Audio slideshow: soccer kings of New York City

Martin Luther King Jr High School has a troubled history. In 2002 it made news when a student shot two fellow students, seriously injuring them. Shortly afterward, MLK became one of the first in New York City to be closed due to low performance and high drop-out rates. The building now houses six smaller schools. Their 2,400 students still have to pass through a metal detector and file past two uniformed police officers to get to their classrooms. But its boys’ soccer team, still playing under the MLK banner is a big success: it has won 12 out of 14 city championships, its players also have one of highest graduation rates and are regularly awarded scholarships to prestigious colleges. The man behind the team’s success is Martin Jacobson, aka Coach Jake, and he can rely on talent from all over the world.

• Watch the slideshow here