If you grew up in the mid-90s, you definitely remember the sight of a goat named Ernie wearing a soccer jersey. You probably also remember the terrifying "monsters" that Larry Musgrove saw on the field whenever he got nervous. The Big Green cast wasn't just a group of random child actors; they were the heart of a movie that somehow turned a tiny, depressed Texas town into a soccer powerhouse.
Most people dismiss it as a Mighty Ducks clone. They aren't entirely wrong. It has the misfit team, the reluctant coach, and the high-stakes championship against a bunch of wealthy bullies. But honestly? The chemistry between these kids was different. It felt real. Probably because half of them had already starred in The Sandlot together.
Why the Big Green Cast Still Matters
Think about the roster. You had Patrick Renna (Larry) and Chauncey Leopardi (Evan). These two were basically the royalty of 90s sports movies. Bringing them over from the baseball diamond to the soccer pitch was a stroke of genius by director Holly Goldberg Sloan. It gave the movie instant street cred with the playground crowd.
Then you have Olivia d'Abo. She played Miss Anna Montgomery, the exchange teacher from England who decides soccer is the only way to save these kids from their own boredom. She brought this luminous, slightly overwhelmed energy to the role. It’s kinda wild that she didn't become a massive A-list superstar after this. She has this essence that Roger Ebert once noted was "irreplaceable."
But the real MVP of the story—both on and off-screen—is Anthony Esquivel, who played the "Mexi-kid" Juan Morales.
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His character’s subplot about immigration and his mother’s legal status was surprisingly heavy for a Disney movie. It wasn't just about kicking a ball. It was about a family trying to survive in a town that didn't always want them there. In 2026, looking back at that storyline, it feels way ahead of its time for a "kids' comedy."
Where are they now?
Life after Elma, Texas, took some pretty interesting turns for these actors.
- Anthony Esquivel (Juan): He actually lived the dream. Unlike many child stars who leave their movie sport behind, Anthony became a legitimate soccer force. He played for Furman University and eventually moved into coaching. Last I heard, he was back at Furman as an assistant coach. Talk about life imitating art.
- Patrick Renna (Larry): Patrick is still everywhere. He’s a "girl dad" now, recently welcoming his third child in 2025. He’s very active on social media and even produced a film called Monster Summer that hit screens in 2024. He’ll always be "Ham" from The Sandlot to most, but Larry Musgrove and his "monster visions" are a close second.
- Bug Hall (Newt): The kid who scored the winning goal had a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He left Hollywood behind a few years ago. He moved his family to a homestead farm to live a more "traditional" life. He’s got five kids now and stays pretty far away from the bright lights of Los Angeles.
- Chauncey Leopardi (Evan): He’s popped up in everything from Gilmore Girls to Freaks and Geeks over the years. He still embraces his "Squints" legacy, but for Big Green fans, he’ll always be the nerdy kid who finally found his confidence.
The Steve Guttenberg Factor
You can't talk about this movie without "The Gutt." Steve Guttenberg played Deputy Sheriff Tom Palmer. He wasn't the "pro" coach. He was just a guy who had a massive crush on the teacher and wanted to help some kids.
By 1995, Guttenberg’s "Police Academy" peak was in the rearview mirror, but he brought a warmth to this movie that's hard to replicate. He and Holly Goldberg Sloan actually reunited recently on a podcast to talk about how much fun they had filming in Austin. It wasn't a "job" for them. It was a summer camp.
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Breaking Down the "Mighty Ducks" Comparison
People love to say this movie is just "Ducks on Grass."
Sure. The structure is identical. But The Big Green has a grit to it that the Ducks lacked. The kids in The Big Green aren't just "bad at sports." They are literally the lowest-scoring students in the state of Texas. They feel like losers. There’s a scene where Anna breaks a globe just to get them to look at her. That's desperation.
The movie deals with:
- Economic depression: The town of Elma is dying.
- Immigration: The fear of being deported hangs over the team’s best player.
- Parental abandonment: Several kids have absent or struggling parents.
It’s a lot heavier than your average Disney flick. And that’s why the cast worked so well. They weren't "Hollywood kids." They felt like local kids you’d find at a dusty park in Texas.
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The Soccer Reality Check
Honestly, the soccer in the movie is... well, it's not great. If you watch it now, you can see where they sped up the footage to make the kids look faster. It’s a classic 90s trick. Roger Ebert hated it. He called it an "amateurish gimmick."
But as a kid? You didn't care. You just wanted to see Newt kick that ball past the Knights' goalie. You wanted to see Jay Huffer (played with perfect villainous energy by Jay O. Sanders) have to kiss that goat.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to revisit this era of film, here’s what you should actually do:
- Check the Soundtrack: The music by Randy Edelman is genuinely uplifting. It’s one of those scores that makes you want to run through a brick wall.
- Follow the Legacy: If you want to see what a healthy post-child-star life looks like, follow Anthony Esquivel’s coaching career. It’s the most "Big Green" thing that happened in real life.
- Avoid the "Clones": While Disney tried to replicate this formula dozens of times (anyone remember The Big Help?), very few captured the specific chemistry of this 1995 group.
The Big Green movie cast succeeded because they were a team of kids who looked like they actually liked each other. They weren't polished. They were messy, loud, and weird. That’s why we’re still talking about them thirty years later.
If you’re feeling nostalgic, skip the modern remakes. Go find the original. Watch the scene where Larry turns into a monster one more time. It’s still funny. It’s still heart-warming. And honestly, it’s still better than most of the sports movies coming out today.
To keep the nostalgia going, you should look up the recent 2024 interviews with Patrick Renna where he discusses the "unwritten rules" of being a child star. It provides a great look at how these guys stayed grounded after being part of such iconic 90s hits.