#1 Biography

[BUM®]

You are about to read the introductory story of Belgian footballer, Jean-Claude Goddamn, from this point on, known as JCGD. It is a story of determination, talent and a drive to succeed, in order to reach a lifelong goal of playing professional football.

JCGD was born in Antwerp, Belgium to Hank and Greta Goddamn who were both talented amateur athletes in their younger years. Obviously inheriting his parent's good genes, JCGD excelled at most of the sports he played as a child. Football however, was always his favorite and the one that he dedicated the most practice time to. He obviously followed the Belgian National team, but his favorite player was Zinedine Zidane of France, an attacking midfielder with a sense of flair and all-out attack. Even as a child, JCGD wanted to emulate this style of play. He trained hard, both physically and mentally, in order to be the best that he could be.

Around the age of 17, JCVD was playing for his local side in Antwerp, when he was informed that a few scouts from the newly emerging SSL would be coming to training to assess the players, having been informed by a former Belgian player, Vincent Kompany that the talent level in Antwerp was at an all-time high. That season, JCGD had scored a ridiculous 68 goals and played an integral part of his teams title run. Of the scouts that came to the ground a week later, Cairo's Mohammed Al-Haradi was impressed by what he saw and approached JCGD and his family with an offer to sign with Cairo City in the SSL's Division 2. Although Cairo wasn't exactly a powerhouse in the SSL, JCGD saw an incredible opportunity to advance and begged his parents to allow him to move to Egypt to pursue his dream. They relented and he found himself playing in 17 games , scoring 8 goals and an assist in Season 9. He would follow that up with another 17 appearances scoring 6 goals and an assist in Season 10. His career in the SSL was underway, and was the beginning of his football career.


Jean-Claude Goddamn Player Page

APPROVED @BUM® - I love when these stories keep their geographic sense of place.

[OrbitingDeath]

Player page: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...p?tid=5281



Ilya Prusikin might look familiar to you, and if he does, you are probably right. He is known for a lot of things, being born in a village in Siberia, Prusikin always looked for a way to escape the grim atmosphere of having to live there, he's more of a big city person, he wants to have some live around him. In order to become famous he actually started doing things on the internet ever since a young age, he produced web shows, he made vlogs, see him as an early influencer. Where his career really took off, was by creating the band Little Big, where he is now touring the world with, but being known in the music world is not nearly enough for him, in his music video's he can be and dress however he wants too, but the audience remains the same. And if there is one thing Ilya does not like, is things staying the same. He needed to do something out of the box and decided to enroll in the SSL academy, to follow in the footsteps of many great soccer players. A whole new world to discover for him, but will he actually be any good, that's up to others to decide, but Ilya knows one thing, he believes he is good, even though he never hit a ball in his life. He sees Roberto Carlos take a free kick and thinks he can do it aswell, as he claims it 'the video was added to make the free kick look good'. So teams be warned if you try to draft this character, he believes none of this league stuff is real and it is all scripted.

It will be curious to see how Prusikin's career will unfold in the league, but the fans surely will be entertained by his shenanigans on the pitch.

Words: 312

APPROVED @OrbitingDeath - may he enjoy a good script.

[Xotcin]

My name is William Williams and I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Since I was a child I always wanted to join the SSL, and while I always wanted to wear the crest of an SSL club, more importantly, I wanted to be the star goalkeeper that changes the outcome of a match. I have trained tirelessly from a young age to get to where I am, but I am not quite there yet. I have tried out many times for the academies affiliated with the SSL, but have not found luck. Always some critique to my game that the managers could not see past. I have been playing near my hometown in Detroit in a league of U18. Nothing major, but big enough to be supported by the local communities. While most of the players are amateurs, some academy hopefuls do play here, like me. I always felt I was a step ahead of them though, unfortunately, it did not always show. Being a keeper, a young keeper, is a lot of pressure. The mental strain during the games can be a hard thing to overcome, but the love of the game always kept me coming. So here I am, a 16.5 year old goalkeeper wondering, “What's next?” The community clubs do have an adult league that can be competitive, but it is not a pro league. I want to be a pro. I want this to be my job. The drive is there and I know I can be a star keeper, I just need to get that one chance to prove it. The SSL league play is already underway, and I have noticed that the academy teams are still scouting and recruiting players. One more chance to make an academy team before I become an adult and the chances of making a team drop considerably.  [311]

William Williams - GK

APPROVED @Xotcin - mental strain is half the fun of writing a keeper's story.

