Adrian Cucalon has learned a lot on the soccer field.
Sure, the Father Judge High School senior has learned how to play the game on the field. But he’s also picked up some other very important skills while playing the sport he loves.
“I started playing indoor soccer when I was 5 and then I started playing outdoor when I was 7, I would play with a Brazilian team. We played in Fox Chase and Oxford Circle. I’m Colombian, so the languages were close, but not the same.
“I speak Spanish, they spoke Portuguese. The languages are a lot alike. A lot of the words sound exactly the same, so it wasn’t too hard to adapt. Like the words sound very similar. It was a great place to play and learn. I learned a lot playing there.”
Cucalon, who lives in Fox Chase, can speak fluently in English and Spanish, and the only word he is focusing on now is championship.
Cucalon and his teammates advanced to the Catholic League championship a season ago before falling to La Salle. During his sophomore year, Cucalon attended Archbishop Ryan, and that season he also advanced to the PCL championship game. There, he also fell to La Salle.
Cucalon has gotten to the mountaintop twice, and both times he came up just short. But he has another year left to try to finally raise the PCL plaque.
It’s all he can think about.
“My goal is only to win a championship to be honest with you,” Cucalon said. “I went to back-to-back championships, lost both to La Salle. It’s my last year, I hope it’s the year we can win a championship.
“Losing two years was very hard, it hurts. Twice to the same team. I always told myself to be better mentally and physically. I didn’t live up to my expectations. I set new standards for myself, so I think this year is going to be a new challenge to see how I do.”
Cucalon was a huge reason why his teams made the finals, and if the Crusaders return to the championship game this year, it will likely have a lot to do with their senior wing, who is willing to do whatever it takes to help Judge hang tough in the always-tough Catholic League.
The PCL only got harder this year with Holy Ghost Prep joining the the fray. Mix them with La Salle, St. Joe’s Prep, Archbishop Wood and Archbishop Ryan, winning a championship won’t be easy.
Cucalon has the right attitude.
In previous seasons, Cucalon was a striker, responsible for filling the net with goals. He still does that, but now he plays wing, which means he’s also responsible for making sure his teammates get open looks.
It’s a big change, but one he’s happy to make.
“Coming into the season, I was a guy who scored a lot,” said Cucalon, who scored 12 goals last year and has six thus far this year. “Last year I played striker a lot, and I scored a lot of goals. This year, I guess it’s a little different, I’m not playing striker. We have great attackers. I want to score, but I think I’m less needed for that this year. Just because we have two big forwards and I can create the chances for them.
“I love creating and making opportunities. I like getting the ball to my teammates. I’m having fun, I love creating opportunities and I love finishing them. My teammates count on me to do that and with their trust, I can do a lot.”
Cucalon loves being there for his teammates. And he is lucky to have the same at home.
Whether it’s his parents or his two younger sisters, he gets everything he needs at home.
“We’re very close, my dad was a soccer player, he taught me a lot,” Cucalon said. “I never saw him play, but he had stories in the newspaper. My mom is there for me, too. And I’m close with my sisters. The oldest is into music. The younger one is only 3, so she’ll figure things out. We’re a very close family.”
Cucalon is very into loyalty. That comes to his family, teammates and Nike, where he is a brand ambassador.
“I have a sponsorship with Nike and I promote the brand,” Cucalon said. “I wear Nike cleats and that’s me promoting it. It’s very crazy, last year, my friend Ethan Delgado, and his dad, told us to go to a 1 v. 1 tournament. We went in thinking it was fun for the weekend. We played against very tough players around the world. I got scouted to go to Atlanta for the next part. I didn’t know how serious that was, they contacted my dad and flew us to Atlanta.
“We went to the U.S. National team facility, we trained, saw a lot of cool things. And the winners that qualify for the championship round got Nike sponsorships. Travis Scott was there, he surprised us with it. It was a cool environment, great players, great opportunity. And I love Nike.”
Now he just wants to swoosh his way to the PCL championship.
It won’t be easy, but Cucalon is confident in his squad.
“That would mean everything,” said Cucalon, who hopes to play college soccer next year. “Coming off two losses in the finals, it’s everything we worked for, everything the team has worked for. That’s the goal mentally. That’s what we’re chasing and it’s the goal we focus on in every practice and every game. We’re going to do our best.” ••
