Brian Ching, who grew up playing on AYSO teams his mother coached in Hale'iwa, gave the world of international soccer its first Hawaiian face — a face as memorable for grimaces as for grins.
The graduate of Kamehameha Schools, class of 1996, earned a coveted position on the 2006 U.S. Men's National Team that played in soccer's most prestigious tournament: the FIFA World Cup.
Soccer's biggest stage was a long way from the recreational leagues of his youth, but he had plenty of skill and determination. Ching is a stocky, physical player with lethal shooting abilities and an enviable work ethic.
He played college soccer at Gonzaga University, where he set a record for assists. He also set a standard for playing in pain, finishing his last two seasons with four plates and 12 screws in the left side of his face after colliding with a goalkeeper.
When he was drafted by Major League Soccer in 2001, Ching became the first Hawai'i player in 20 years to be chosen by a professional team.
In May 2003, Ching became the first person from Hawai'i ever selected as a member of a U.S. national soccer team. But once more, Ching's path was filled with pain. Not long after his first appearance in an international game, Ching ruptured his right achilles tendon.
The following summer, Ching was back on the field and after leading Major League Soccer in goals, he played — and scored — in a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica. He scored again in the next game, a qualifier against El Salvador.
His place with the U.S. elite of soccer seemed assured, but in the summer of 2005, Ching tore a hamstring.
Nothing Ching wasn't used to by then, even though some counted him out.
In May 2006, the 27-year-old Ching — grinning perhaps through gritted teeth — was selected for the U.S. team headed for the World Cup competition in Germany.