[sköldpaddor]

Freja Ekholm-Gunnarsson was born in Visby, Sweden. She is the younger sister of Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson, who has made a name for himself playing hockey in the SHL, but Freja has always been determined to forge her own path. While Lias spent his summers off on the mainland attending hockey camps, Freja stayed back and helped their mothers run the sandwich shop in Visby. And while Lias needed to leave Visby to find the opportunities that led him into the SHL, Freja was able to find most of what she needed right there at home. She ran year-round, making sure her stamina was excellent. She did occasionally attend camps, some more local within Visby, some on the mainland, but it wasn't until she was a little older that she really started attracting attention from scouts. Things took off fairly quickly - by the time her brother was called up to the SHL, Freja was starting to work her way up in the draft estimations. She wasn't the obvious superstar talent that her brother was, and despite often feeling like she was standing in his shadow, Freja never held that against him, she just kept working towards her own goals, and eventually found herself in the position of being invited to play for the SSL Academy team in Stockholm. So finally, after making sure her parents had all the help they needed to keep running the sandwich shop, Freja made her way to Stockholm. Once she was there, it seemed, she became much more visible to managers, and before long, she was getting calls, particularly from the management in the Tokyo/Cairo organization. It became clear that the team was a natural fit for her, and they were pretty committed to signing her, which she readily agreed to, and it was totally not because this is a sim league and the person playing this player is attached to Tokyo/Cairo in a managerial capacity.

APPROVED @sköldpaddor - lovely fourth wall break at the end there.

[kdr]

Puma Superhoops, is the child of a dual heritage upbringing.  He name represents that upbringing.  When he was born way back in the 80s/90s his family was following two different teams.  It was much harder to follow teams across the world at this point and the two places they could follow were the Mexican League and the English league.  On the Mexican side Unam Pumas are just cool and had a guy Mike Sorber that sealed the deal.  And so he was named Puma.  But it was in London where the love was really found.  On the West Side of london in W12 there was a team called Queens Park Rangers, and since this family was living across the pond in the borough of Queens, it was just Kismet.  Now QPR was a good team, with a very long and storied history.  They were sometimes kind of bad, but they were always the SUPER HOOPS and so Puma Superhoops was destined to be a futbol/soccer/football star.  He work hard hard in the youth leagues and now has made it up to the cusp of playing in the SSL.


DENIED @kdr - you're 109 words short of the limit for this task.

[Wiggli]

Nearer to Cologne than Brussels, Hercule Hefeweizen was born in a sleepy rural town in the east of Belgium. Very early on his physical gifts were apparent, standing a head taller than his opponents on the pitch even when playing up an age division. As a thirteen year old facing off against sixteen year olds wisps of his trademark curled mustache were already faintly visible.
 
And Hercule delighted in using his size and strength to have his way on the field. Dominating the other youths to dispossess them and score in all manner of spectacular ways. Because of this the young Hefeweizen was not well liked by his teammates. Instead, he spent most of his free time losing himself in mystery novels and films. Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Clouseau, and of course Poirot – these were the Belgian’s closest friends. And he fancied himself a bit of a detective in the sporting world.
 
Becoming the best athlete he could be was the mystery he devoted himself to. Was this nutrition and exercise plan giving him the best results? Did he have the right mindset coming into a match? Was he making the right decisions minute by minute? Twirling his trademark mustache the entire time, he took meticulous notes as he reviewed game tape.
 
“No. No. No,” Each dissent punctuated by quick twirl. “Not right at all.” Furiously he scratched a note criticizing his heading technique as he tried to complete his hat trick in the championship game.
 
Such was the scene when Hercule received the call to join the Academy. The receiver of his family’s antique candlestick phone in one hand and the heavy phone stand in the other. He listened as the coach sold him on his future prospects. But he also cautioned that it would take a great deal of effort. Would Hercule be up to the task? It remains to be solved, but would the young Belgian give it his all? Indubitably.

Player Page: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...p?tid=5382

APPROVED @Wiggli - awesome to see the league add such a distinct character.

[scottisheyebrow]

Ever since his uncle introduced him to the beautiful game by taking him to a Hollywood FC match at a young age, Nicolas Corrigan was hooked. "Seeing the artistry and athleticism of the players at that level was awe-inspiring, and I knew right then and there that I had to be a part of that world." We caught up with Nick at his childhood home, an older apartment in the Watts neighborhood. "Growing up here was tough, I'm not going to lie. There were a lot of challenges with poverty and crime. But the neighborhood has changed so much over the years, with new development and investment. It's been incredible to witness." Nicolas still lives with his mom Nancy; he tries to support her as much as he can as she gets older. He grew up without a father ("I don't even know who he is or where he is"), but joining his local soccer team with a little help from the community gave him the guidance and support he needed.

Paul Fleece was the coach of Nicolas' team, and while he is no longer involved with the local leagues, he volunteers and has watched Nick's progress over the years. "I always knew that kid was destined for greatness. He always gave his all for the team, and I think his teammates really valued that," Paul explains. "Nick always wanted to be the fastest, always wanted to compete." He smiles. "I'm so proud of him."

Nick's dedication and talent seem to have paid off, as various teams in the SSL have expressed interest in him ahead of this year's draft. He laughs and blushes when we bring it up. "Yeah, it's pretty surreal. I'm just so grateful that these teams are even considering me. I'm blessed no matter what happens during the draft. Just happy to be seen in a positive light."

