• CATRINA CATALANO MET GIUSEPPE DE LUCA WHILE VISITING EXTENDED FAMILY IN ITALY. THE TWO CLAIMED THAT THERE WERE SPARKS THE MOMENT THEY LAID EYES ON EACH OTHER AND THOUGH SHE WERE TO GO BACK TO THE STATES AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, THE TWO HAD VOWED TO STAY TOGETHER NO MATTER WHAT. NO MORE THAN SIX MONTHS LATER DID CATRINA BREAK THE NEWS TO HER PARENTS THAT HER AND GIUSEPPE WERE TO BE MARRIED AND WITHIN A YEAR, THE NEWLYWEDS WERE EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD.

• AZARIAH GIUSEPPE DE LUCA WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1974 IN MILAN, ITALY. WHILE CATRINA REMAINED A HOUSEWIFE AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT AND SCHOOL AZARIAH, GIUSEPPE MAINTAINED HIS POSITION WITH THE STATE POLICE STATIONED IN MILAN. IT WASN'T UNTIL AZARIAH WAS SEVEN DID THE SMALL FAMILY THINK ABOUT UPROOTING. CATRINA'S MOTHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AND GIVEN HOW GRIEF STRICKEN HER FATHER WAS, CATRINA AND GIUSEPPE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES TO BE WITH HER FAMILY AND HELP TAKE CARE OF HER MOTHER.

• AS CULTURALLY DIVERSE AS NEW YORK WAS, IT WAS STILL A SHOCK TO BOTH AZARIAH AND HIS FATHER. HE HAD TO ADJUST TO LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY AND A NEW SCHOOL. THANKFULLY HE WAS AT AN AGE WHERE BONDS WERE EASILY MADE WITH SCHOOLMATES, ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE WAS SO EAGER AND WILLING TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND EVENTUALLY, IN THE WAKE OF HIS GRANDMOTHER'S DEATH, HE RELIED ON THOSE FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR SUPPORT.

• JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL WERE ESSENTIALLY A BREEZE FOR AZARIAH, OR BY THAT TIME, MORE AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS "ACE" BY HIS MATES. WITH GOOD GRADES UNDER HIS BELT AND A VARISTY POSITION ON THE SCHOOL'S SOCCER TEAM, AZARIAH WAS PAVING HIS WAY TO AN EARLY CAREER. IT WASN'T UNTIL HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE, WAS AZARIAH'S NATURAL TALENT TRULY RECOGNIZED.

• DURING A VACATION PLANNED TO ENGLAND, AZARIAH HAD BEEN HORSING AROUND ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD WITH SOME MATES FOR A PICK UP GAME. A SCOUT APPROACHED THE GROUP WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT FOR THE ENGLAND TIME. AT NINETEEN, THAT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE & QUICKLY SNATCHED IT UP WITH LITTLE TO NO HESITATION.

• HE WAS FAR FROM A STARTER AND NATURAL SKILLS TO HONE, THERE WASN'T A DOUBT IN HIS MIND THAT THE PRIVILEGE TO PLAY WITH SUCH AN AMAZING TEAM WAS ONE THAT HE'D TAKE FOR GRANTED. TWO YEARS OF MOSTLY WARMING THE BENCH, AZARIAH FINALLY HAD HIS CHANCE TO SHINE WHEN A PLAYER WAS PULLED OUT OF THE GAME WITH A SEVERE INJURY. THAT MOMENT MARKED THE START OF A WHIRLWIND CAREER THAT LASTED FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS.

• DURING HIS TIME WITH THE ENGLAND FOOTBALL CLUB, AZARIAH MET HIS FUTURE EX-WIFE, SOPHIA. MUCH LIKE HIS PARENTS, THE TWO WERE ENAMORED WITH ONE ANOTHER AND TOOK QUICKLY TO MARRIAGE AND STARTING THEIR OWN FAMILY. AT TWENTY-FOUR, AZARIAH AND SOPHIA WELCOMED THEIR FIRST SON, ANTHONY, AND SOON AFTER WAS HE INVITED TO PLAY FOR REAL MADRID.

• IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE NEW FAMILY TO ADJUST TO THE LIFE OF CONSTANT TRAVEL, BUT AFTER A FEW YEARS THEY SEEMED TO MAKE IT WORK. CONTRACTS WERE SIGNED AND THEN EVENTUALLY, WHEN THE TIME CAME TO RE-NEGOTIATE THE TERMS, NEWER AND GRANDER OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED THEMSELVES. WHETHER IT WAS THE FAMILY WELCOMING ANOTHER CHILD OR THE CHANCE TO PLAY FOR ANOTHER TEAM. BUT AZARIAH KNEW THAT HIS WIFE WAS GROWING WEARY OF THE TRAVEL AND LIFE ON THE ROAD.

• AZARIAH HESITATED TO CONSIDER RETIREMENT. HIS CAREER WAS STILL MARKETABLE, BUT HIS FAMILY NEEDED HIM MORE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS A LITTLE TOO LATE WHEN AFTER THEIR THIRD CHILD AND FIRST DAUGHTER WAS BORN, HE WAS STILL ON THE GO WHILE THE REST OF HIS FAMILY SETTLED DOWN AND HIS WIFE BECAME DISTRAUGHT. WHILE HE CONTINUED TO PLAY AND CONTEMPLATE, SOPHIA FILED FOR DIVORCE.

• WHILE THE NEWLY ESTRANGED COUPLE DID TRY TO RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES AFTER AZARIAH HAD ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO RETIRE, IT FAILED TO CLICK FOR THE TWO OF THEM. IN AN EFFORT TO STAY CLOSE TO HIS FAMILY, AZARIAH TOOK A JOB AS THE ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE NEW YORK RED BULLS. TRAVELING STILL REQUIRED, BUT HE WAS MOSTLY CLOSE BY AND ALWAYS A PHONE CALL AWAY.