This Is the Los Angeles Sol: Manya Makoski

Part 12 in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2009 Los Angeles Sol.

According to the Wiktionary of cyberspace, the definition of the unsung hero is "One who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition for them."

Case in point: the casual football fan sitting in Marta's Maniacs, section 119 of the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.

As the match whistle blows, the fan notices familiar faces that have made the Sol one of the best in Women's Professional Soccer.

He easily notices Marta, Han Duan, Camille Abily, Aya Miyama, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Brittany Bock, Aly Wagner and Karina LeBlanc. If he knows his Canadian players, he can see Martina Franko trod up and down the pitch.

And then he can see Manya Makoski.

Makoski is the unsung heroine of the Los Angeles Sol, hands down. Her last name does not drip of a brand that mainstream soccer moms will go gaga for.

Well, maybe the fact that it rhymes with Lebowski might give the name a chance; we may never know.

But the fact of the matter is that Manya Makoski does what she does best: the supporting role of midfielder.
Makoski was born on Apr. 18, 1984 in Trumbull, CT. Trumbull is a small town of 35,299 (2005 estimate), located in one of the most wealthiest counties in all of America: Fairfield County.

And the cities in Fairfield County form some of the most affluent suburbs of New York City, from Bridgeport, to Stamford, to Norwalk and Danbury.

Trumbull itself was ranked in 2007 as one of the top 100 best places to live, according to Money Magazine, and the only city from the state to be added to the list. Trumbull was also used as a backdrop for the film Revolutionary Road.

One of the biggest sporting tickets in town takes place at Trumbull High School.

The Trumbull Eagles, whose varsity prep teams compete in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, are a factory of great athletic talent raised on a foundation of winning.

It is a tradition that has been the eyes of the Eagles since the school was founded in 1961. Trumbull High has been known for their football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and gymnastics teams, as well as their marching band and color guard, all who have won honors  domestically and internationally.

But another team that has made its mark is the girls' soccer team, who have won state titles from 1997 to 1999 and 2001.

Makoski played a key role in that dynasty. By the time she graduated from Trumbull in 2002, she had garnered a number of honors along the way.

Aside from leading to the Eagles to the conference title all for years and state titles in 1999 and 2001, Makoski was named to the 2001 NSCAA Adidas U-17 All-American team, as well as earned other All-American honors (Parade 2001, NSCAA 2000-2001).

Makoski was also named the state's player of the year by Gatorade in 2002 and NSCAA Adidas Connecticut High School Player of the Year in 2001.

Her plaudits at Trumbull, combined with playing for Wayne Mones''s Yankee United HEAT, drew the attention of then-Arizona State head coach Ray Leone. Eager for a change of pace, Makoski signed with the Sun Devils after she graduated from the Eagles' nest.
The transition from chilly Trumbull to scorching Tempe was a unique experience. Nonetheless, Makoski's hard work in the Northeast brough excitement to the Southwest.

And the Valley of the Sun, for that matter.

Arizona State's teams from 2002 through 2005 was led by current Los Angeles Sol player Liz Bogus, with Makoski playing a supporting role on the pitch.

In Fall 2002, Makoski was named to the Soccer America All-Freshman team, setting a school single-season record nine assists.

As a sophomore, Makoski earned consecutive All Pac-10 Second Team honors while being named a Maroon & Gold Scholar Athlete.

In 2004, Makoski earned first-team All Pac-10 honors while splitting time between ASU and the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, who would finish runner-up that season.

Makoski's final year at Arizona State saw her earn All-Pac 10 Academic First Team and All-Pac 10 Second Team honors.

As an international player, Makoski first broke into the spotlight in 2002 as a member of the 2002 USA U-19 Team.

That year, they won the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Canada (known today at the FiFA U-20 Women's World Cup) by beating the hosts 1-0 on an extra time goal by current Chicago Red Star Lindsay Tarpley.

Makoski also led the USA to three straight Nordic Cup championships, with the last one in 2005.
Before the Los Angeles Sol selected her as the 19th pick in the 2009 WPS Draft, Makoski returned to Connecticut for a one-year stint with SoccerPlus CT Reds of the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2008.

Now Makoski plays a new supporting role: assisting some of the world's best footballers on an attack phase, a counterattack or a defensive play.

Yes indeed, Manya Makoski has been the unsung heroine of many teams throughout her career. And she's isn't destined to be a household name like Marta, or Abily, or Han Duan, Miyama or Boxx when she dons the navy blue of the Sol at the Home Depot Center.

But at the same time, she is content on delivering the melody to the beat of a different drum while the rest of the squad sing while they are winning in the WPS, match after match.

It's the power of eleven individuals working as one cohesive unit that drives the No. 22 in helping her team put on a show for the fans at Victoria Street.

Linda Ronstadt and Robbie Williams, send help.