He played All-Star games and had his photo taken there as the Washington Post boys’ soccer player of the year in 2005, but Michael Lahoud’s return to RFK Stadium as a member of Chivas USA last Wednesday was still special.
“When you come back to where you grew up it’s always a humbling experience,” said the former star. “RFK is always a special stadium to walk into – it brought back a lot of memories from playing there and watching some games there as a teenager and a kid. There’s nothing like playing in front of your family.”
Lahoud, who just turned 25, is in his third year for the Los Angeles-based MLS team, which is fighting for the league’s final playoff spot after a 2-2 tie in D.C. and a win Sept. 24 over Toronto.
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Khadi Turay, who brought Lahoud to the U.S. in 1988 from their native Seirra Leone and settled in Annandale, said she loves to watch her son play on T.V., but it’s even better to see him in person.
“Even with the ticket prices we paid, it’s great to watch him play on the home turf,” she said. “It’s always a worry [whether] he’s going to get into the game, because the team is trying to get into the playoffs, but seeing him makes my heart juggle.”
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Lahoud, a reserve midfielder, played the final six minutes after striker Juan Pablo Angel brought Chivas back from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of second-half goals. This season, Lahoud has started 16 games and played in 21. He has one goal, coming on June 18 against Dallas, and two assists.
“My mom, dad and brothers were all there,” he said. “The cool thing was a lot of my friends from college [Wake Forest] happen to live in the D.C. area, so a lot of people from Wake Forest, friends from club soccer and youth teams got to see me, it was a pretty unique experience to have all those people there.”
Due to the schedule, Chivas USA had three days between its previous game at Chicago and last week’s game in D.C., so Lahoud was able to arrive in Virginia early and spend some time with his family and friends ahead of the game.
“I always like to spend a little time in Georgetown,” he said. “Being a young adult and having friends in DuPont Circle and Columbia Heights, it’s always a pleasure walking around town.”
He said one of his favorite places to eat in Annandale is a kabob house off Little River Turnpike, but he couldn’t remember the place’s name.
Richard Broad, who coached Lahoud at Woodson was also at the game.
“I was able to get to the game at the last minute,” said Broad, who now runs a soccer academy and comments on the game for various media outlets. “I’m delighted, but not surprised, to see him have this success. I’ll have more opportunities to see him play.”
Both Broad and Lahoud remembered Woodson’s remarkable 2005 season, during which Lahoud was the Patriot District’s Player of the Year and led the Cavaliers to the state finals. Even though the team lost, 1-0 in overtime to Thomas Dale, Lahoud said it was the most important season of his career.
“Playing for Woodson was an experience I really cherished my senior year,” he said by phone from Los Angeles. “I learned to fight for the jersey and something bigger than just [myself]. I got to play with my best friends. Coach Broad told me and the two other captains – Jack Wolfe and Sean McCarthy – that we needed to be the leaders of the team and strive for more than just competing in the district.”
The Cavaliers beat rival Lake Braddock in the regional semifinals before losing in the state championship game in spite of what Lahoud said was an inspired effort from role players like Sam Johnston, who “played the best game I’d ever seen him play.”
“I don’t know how the ball didn’t go in their net,” Broad said. “They were the best team in the country; they were a better team than we were. Their goalkeeper stood on his head. Then we had an error. If they hadn’t scored, we would have gone to penalty kicks. It was a tremendous effort. We had a couple of chances to spring Mike, and if we had, we would have another trophy in the case.”
Lahoud was off to Wake Forest after that game, but not without gaining some perspective from the loss.
“The look of disappointment [on my teammates’ faces] was something that really motivated me as a freshman at Wake Forest. I didn’t want to feel that disappointment again.”
His Demon Deacons team went on to win a NCAA national title in 2007 and Lahoud discovered a new strength as a holding midfielder after being an attacker in high school. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft by Chivas USA.
Lahoud said he and his family needed to make numerous sacrifices as he pursued a soccer career, but it was that kind of support that propelled him from being a good neighborhood player as a kid to a pro today.
“I was fortunate to have people around me who really believed in me,” he said. “They saw something in me that I’m not sure everyone else saw – so because of their belief, I always believed I could do something pretty special in my life.”
Turay, who rushes home Sunday mornings from her Saturday night nursing shifts to see the Chivas USA games on her DVR before going to church, said her son was always dedicated to soccer.
“It was a way for him to communicate,” she said. “One time, I went into his room and saw him talking to the ball. I said ‘Michael, it’s midnight, you should be in bed,’ and he said ‘I am talking to the ball. We have to win against Langley today.’ That’s when I took him very seriously. It’s been amazing to see him. ... It’s always when he’s on the pitch that he seems the most relaxed. He comes off the field smiling.”
Right now, Chivas USA is still aiming for a playoff spot. The team has three games left on the schedule.
“We pride ourselves on being professionals,” Lahoud said. “Even if it’s a slim margin, we’re still in it until we’re told differently. That’s all that matters. You saw the result we had against D.C. We could have packed it in down 2-0, but we were able to show resilience.“
As for his future, Turay, who said she is her son’s No. 1 fan, would love to see her son get a chance to play in Europe, where people really appreciate soccer. But at the same time, she would be thrilled to see him get called up by the U.S. National Team.
“That would be a dream come true.”
