CARSON, Calif. – Dave Romney didn't know if it was worth the trouble.
Before he was posting a shutout against Didier Drogba or becoming the first LA Galaxy II player to sign with the first team, Romney was just a college kid with a dream of playing professional soccer. A dream that he knew was rapidly fading from view.
Following Romney’s senior year at the University of San Francisco, USF head coach Eddie Soto told his standout defender that he had secured him a trial with LA Galaxy II. It was exciting news for Romney, but he was still skeptical.
Despite a solid college career, Romney was not on the radar for the 2015 MLS SuperDraft nor was he invited to the MLS Players Combine, on top of all that, he had failed to get a callback after a trial with the San Jose Earthquakes.
With thoughts of a pro soccer career vanishing, Romney had turned his attentions to the workforce. He secured an internship with a commercial real estate firm and had other interviews in the pipeline. As he mulled over Soto's offer, Romney weighed his options: the security of the corporate world or one last chance at his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
“I was initially working in the city. I had the San Jose combine, and I never heard back from them. I was running out of options at that point. I didn’t have an agent or connections,” Romney told LAGalaxy.com. “I was just walking through the athletic department [at USF] with a couple of friends, and I stumbled into Eddie’s office. We started talking, and he told me, ‘Dave, I got you a trial with Galaxy II next week.’ Then asked me if I was running and in shape, I hesitantly responded ‘Sure!’
“That’s when I contacted [local club team] SF City FC. I played a game or two with them because I needed to get as many touches as I could before [the trial.] since I was rusty from winter break.”
There might have been some lingering doubts in the player’s mind about whether or not he could make the cut at Los Dos, but his college coach Eddie Soto thought differently.
A former Galaxy Academy coach who had trained the likes of Jose and Jaime Villarreal as well Jack McBean, the Artesia-native knew the types of players that fit the mold for the Galaxy’s USL affiliate. After a strong senior season with the Dons and little interest from professional clubs, Soto reached out to the Galaxy to recommend Romney for Los Dos.
“He said that he had interviews lined up and some jobs on the line, and asked if I thought that he really had it to play at the next level,” Soto recalled. “I strongly felt that he did which is why I picked up the phone, and I called [LA Galaxy II head coach Curt Onalfo] and [Director of Soccer Operations] Dave Kammarman to say that they should keep an eye on the kid.
“I said that he’s a local guy out of Irvine and told them that they can develop a kid from their backyard. I really made a push to get him in front of those guys, and I was really happy that he did.”
The trial itself was an “extremely nervous” experience for the defender, but ultimately, his sturdy 6-foot-2 frame, as well as his ability to play both central defender and outside back, won over Onalfo. He did not disappoint once he arrived with the USL affiliate, making 16 appearances for Los Dos in half of a season with the team.
“I didn’t know what the level would be like. The most nervous that I’ve been this year was making my LA Galaxy debut in a friendly against Club América and the morning before the trial,” Romney said recalling his initial tryout with Galaxy II. “I was sitting in the locker room just extremely nervous. I had to talk to Curt, and my voice was shaking. I wasn’t ready at all. I’ve come a long way in a year.”
To say that Romney has come a long way might be underselling his meteoric rise from unknown college player and potential real estate intern to starting at center back for the Galaxy.
In July, with Bruce Arena’s squad dealing with injuries and absences on the back line, the Galaxy called up second team stalwart to first team duty. Romney was immediately thrown into the flame as he started the Galaxy’s 3-0 defeat to the Houston Dynamo on July 25. Although the Galaxy wilted in the Texas heat, Arena praised Romney as the team’s “best player” during the loss.
Less than two weeks after his first taste of MLS action and with a pair of excellent performances in friendlies against FC Barcelona and Club América also under his belt, the 22-year-old earned a first team deal. Now a full-fledged member of the Galaxy, Romney once again took advantage of his opportunity making nine appearances with six starts in all competitions for Arena's squad.
