OLIVIA SANDUSKY | CONTRIBUTOR
For Jose Merlo, the soccer field is a place he fondly calls home. A former defender for the University of San Diego men’s soccer team, and current Albion SC Pros player, Merlo has been around the game since a young age.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was about three or four years old,” Merlo said.
Growing up in Escondido, CA with his mother, father, and two younger sisters, Jose developed a passion for the game. His father Tony played semi-professionally while Jose was a young boy, which only furthered his love of soccer.