TAKE FIVE: MARCOS BALLADARES

Saturday, April 14, 2007 | 7:26 a.m.

UNLV freshman Marcos Balladares idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United star to whom Balladares bears a striking resemblance.

Especially when Ronaldo runs around with a diamond stud in each ear lobe.

Balladares, 19, pulled off a fine impression of arguably the finest footballer in the world Nov. 3, when his assist and goal defeated Denver, 2-0, to give Mario Sanchez his first victory as a collegiate coach.

It was Sanchez's lone success in his debut season, as the Rebels finished 1-15-2. It was the 12th losing season in the program's past 14 years, and UNLV hasn't played in an NCAA tournament since 1988.

The pain has continued this preseason, as UNLV lost to BYU, 2-1, on March 30 at Johann Field. Hopefully, Sanchez said, the Rebels are getting all the bad luck out of their systems.

In that one game last fall, Balladares provided hope. In three more seasons, the striker might establish himself as someone who helped right the program.

"He's just starting to scratch the surface of his talents," Sanchez says. "He's one of our dangerous attacking players, for sure."

Latin flair

His mother, Sidey, hails from Costa Rica. Nicaragua is the home of his biological father, Ramiro. His stepfather and mentor, Mauricio Salcedo, was born in Colombia. Style and skill mark Balladares' game. "He likes to take those risks when he attacks," Sanchez says. "I definitely appreciate that. He adds something different to our team."

A coup

The 5-foot-10 playmaker scored 31 goals and dished out 13 assists as a senior for Wellington (Fla.) High, near Palm Beach . The Wolverines hit No. 2 in one national poll. When Balladares passed his entrance exams for college, Sanchez, via a tip from former UNLV women's assistant coach Michael Needham, swooped in. "Recruiting is timing," Sanchez says.

The victory

Balladares started a few times last season, then hit a freshman wall. He was refreshed when Sanchez slipped him back into the starting fold to rejuvenate the team, then he shined against Denver. "We had nothing to lose," Balladares says. "Winning is about repetition. You have to come out expecting you'll win."

The goal

He collected a long ball from the right back, between two defenders, then struck it with his rocket left leg into the lower right corner of the net from 20 yards. He's one of the fastest, if not the fastest, player on the team. "That pace allows him to break away from other guys," Sanchez says. "He can be someone who scores a lot of goals at the college level."

Words of wisdom

His namesake maternal grandfather played the game in his youth in Costa Rica and has always told Balladares to never lose confidence or give up. "He always says that," Balladares says, "and I'll always remember."