His solid performances for Los Angeles helped Romney catch the eye of U.S. Under-23 head coach Andi Herzog, who selected the defender for a pair of U-23 friendlies against Brazil earlier this month. As there had been during his other debuts in 2015, there was some initial nervousness before his first international appearance, but once again, his resolve was strong as he set out to make an impact.
“It was a good experience to see where I’m at compared to guys my age,” Romney said of his stint in Brazil. “It’s a good way for me to judge where I should be at as a 22-year-old in this sport and where I line up with other 22-year-olds in other countries. Once I had the first training session out of the way, and I played well, I realized that this is just playing soccer. It’s no big thing.”
As successful as he’s been in 2015, beating the odds is nothing new for Romney.
After several seasons with Irvine-based youth club Strikers FC, Romney needed the recommendation of youth technical director Don Ebert to be accepted to the University of San Francisco men’s soccer program. Romney stuck on with the Dons ultimately making 72 appearances for USF and improved each season.
Under the tutelage of Soto, who was appointed after Romney’s junior year, the defender started all 19 of the Dons’ games en route to All-West Coast Conference Second Team and West Coast Conference All-Academic Team honors.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve helped kids excel, and Dave has a lot of qualities about him that for one reason or another, he wasn’t able to polish in three years at USF,” Soto said. “Just last year when I got there, I felt that the staff was able to get the best out of him. He has deficiencies in his game, but also he has the ability to play at the next level which is why I made such a push for him to join the Galaxy.
“And just like he did with me, he grew on their staff. He got better every day. He’s one of those kids that does his job quietly. He’s very, very consistent and I knew that was a trait that would serve him well at the next level.”
Onalfo agreed, “[Eddie] said that he’s a great kid, and if he could be in that environment, you won’t be disappointed. He didn’t say that he was definitely going to make it. I can honestly say that I’m surprised that it happened, and it happened so quickly. What it is; is that it’s a great story. It makes it more attractive for other players who can have that dream or that goal of playing for the first team.”
After an astonishing first year as a professional, Romney must now write another chapter in his amazing story.
The 22-year-old is expected to be a part of Arena’s defensive rotation once the team reconvenes for the 2016 season, but he has his sights set on a starting role. Although he’ll have to win a spot over the likes of Leonardo or Robbie Rogers, Romney is confident in his abilities. But to achieve such a lofty goal, Romney says that he must become a complete player.
“I want to improve literally every facet of my game. Physically, I want to get quicker, I want to have better endurance; I want to lose body fat percentage. Mentally, I want to internalize everything that I learned. I want to think quicker and faster. Soccer is a mental game, so I want to get my mindset on the ball thinking quicker.
“I want to get more confidence with my long ball [passes]. That’s something that I was really good at when I was growing up, but I’ve kind of been scared to hit them because I’m afraid of making a mistake. I want to get that confidence with other passing situations here and there. I want to hone every facet of my game; I’m nowhere near the player I want to be yet. … I’m just going to focus on the things that I can control. When the opportunity presents itself, I need to try to take advantage of it like I have been doing. If I do, then good things will eventually come.”
Soto certainly agrees with Romney that he has plenty left to improve on, but the USF boss is confident that he can make an even greater impact for the Galaxy next season.
“It’s up to him. The sky is the limit. He’s in a great position with a great organization. Everything in life is about timing, and the timing right now is perfect,” Soto said. “Todd [Dunivant] is retiring, [Romney] can play left back, he can play at left center back, and he’s got a coach in Bruce who likes him and has a lot of confidence in him.
“He’s driven, and he’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s got it all around him, and there's no better coach than Bruce Arena to help mold a young player with talent and desire.”
And as he tries to continue to push his career even further, don’t expect Romney ever to stop to pinch himself. He’s too focused on trying to make what seemed only a year ago to be an impossible dream, a reality.
“I feel that if I did think about [how far I’ve come] then I wouldn’t be in this situation,” Romney said. “If I did let it overwhelm me; if I did think about it, then I wouldn’t be able to steady it on this track. It’s just my personality; I’m always even-keeled. I don’t get too high, or get too low. I’m just along for the ride.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.