University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Men's Soccer Signs Under-20 National Team Midfielder Futagaki
Feb. 25, 1998
1997 NCAA Champion UCLA boosted its roster of returning national champions with the signing of U.S. Under-20 National Team member Ryan Futagaki.
Futagaki, a 5-5 midfielder from Fountain Valley HS in Fountain Valley, is a member of UCLA head coach Sigi Schmid's U.S. Under-20 National Team pool, along with future Bruin teammates Carlos Bocanegra, Nick Rimando, McKinley Tennyson Jr. and Shaun Tsakiris. Futagaki also previously played with the U.S. Under-17 National Team.
At Fountain Valley HS, he is two-time All-CIF selection who has twice led his team to the CIF Division I title game. In 1996-97, after scoring 15 goals and 22 assists, he was named first-team all-league for the third consecutive year, as well as first-team all-county by the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register.
Said Schmid, "We are excited to have a player of his ability who can play a number of different positions in the midfield. I thought that he was one of the top players in the state of California this year."