by Riley Bauling
Daily Lobo
Senior Brandon Moss can't even remember the last time he played against Randy Albright.
Albright, a senior outside midfielder for the Clemson Tigers - UNM's opponent in the national semifinals - and Moss played together from when they were 12 years old until they went to college.
Their Albuquerque club team, the Classic FC Bandidos, was the only New Mexico boys' team to win the Far West Regional tournament, while their high school team Eldorado won two state championships.
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Albright came to the Bandidos when he was 12, while Moss was a part of the team since its inception when he was 9.
"It's a little bit weird to think about," Moss said of facing Albright in the semifinals. "I think it's a testament to the quality players that we had coming out of this state. We've succeeded wherever we've gone, and it's cool to be potentially playing the last games of your college careers together."
Albright isn't the only Bandido connection in the national semifinals.
Junior Robbie C'deBaca plays for the No. 1-seeded Maryland Terrapins that play Southern Methodist University in the other semifinal game. C'deBaca was a Bandido product who spent time playing in the Netherlands before coming back to Albuquerque to play at UNM for a year.
He transferred to Maryland after a season with the Lobos in which he broke his leg.
UNM senior and right back Ben Ashwill was also a member of the team, joining it with Moss 13 years ago.
Despite the Bandidos' success, this College Cup could be the last time any of the four players see each other on the soccer field.
Albright, Ashwill and Moss weren't on the list of 54 college seniors invited to the MLS Scouting Combine in Carson, Calif., held Jan. 12-15. C'deBaca only played in seven games for the Terrapins this year, so an invite for him is unlikely next year. The combine is a tryout for all players the MLS thinks are capable of being drafted in the MLS Superdraft.
UNM's invites went to Lobo seniors Jeff Rowland and Lance Watson. Moss, a three-year captain, isn't hiding the fact that the snub hurts a little.
"I think, of course you got to be a little disappointed," he said. "When it first came out, I tried to play it off like it didn't matter. Earlier in the year, when I was saying things like it didn't matter, I think in the back of my mind I always thought I was going to be on that list."
Combine invite or not, Moss likes his chances of snagging the role of the second Bandido representative in the MLS. Ex-UNM goalkeeper Andrew Weber was the first Bandido in the league as the third-string goalkeeper for D.C. United.
"For Lance and Rowland to make it, man, I'm really happy for those guys because they deserve it," Moss said. "But it's kind of hard to deal with, because you think that you've been doing all the same things as those guys - playing in the summer, playing as many minutes in games, doing everything the same - so you should be there."
Even without an invitation, Moss isn't ready to call it quits right now. That's why he can shrug the whole thing off.
"I think we're all going to end up in the same place," Moss said. "We might just have to take different routes to get there."
