These Days, They All Look Up to Viveros : Boys’ soccer: Orange halfback, who was 5 feet 1 when he started playing for the Panthers, is now 5-10 and a team leader.

Orange boys’ soccer Coach Ed Carrillo remembers the first time he laid eyes on Juan Viveros. He had to look down.

Viveros, then a 5-foot-1 freshman-to-be, was trying out for the Panthers’ summer league team. Carrillo’s reaction was to be expected, maybe even understandable.

“I looked at this little guy and thought, ‘This is a soccer player?’ ” Carrillo said.

This was and this is.

Four years and nine inches later, Viveros is still not only playing soccer, he’s a key member of the Panther team. He is a big reason why Orange currently is ranked fourth in the Orange County coaches’ poll.

Viveros, a center halfback, has scored nine goals, tops on the team. But, beyond the scoring, he has provided leadership.

That little guy has certainly grown into the job.

“It was hard as a freshman,” Viveros said. “Everyone was so big and I got pushed around all the time. I tried to push back, but they were too big. I just had to learn. Well, I learned real well.”

And Viveros, now 5-10, has been giving the lessons ever since.

As a sophomore, he scored three goals in the Southern Section 2-A playoffs, helping the Panthers reach the championship game.

Last season against El Modena, it was Viveros who broke loose to score late in the match to give the Panthers a 1-0 victory and their second consecutive Century League title.

This season, he has gotten even better.

Against Edison in the Orange tournament, Viveros took control. He scored two goals, including one late in the second half to tie the score. He then kicked in the game-winner in the shootout.

“When Juan is on, he’s as good as anyone in Orange County,” Carrillo said. “He’s the most important player on the team.”

Heady praise for a kid who seemed to literally get lost in a crowd as a freshman.

“You know, good soccer players don’t have to be big, but Juan was real small,” Carrillo said. “I would be surprised if he weighed over 100 pounds as a freshman.”

For the record, Viveros said he weighed 110. Not that the official record mattered, he still got sand kicked in his face.

Viveros remembers being pushed around at almost every turn. In a summer league game against Mission Viejo, he got knocked down almost every time he got near the ball and was even kicked in the face.

“There was really nothing I could do to fight back physically,” Viveros said. “It seemed like everyone was trying to intimidate me.”

How he survived was simple: talent.

Despite his size, Viveros made the varsity as a freshman and was a starter by the end of the season. He finished the season with three goals.

“I could see that Juan had skill, so I kept him on the team to get the experience,” Carrillo said. “He started as the 18th player on the roster, then was the 13th and then won a starting job.

“He just wasn’t afraid out there. Most guys don’t like to get the ball unless they have five yards between them and the defender. Juan likes the pressure and he usually dribbles past them.”

Viveros began playing soccer at 6, with a club team in Orange. However, he learned most of his skills from his father, Juan Viveros Sr., who used to play club soccer in Mexico City.

On weekends, they would go to Chapman College to play. Sometimes other kids would go along, other times it was just the two of them.

“My father really knows the game,” Viveros said. “He would work with us on shooting, dribbling, passing. He still gives me advice. I can hear him when I’m on the field, yelling. It encourages me.”

Each year, Viveros has gotten better. As a sophomore, he scored eight goals. As a junior, he scored 10.

Viveros also hit a growing spurt as a sophomore, which made him even more effective.

“Juan just works harder than most guys with his talent,” Carrillo said. “A lot of guys go through practice without really trying. Juan gives it all. His example pushes the other guys on the team.”

And if his example doesn’t push them, his tongue will.

Whether it’s a game or practice, Viveros is vocal.

Perhaps it’s because he had to talk to make up for his size or maybe it’s just a streak of cockiness, but Viveros has always added his two cents on the soccer field. He never lets up, whether it’s friend or foe, or even a coach.

In a recent practice, Carrillo was trying to set up a defensive wall against a free kick. He wanted five players on the wall, Viveros insisted they needed only four.

Carrillo: “What if they move to the side and shoot?”

Viveros: “No one can make that shot.”

Carrillo: “You did against Edison.”

Viveros: “Yeah, but that’s me .”

It was typical of Viveros.

“He really lays it on sometimes,” Carrillo said. “He’s always quick with a joke or some comment. He kind of reminds me of myself as a player. I told him that once and he said, ‘Yeah, but I have more talent.’ ”

If Carrillo thinks he’s got it bad, he should talk to opposing players. During games, Viveros chips at opponents, trying to throw them off their game.

“I’ll tell them, ‘You can’t stop me . . . look out, here I come,’ ” Viveros said. “Guys get irritated and mad and then try to show me up. That’s OK, that’s when they make mistakes.”

Said Carrillo: “It’s all right to be a little confident, if you can back it up with your ability. Juan can.”

Which makes him someone not to look down on.