Player Page: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...5#pid64485

APPROVED @scottisheyebrow - "wanted to be the fastest" will fit right in with any SSL roster.

[RashfordU]

Player Page

It's a moment that young Mikko would never forget.  It was the first time his father had ever been to the final.  His dad spent so much of his own life attempting to get to the final of the SSL Cup and it had all come down to one moment.  Mikko Senior was up, the 5th kicker for Hollywood in a game that needed extra time and penalties to be decided.

it felt so long, watching his father walk up to the spot.
the moment was big, for young Mikko, it felt too big.

But looking back, that was the day that has given junior the drive to start his own career.  Watching his father score the game willing penalty to take home Hollywood's first ever Cup.  Watching the elation on his father's face has motivated young Mikko to seek out that same feeling.  It hasn't always been easy though.  His father travelled a lot, never being able to let his kids commit to joining local sports teams as his father always wanted his family to travel with him to each and every game.  

But that was a huge blessing.  junior has spent him time training with some of the senior teams in the SSL from a young age.  Getting the chance to take shots against world class goalkeepers such as Sterling and Wall Jr.  

If there was one major thing he learned from his father, was that what matters most is how you treat your teammates.  His father was blessed with some of the best to ever grace the league, and Mikko Rashford II hopes he is able to surround himself with others who have similar goals and passions as he does.  

and finally, Rashford II hopes to enter into the famed Victoria Falls Academy, based out of his hometown Livingstone Zambia.  
To a long, and great career

APPROVED @RashfordU - big shoes to fill.

[TomHanks]

Chuck Noland was born in Memphis, Tennessee on July 9th, 1956. An athletic young lad, Chuck had a normal childhood. He grew up, played sports, made friends, went to university, started dating the love of his life, and was working his way up the ranks at FedEx as a systems analyst. Then, on Christmas Day of 2000, he took a flight from Memphis bound for Malaysia. While it was a sudden emergency, the holidays are incredibly busy times for parcel shipping companies, and an issue arising during this time wasn't surprising, albeit it was unfortunate he had to leave his family dinner. Altogether, it was set up to be a fairly run of the mill business trip for Noland.

While this flight was on it's way over the South Pacific in extremely stormy weather, the worst occurred and the plane crashed. Search parties went looking for weeks on end but could find no sign of the crash of any of the passengers. It was presumed to be a disaster with no survivors. Chuck Noland, however, was blessed with excellent luck, awakening to find himself not only alive but washed up on dry land. Chuck would go on to spend 4 years alone on this deserted island with nothing but what he found when he got there, and a small number of packages that survived the crash and washed up on shore.

One such package turned into both a method of keeping (somewhat) sane, and a friend. Wilson, a volleyball, allowed Chuck to pass time playing his favorite game growing up, soccer. While a great deal of time was spent focusing on his own survival, eventually Noland could spearfish from 20 yards away and start fires without any issue. At that point, and even before it when he had eaten and was warm, there was a lot of time to kill. Keep ups, free kicks, shooting practice, trick shots, lob passes, dribbling exercises, all sorts of practice activities helped the time feel a little less slow. Over time, after Wilson had become worn and was no longer a suitable playing partner, he transitioned more into a companion and coach to Chuck. Now, having just arrived back to civilization, Chuck is ready to take the skills he learned on the island and fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer.

APPROVED @TomHanks - such life skills would seem to be equally applicable to any position on the pitch.

[bfan8475]

Hippity Hoppity was born in Perth, Australia. With an odd name, he was often made fun of and isolated from his peers. As his classmates chose teams for more popular sports like rugby and cricket, Hippity was never chosen leaving him by himself. The only thing he could do while everyone else played other sports was just kick a soccer ball by himself. Eventually he got decent at it just by kicking to himself and a wall. Growing up, his dad was a big soccer fan so Hippity often spent weekends watching games with his father. Nothing excited Hippity more than quality defending as he felt that it was an often overlooked aspect of the game. These two activities sparked Hippity's interest in soccer leading him to want to pursue it further. He eventually enrolled in soccer leagues to try his luck at the game. He quickly learned that he wasn't very good at it. Turns out you need to do more than just kick a ball by yourself and against a wall to be able to actually play. So he continued to practice and slowly improved, but he never was the best at dribbling or shooting. His coaches often stuck him on defense, which he didn't mind, as they realized he didn't have the tools to play up front. As he grew up, his physical stature was impressive. You'd take a look at the kid and think you had some wonderkid on your hands. But once he played around with the ball, you realized he wasn't as good as he looked. 

All hope wasn't lost as it turns out, Hippity was extremely fast. He was a physical freak of nature and could keep up with anyone. This allowed him to continue to play as he had the physical tools to succeed and just needed the technical and mental. Now, Hippity hopes to enter the SSL to develop his skills and become a well rounded player. He believes that the quality training regiments and coaches here will be just what he needs to reach the pinnacle of the soccer world.

Hippity Hoppity Player Page

APPROVED @bfan8475 - pace will win you a roster spot, for sure. Welcome to the league.