One young man's dream takes him on a remarkable journey in this sports-themed drama. Santiago Munez (Kuno_Becker) was born in Mexico, and came to California with his family when he was just a boy. One of the few things Santiago brought with him was a love for soccer, and while he holds down two jobs -- working landscaping during the days with his father, Hernan (Tony_Plana), and as a busboy at night -- he still dreams of playing the game professionally, and spends his precious spare time with an amateur team in Los
Angeles. One day, Santiago is approached by Glen Foy (Stephen_Dillane), a part-time scout for powerhouse British team Newcastle United; Glen has seen Santiago play and thinks he has talent, and can get him a tryout with Newcastle if he can make his way to England. While Hernan refuses to help Santiago pay for the trip, his grandmother (Miriam_Colon) empties her savings to help him follow his dream. Santiago's first reserve game with the team happens during a typically British rainstorm, with Santiago suffering a mild asthma attack to boot; he doesn't play at his best and is turned away from the team, but he refuses to go home, determined to make good. After striking up a friendship with star kicker Gavin Harris (Alessandro_Nivola) and demonstrating his mettle to coach Mal Braithwaite (Gary_Lewis), Santiago earns a second chance to show Newcastle United what he can do and make his father proud of him. Goal! was a major international hit, and a sequel was already in production before the film opened in the United States in the spring of 2006.
Cast & Crew:
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| Leonardo Guerra - (10-Year-Old Santiago) |
| Tony Plana - (Hernan Munez) |
| Miriam Colon - (Mercedes) |
| Kuno Becker - (Santiago Munez) |
| Jorge Cervera, Jr. - (Cesar) |
| Herman Chaves - (Referee) |
| Alfredo Rodriguez - (Julio) |
| Donald Li - (Chinese Restaurant Manager) |
| Kathryn Tomlinson - (Val) |
| Zach Johnson - (Rory) |
| Stephen Dillane - (Glen Foy) |
| Sean Pertwee - (Barry Rankin) |
| Jonathan Hernandez - (Armando) |
| Alessandro Nivola - (Gavin Harris) |
| Cassandra Bell - (Christina) |
| Rhydian Jones - (Sales Person) |
| Marcel Iures - (Erik Dornhelm) |
| Christoper Connel - (Reporter 1) |
| Peter Michael McGowan - (Reporter 2) |
| Andy Hawthorne - (Immigration Official 1) |
| Michael Gunn - (Immigration Official 2) |
| Ashlea Sanderson - (Girl) |
| Alex Parkin-Goodchild - (Kid 1) |
| Callum Aynsley - (Kid 2) |
| Christopher Fairbank - (Foghorn) |
| Craig Heaney - (Phil) |
| Jack McBride - (Walter) |
| Rob Dixon - (Bobby Redfern) |
| Anna Friel - (Roz Harmison) |
| Kieran O'Brien - (Hughie Magowan) |
| Gary Lewis - (Mal Braithwaite) |
| Ashley Walters - (Carl Francis) |
| Kevin Knapman - (Jamie Drew) |
| Lee Ross - (Bluto) |
| Stephen Graham - (Des) |
| Andy Kidd - (Bouncer) |
| Alan Shearer - (Alan Shearer) |
| Emma Field Rayner - (Lorraine) |
| Martin Tyler - (Martin Tyler) |
| Brian Lonsdale - (Fan) |
| Glynis Brooks - (Cleaner 1) |
| Maxine Evans - (Cleaner 2) |
| Blondell Taylor - (Sister) |
| Daniel Maier - (Patient) |
| Frances Barber - (Carol) |
| Madeline Moffat - (Woman in Tower Block) |
| Louis Lennie - (Teenager) |
| Baden Burns - (Teenager) |
| Nicholas Lumley - (Taxi Dispatcher) |
| Mike Elliot - (Gordon) |
| Louise Franklin - (Drunk Girl) |
| Leslie Randall - (Mr. Ives) |
| Bryan Johnson - (Geordie Fan) |
| Greg Ellis - (Fan 2) |
| Sven-Göran Eriksson - (Sven-Göran Eriksson) |
| David Beckham - (David Beckham) |
| Raúl González Blanco - (Raúl González Blanco) |
| Zinedine Zidane - (Zinedine Zidane) |
| Shivani Ghai - (Ground Attendant) |
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Review:
Like the sport of soccer itself, Goal! The Dream Begins has something in store for a diverse blend of audiences -- few of them American, as evidenced by its weak box office performance in the U.S.. The story starts in Los Angeles, following a soccer prodigy who's also an illegal Mexican immigrant, then quickly transplants young Santiago (Kuno Becker) to rainy northern England, where he tries out for the English Premier League. It's no surprise international audiences loved it, enough to inspire two sequels, but the quality filmmaking alone should have gained it more attention stateside. Danny Cannon's direction and Michael Barrett's camerawork are sleek without being showy, and the whole production feels sturdy and visually interesting. Newcastle Upon Tyne, where much of the action takes place, is a beautiful backdrop through Barrett's lens -- its crashing coastal waves looking grandiose, its cityscapes both modern and quaint, its fields lushly green. The plot, however, is a bit more standard. For our protagonist, there are cultural differences and medical issues to overcome, the trappings of fame to avoid, and a strict father to impress. To their credit, the filmmakers do include a few surprises within the reliable structure, as well as a few nice details that make Goal! better than your average predictable sports movie. (The biggest complaint about the narrative, in fact, is that Santiago goes through a comical number of near cuttings and apparent ends of the road.) One of Goal!'s biggest assets is its supporting cast. Alessandro Nivola was born to play a celebrity soccer star modeled after David Beckham (who makes a cameo), Anna Friel exudes plucky sweetness as the lass who falls for Santiago, and Stephen Dillane, who discovers Santiago and champions him to the Newcastle coach, is highly affable. Goal! has modest goals, but it achieves them.
