Wungsem Zingkhai is the latest product from James Burns’ Manteca FC Rebels Red high-comp soccer team to earn a spot in the Valencia Club de Futbol Academy in Canada.
The Sierra High senior leaves tonight for the La Liga side’s residential academy based in Montreal, Quebec. He follows in the footsteps of former
Ripon graduate Hayden Beier reunited with Ballard and Garza over the summer, as he was invited as a guest player to compete with Valencia FC Canada in the Gothia Cup — a massive youth tournament held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Zingkhai has heard nothing but good things about the academy from the Rebels Red alumni and can’t wait to experience it all for himself.
“They told me the opportunity you get playing for this club is incredible,” Zingkhai said. “The places they travel, the teams they’re playing, it’s all high-level stuff. When you’re competing in games, you’re being looked at by scouts and coaches. It’s going to be great for my future as soccer player.”
Rebels Red and other high-comp players from the area got a chance to showcase their abilities to Valencia CF academy coaches at a talent search held in Manteca last spring.
Local scout Matt Martin of the Soccer Syndicate, who has been instrumental in establishing the relationship between Rebels FC and Valencia, recommended that the coaches consider Zingkhai for a scholarship to their program.
“It caught us by surprise,” Zingkhai said. “Previous to them offering (a scholarship), I had just missed two major tournaments in the summer due to a concussion. So, I was really surprised when I got the offer in July.”
Zingkhai will live with a host family and continue his studies online. He’ll play in an attacking role for Valencia. His hope is that the experience helps springboard him to higher levels of the sport. It has certainly opened up new opportunities for Garza, who received interest from multiple NCAA schools before settling on Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
“I hope to either get the opportunity to play out of the country or get a scholarship at a good college,” Zingkhai said. “Having a degree is important for me, as well. The ultimate dream is to go pro.”
At the high school level, Zingkhai played on the Sierra varsity team for coach Joe Pires since his freshman year, mostly as an outside back. Last season, Pires moved him to a forward position and it paid immediate dividends, as he scored hat trick in a 3-1 win against Oakdale. He finished the season with six goals and five assists.
Zingkhai has played soccer since he was 5-6 years old and played competitively for Bay Oaks of the East Bay United Soccer Club. After moving to Manteca from Berkeley in 2018, he joined a Manteca FC squad coached by Jay Mamorno and has been with Burns’ Rebels Red for the past three years.
“Honestly, all of this happening wouldn’t be possible without Coach James, Coach Jay and the club,” Zingkhai said. “They push us to be better, and they put in a lot of work for us on and off the pitch. It’s incredible to have coaches like this in the Central Valley. When I talk to scouts, they say there is no coaching like this in our area.”
