WESTLAKE VILLAGE : Soccer Stage Parents Ready for Show Time
The wait is finally over for the San Fernando Valley’s top soccer parents, the Wynaldas and the Joneses, the banner-waving foursome looking as though they stepped out of a Fourth of July parade.
Saturday is show time for their sons, when the U.S. national team meets Switzerland in their first match of the World Cup.
“Everyone is in for a surprise,” predicted Dave Wynalda, father of Eric Wynalda, a forward for the underdog Americans.
“We’ve got talent the world is unaware of.”
The talents of Wynalda and teammate Cobi Jones are becoming legendary in their hometown of Westlake Village as hype over the monthlong mega-event grows.
“People in stores are starting to recognize me as Eric’s mom when they look at my checks and see ‘Wynalda,’ ” said Sue Wynalda.
“I have to behave myself now.”
And the Wynaldas’ store, Soccer Kick, has for months been a hub of enthusiasm for the tournament, as locals drop by to browse World Cup shirts, key chains and other paraphernalia, watch videos or just talk soccer.
Attending their son’s top-level international matches is nothing new for the Wynaldas.
Eric, 25, played in the 1990 World Cup in Italy and is a member of a German professional team.
For Freeman and Mada Jones, though, watching their 24-year-old son compete for the world’s most coveted sports prize caps 16 years of trudging to youth league, high school, college and national team games.
“This is an end of an era,” said Freeman Jones.
“It’s different than when we watched him play as a boy and as an amateur. Now, he’s at the epitome of soccer, and he’s a man.”
As images from the World Cup are beamed to an unprecedented number of television viewers, some cameras may fix on the Westlake Village contingent--the Joneses and the Wynaldas--who plan to attend each game the United States plays.
They’ll be the ones in red, white and blue.
“Everyone has to bring flags to the games,” said Sue Wynalda. “I don’t want to see any U.S. fans there without flags.
“It helps our boys to look up and see their colors waving in the crowd. It gives them courage.”
