¶ … Goal! The Dream Begins
Summary of Plot
The movie begins by showing a young Hispanic man working in Los Angeles both with his father as a landscaper and in a restaurant. The young man has played soccer on the streets of Los Angeles and in the parks since he was a child, but he has never taken the incredible skill he has acquired farther than local city leagues. His father is of the belief that people of their background and station in life should not dream of becoming something that they are not. The father thinks that Santiago, the young man, should work as the father has all of his life. Santiago is able, with the help of his grandmother, to travel to Newcastle, England to try out for their soccer team.
Through a lot of difficulty (another player becomes jealous and smashes his inhaler, he is stuck on the reserve team) Santiago finally receives the notice of the head coach. It is a difficult road for someone who is not used to playing the rough style of soccer played in the English Premier League, but Santiago is determined to realize his goal. He works harder than anyone else and is finally taken off the reserve team and allowed to suit up for a game with the starters against Liverpool. When the game comes down to a penalty kick late in the game, Santiago makes it and sends his team into the next years Champions League (Cannon, 2005).
Intended Audience (Two Groups)
In this instance, there are several different groups who can be identified as having a significant part in the plot. Of course, the obvious one is the American Hispanic culture that Santiago has grown up with. He has been told multiple times what he can and cannot do as a member of this group, but he is always wanting something more. The second group who would be a likely audience...
United States players are often not seen as legitimate contenders among the premier teams of the soccer world. This is mainly because in the United States soccer is a fringe sport. However, there are segments of the
population and areas of the country where soccer is a large draw.
Two Underlying Messages
This movie is typical to many sporting movies in that it pits an underdog against his goal. In "Rudy," the
protagonist was too short and slow to be considered a legitimate candidate for an NCAA Division I football berth. The soccer player in the case of "Goal!" was a young man from a poor area and a
family that did not have the resources to help him make his dream come true. At one point in the movie, Santiago is shown putting cardboard into his socks to act as shin guards. It is in this game that he gets noticed by the Premier League scout. Many times during the movie, the audience is reminded that Santiago does not have the ability to showcase his talent nor does he have a realistic chance of making it as a player on any major team. The reason for this is not that he is not good enough, but that he cannot afford to be seen. So one of the core plots of the movie is have vs. have not Another theme born out in the movie is the contentious relationship that often occurs between a father and a son. Santiago's father probably has several emotions as he watches his son. He does not want him to be hurt by the dream he has. His father does not believe that Santiago will get the opportunity to
play so he is trying to protect him from reality as he sees it. He probably also believes that Santiago needs to grow up and face reality. It is fine to dream and talk about chasing dreams when you are…
