Winning National Championships Become Forrest Family Tradition
Winning National Championships Become Forrest Family Tradition
Soccer is indeed a family affair for the Forrest family, but even more so when it comes to soccer success.
Euan Forrest, 6-foot-4, defender, helped the LVU 2000 Boys Black team win the McGuire Cup as the United States Youth Soccer U19 national champions in Overland Park, Kansas in July.
Euan took the free kick that started the play for the winning goal in overtime, and was also selected to the Best XI Team for the tournament, but it’s not the first time a Forrest has been a McGuire Cup national champion for LVU.
Back in 2013, Mark Forrest was a member of the winning LVU 1993 Boys team the last time the McGuire Cup was played in Overland Park Kansas. Mike Gorni and LVU Director of Coaching Greg Ramos co-coached that team, with Gorni coaching the 2000s to their national title this year.
Euan’s dad Sid is an assistant coach for the LVU 2000 Boys Black. Euan’s older brother Mark is a former LVU player who graduated from Lehigh University this spring. He was drafted by the Chicago Fire of the MLS and now plays for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL.
Mark, an LVU 1996 player, was part of the LVU 1993 boys team that won the McGuire Cup in 2013, and also played in the U18 national championship game for the LVU 1995 Boys team in 2014. An All-American in his junior year at Lehigh University, he finished his college career as Lehigh’s second all-time leading scorer with 41 goals and 21 assists, and was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.
“I wasn’t able to get to nationals to watch Euan, but the games were streamed on the Internet,” Mark said. “I was honestly so excited for them. They’ve had the same core group stick together for so long. I’ve watched them progress from afar, and to watch them win it on the national stage was an amazing finish.”
“We had the typical sibling rivalry trying to out-do one another,” said Euan, who is a freshman at Lehigh University this year, again following in his brother’s footsteps. “Mark was supportive the whole way, wishing both of us luck, and then sent big congratulations texts to both my dad and I after we won the national championship game.”
Dad Sid said it was an amazing run watching not one, but two sons being part of teams that won national championships. Mark was a few years younger than the other players on the team back in 2013 and didn’t get to play in that championship game, but did play in the 2014 national championship game when LVU made the U18 finals.
Seeing the 2000 boys hoist the McGuire Cup was very special for Sid as well.
“I was the coach of this team in their early years when they were U11 through U14,” he said, “and then they went to the Development Academy at LVU with Greg Ramos before Mike Gorni took over as head coach when they came out of the academy as a U17 team. Many new players have joined the team over the years, but Euan is one of the players who have been there from the beginning.”
Sid said it was very special to even have a chance to win it. Seeing his sons’ teams win it twice has made it extra special.
“It’s always been the family way,” Euan said of the soccer lifestyle. “My dad instilled it in us when we were young. Watching what my brothers were able to do, especially with Mark excelling at Lehigh and now with the Riverhounds, makes it all worthwhile.”
“To go through high school and be able to match what he was able to do, to win the same things he did, and now I’m going to Lehigh like he did. I’m hoping to achieve some of the same things he did these next four years.”
That’s a great way to keep it all in the family.