Player Feature: Eduardo "Lalo" Aguilera
- Gabi Vuong
- Jul 7
- 7 min read
Eduardo "Lalo" Aguilera is a left winger for Edgewater and during his first summer with the club he has been known as a powerhouse addition to the team. In this part of the Player Feature series, Aguilera reflects on his path to becoming a semi-professional soccer player, his determination to reach his goals, and his respect for his new team at ECFC.
What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?
“The earliest memory of me playing soccer was when I was three [years old]. It’s because no one lets me forget it. I was playing an indoor [soccer] game and the only thing I did was run through the glass to try to find my dad. I’d sit down in the middle of the field and then the moment that the ball came to me was the only [time] I got up and actually chased [the ball]. But if [the ball] got too far, I’d just sit back down again. I never had that moment where I said ‘I wanna [play soccer] for [the rest of my] life’. But it’s been something I kept following and it wasn’t until I got to community college where I played JUCO (junior college) and I put the idea into my head that I wanted to go pro. My coach from community college was asking me what I wanted to do and I never really had an answer. Then one day I just came out and said [‘I want to go pro’] and he was like, ‘All right, that’s step one. Let’s get you working until the next one.’]
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?
“I’d say the biggest challenge was going to a new environment, not knowing what to expect. It’s not until you’re really there that you could actually control the controllables. In the beginning when it came to Edgewater, it was a little bumpy because I was so used to the way I was playing at my school and my college. And then I got here and it was a whole different style of playing and I’ve never really been a guy that played in club soccer. All the tactics were kind of new to me. They weren’t hard to understand, but it just took a little longer for me to process. Even last year when I was playing summer league, it was something I was struggling with as well.”
Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?
“My community college coach, Jesse Rosen. He was the first one to make me realize what I wanted from the sport and he’d always support me no matter what. He was someone that pushed me to go into a four-year university and to keep following that school and soccer path.”
Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?
“I’d actually say it’d be last fall because it was my first year at a new school. I came from playing JUCO to division two and I had a bunch of doubts going into the season. During the first game of the season, I got this opportunity where I just turned and took a shot from outside of the 18 and the ball rolled into the back of the net. All of the doubts and all of the ideas of not fitting in just went away and it influenced me to keep going and take it to the next step. Keep on pushing and see how far I can go.”
What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?
“With Edgewater I wake up, eat my breakfast and I usually go coach for the CJ Brown Foundation. We have a couple kids that we coach per location. We’re usually in North Lawndale near Douglas Park. I wake up, I go coach, and then I come back to my house and try to take a nap because it’s been really hot outside. Even though it’s just coaching, it takes a lot of energy so I try to regain my energy through napping. I eat, I try to loosen out, I grab my massage gun, I grab some bands, and just try to make sure I’m not too still. After that, I go ahead to practice and call it a night after that. During the off season, I’m in school. The routine doesn’t really train. I train in the morning instead of at night. I wake up, go to the cafeteria, and I get some oatmeal. I always try to stick to oatmeal because it’s kind of something I’ve always done and I’d rather not change it.
A superstitious thing. I go to practice, I head to class, I grab a bite [to eat] after class, relax the rest of the day, and then eat dinner. I get ready to do it all over again for the next day.”
How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?
“I try not to think inferior [of myself]. I know what my capabilities are and I know what I can do when I’m on the ball. I used to have this mindset where I would tell myself, ‘Is it gonna be hard to get past this guy?’ The moment I realized I was taking a negative pattern, I started thinking more positively and told myself that no matter what’s in front of you, no matter if the guy’s faster, stronger, or has a better soccer brain, there’s always going to be a way where you could get past someone. I try not to think about it. I try to look at the golden hand, which is to always get those three points and help my teammates as much as possible. Changing my mindset into being capable of doing anything against anyone is something that helps me deal with any pressure because it pushes everything to the side. It reminds me to do what I have to do for myself and my team.”
If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
“I’d probably be doing the same thing at a lower level or even on my own. I’m in school and I have another season coming up. It’s important to make sure I stay fit and I get my game time. I’d probably be training on my own. I’d probably go back to my community college and go train with my old coach. Maybe on weekends I’d probably go play Sunday League. It’s always important to get that game time in.”
Why did you join ECFC?
“I joined because Dugyu [Erdoǧan] gave me a call very early before this season started and she asked me to come and play for her. She was someone that I trusted so the moment she asked me to come and play, the first instinct was yes. She has great experiences being with high level teams in the past. All it took was one phone call because I saw it as a way to improve as a player, [to be able to learn] from someone who’s been at the highest level and hopefully have the opportunity to work individually with me to see if she could take me to the next level.”
What has been your favorite memory with the team?
“I’d actually say this last match with Edgewater against Berber City. It was a very good memory because we kind of started off a little slow throughout the season. We were going through this hump where we weren't able to get wins or we just kept tying. Everybody just came together and knew things had to change and we recently have been going on a winning streak. The fact that everybody got together and made it possible to switch things around from being second to last in the table to being first is probably the best moment I’ve had here. It shows how a couple of games don’t define us. It shows how much quality we have as a team and we’re finally able to show that to the fans and all supporters because we knew we could have done way better from the beginning, but things don’t always go our way. It feels good to be back on track.”
What is your favorite pregame song?
“‘Relax My Eyes’ by ANOTR. I heard this song at school and it’s been so catchy and I’ve never been able to get it out of my head. It amps me up. It’s a chill but very high type of song that helps me relax.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“Right now I would have to say Lamine Yamal. The things he’s doing at his age and the confidence he has is something that you don’t normally see. Something that I try to take away from him is the amount of times he receives the ball and the amount of times he loses it. The fact that he loses it doesn’t affect what he’s going to do next. Since both of us are wingers, we’re going to get the ball a lot. There’s going to be times where we try to go around defenders and it’s not going to work. Something that Lamine Yamal does is he keeps going. Losing 1v1s doesn’t define who he is. He goes harder the next time. It’s really good to see that in someone so young. I just enjoy his game all around. His shooting, passing, dribbling, and his flare.”
What’s your favorite pregame meal?
“It’s usually rice with chicken. I always try to make a bowl. I always add lettuce, guacamole, and cheese. Kind of like a Chipotle bowl but I make it at home.”
What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?
“One thing would be to just keep going because no one really knows where the sport could take you. Only you are able to take yourself wherever you want to go. If you truly want it, just keep following [your goals] and always try to do your best no matter what. You never know who’s watching and your life might change.”
