 points from 1 goal and 3 assists against East Carolina.^[9] Five days later, October 7, on the road at Memphis University, Josh registered an assist in a 2–2 draw to continue the unbeaten streak.^[10] On the 14th USC was hosting Kentucky in a hard fought game, Alcala scored the game-winning goal to extend the streak.^[11] After two weeks off after a hurricane disrupted travel plans to Florida, USC would host Tulsa and nationally ranked SMU to round out conference play.^[12] Against Tulsa playing against former teammate, Lawson Vaughn the team would win the game 4–1, Alcala stuck in 1 goal and added an assist.^[13] The following Sunday, USC would defeat No. 3 SMU where Josh scored the third and final goal of the game.^[14] For that weekend performance Alcala would be named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week.^[15] With a tight schedule ahead, a rescheduled trip to Florida, Alcala gathered another 3 points with one goal and one assist against Florida International in another USC 3–1 victory.^[16] Alcala headed into the Conference USA tournament on a high and in the first round of the tourney converted his penalty kick against Kentucky, where the team saw freshman goalkeeper, Mike Gustavson block both attempts by the Wildcats.^[17] In the second round immediately following a Memphis goal, seven seconds later Josh assisted Ayo Akinsete to level the game at 1–1. Alcala exited the field with a season ending knee injury, although the team would go on to win from a game winning strike from Ryan Deter.^[18] USC would go on win the Conference USA Championship and win an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament^[19] End of season honors would name Alcala to the First team All-Conference USA, NSCAA All-South Region Third team,^[20] and the Conference USA Championship. Josh was also invited to the 2005 MLS Combine but was unable to attend due to injury.^[21]

In 2007, after graduating from USC, trialed with Richmond Kickers and expansion club Crystal Palace FC USA. Alcala officially signed with Crystal Palace FC USA in April for his rookie season. For his rookie year, played in 19 games while starting most as a forward and midfielder. On the year scored 3 goals and registered 3 assists. First professional goal as a professional came against the Wilmington Hammerheads on 5/19, in which the team went on to win the game by a score of 3–0 which as sparked a turn around for the expansion team. 2nd goal came the next month on the 16th, against the Bermuda Hogges in Germantown, MD. The Bermuda Hogges rallied from 1–0 down to tie the game, in the end a goal from Matthew Mbuta secured the victory of Crystal Palace FC USA. Last goal of the season came just a week later against the Cincinnati Kings on the 23rd, where CPFC USA would win the contest. Another week later, against the Cleveland City Stars a last minute assist got a much needed draw on the road.

The 2008 year brought Josh back to his home city of Austin, TX, after agreeing to play with expansion Austin Aztex Premier Development team. Reuniting with former Capitals Soccer Club owner/found, Wolfgang Sunholz as well as former Olympic Development Program Regional Director Bobby Murphy. Starting as a left back, the team dominated the South division in the PDL league. Alcala only played in 9 games total, starting all of them, during that stretch managed to score 1 goal on the season, which was a header against El Paso Patriots in a loss at home. The team went on to lose to the Laredo Heat one win away from the Regional championship.

For the 2009 season, Alcala officially signed with the Austin Aztex in the United Soccer Leagues, Division 1 in March 2009.^[22] Played behind Lyle Adams, former Wake Forest defender, for the first part of the season, gaining the starting left back role mid way through the season. In total played in 14 games for the 2009 season, scored one goal on the season, during week 12. The goal came against Cleveland City Stars and garnered, Goal of the Week in week 12 of the USL1. At the end of the 2009 season, talks for the 2010 season option were dismissed on both sides mutually.

Alcala was promoted to the level of Mac Genius at the Apple Store at Barton Creek on March 27, 2011.^[23]

References

External links

• SC Gamecocks bio