Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

An immigrant from Mexico that came to the U.S. with his family, Santiago Munez has always had a love for soccer, and is part of a team that participates in pick-up games in the Los Angeles area. With a father that works with him as a gardener for the wealthy of the area, a mother that walked out on them, and a brother and grandmother living at home, the story paints a picture that he is not living a life of privilege. His father has always been rough on him, and a realist when it comes to succeeding, often putting down Santiago and trying to instill in him the belief that this is their life, and that he should keep his feet on the ground. It's a stereotypical plot device we have seen many times before, but it sets the stage for Santiago's dream to become a professional soccer player.

When a former scout from England sees Santiago play, he knows that the kid (18 years old) could be really good, and tries his hardest to get him a try-out with a team he used to work for back in England. It's not going to be an easy process though, because he doesn't really have his foot in the door, and Santiago is really going to have to prove himself when he is finally given the chance to try-out. The only problem is that Santiago will have to make his own way to England, and his father plans on standing square in his path. Set in his ways, his father will not approve of Santiago going, saying that it will never work out, but of course the kid wants to make something of himself. Santiago heads off to England with a dream in hand, and the movie begins to follow his path to try and become a famous soccer player.

Now this is one of those films that could easily bog down someone that is watching it if they are multi-tasking, because it could seem like the story is cookie-cutter Hollywood gibberish. If you look at it from the point of view that you have an underdog kid trying to make it big in sports, then you could really think that nothing original is going to come from this story. Well, in my opinion, it started to break away from the obvious plot devices because of its lead, and because the story seemed quite genuine. With the story creating a character that you could really care about (Santiago), I was able to look past some of the telegraphed moments that were soon to come in the story, and I was able to sit back and enjoy a nice unthreatening story.

If you are looking for a film that champions an underdog who nobody expected to succeed, you need look no further than Goal! The Dream Begins. Kuno Becker is the kid cast as Santiago, and I hadn't seen him in films before, but he is of course brought back for the two sequels. One of the stand out supporting characters in my opinion is that of his female interest, played by Anna Friel. Friel has become quite famous as Chuck on the hit American television show Pushing Daisies. Together they have great chemistry within the film, and it helps give a softer side to the sport oriented film. While some might not like all of the soccer scenes, and some die-hard fans might not like the choreographed sequences, I didn't mind at all, and found myself really enjoying the entire film. The underdog in Goal! succeeded in drawing me in, kept me interested for the duration, and presented a story not only fit for the whole family, but one which they should be proud of creating.






Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD