Former Zebra soccer player playing professionally in Japan

Former Lincoln High Fighting Zebra goalkeeper Abbie Faingold is now a professional soccer player in Japan, signed to Charme FC, who play in the Challenge League. Faingold signed with the club earlier this month after her agent gave her the opportunity and will be practicing and competing in exhibition games. Come late October, she will also be playing in potential relegation games along with the Empress Cup, the national tournament for women's soccer in Japan. "Being in another country, let alone playing soccer, is a huge culture shock and adjustment," Faingold said. "The time change of 16 hours ahead wasn't even a big deal in comparison to being in a completely new environment where English is not the common language and the way of life is very different. Additionally, the style of play is very different here than it is in America." Faingold began playing soccer in kindergarten and played for Placer United as well as with Lincoln High. She was on the varsity team her last three years and started most of the 46 games, allowing less than one goal per game on average while collecting 402 saves. In 21 of those games, she kept a clean sheet, leaving the opponent scoreless. "I knew that she would make up for some of our weaknesses on defense," said Jason Treanor, her coach at Lincoln during 2011–12. "She was great on getting to balls on the ground and her punches were good. She was a hard worker, did what she needed to do and never talked back." She then continued her career at Portland State University, totaling 164 saves in her final two seasons. After Faingold finished college, she played semi-professional soccer for the California Storm, a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League. She and the Storm's other two goalkeepers led the league in the regular season, giving up only four goals in eight games. "I was looking for an opportunity to stay in shape and also represent the local area," Faingold said. "I was picked to join the team and was glad that I was able to be a part of such an amazing organization which will only keep getting better." Like many athletes, her struggles when it comes to playing are mostly mental. "There were many times I was mentally tested but I've always found a way to push past the struggles and find the positives in every situation," Faingold said. "Ultimately, I try to think of difficult situations as ways of improving upon myself as a player and as a person." While her skills have gotten her all the way to the professional level, she still feels there are areas where she can improve her game. "I would like to improve more upon my footwork and distribution of the ball," Faingold said. "In Japan, that's the main facet of their game, so this is a great opportunity for me to get a lot of reps to improve in both of these areas." Even though Faingold may be 5,000 miles away from her hometown and Zebra family, she always keeps them in her thoughts. "I hope to represent Lincoln and my family in the best possible light," Faingold said.