Gabriel Farfan didn't waste time.

Almost immediately he requested the one thing he had missed most after spending most of this year thousands of miles away from home.

He wanted his mom's green enchiladas. Not the red ones. They were a bit spicy. But he probably would not say no to any of his mother's Thanksgiving cooking. The same goes for his brother.

Michael Farfan asked for enchiladas, too, once he made it back home last week to Wildomar, a city a short drive north of Murrieta and just south of Lake Elsinore.

You can't blame the brothers for wanting home-cooked Mexican food. After all, it's probably difficult to find it in Philadelphia.

That's where the twins spent their first season playing for Major League Soccer's expansion team. the Philadelphia Union.

It was the first time they played together as professionals.

And no one was happier about it than their mother, Kathy Ollier.

"It was a dream come true," she said about her sons' journey through the lengthy 2011 MLS season.

"Just to watch them reach what they always worked for and reach their dreams together at the same time, was just great. I've been waiting for that for a long time."

Long gone are the days she had to juggle time and attend different matches in a day just to get a glimpse of them.

Michael (l) and Gabriel Farfan (r).

Sure, they both played for the La Jolla Nomads on the same team along with their good friend Eric Avila, who is now with MLS team Toronto FC. The three boys carpooled to tournaments and shared hotel rooms while playing youth club soccer in San Diego.

Gabriel and Michael also played at Castle Park High in Chula Vista as freshmen. But to their mother, nothing compares to watching her sons run onto the Union's home field at PPL Park.

The mother attended seven of Philadelphia's matches, including a handful at home, two in Carson and another in San Jose. She watched the rest on TV.

"The most memorable was the home-opener," she said. "Watching them coming out to the field just gave me this feeling that overtook me. It was real."

What the twins dreamed of as kids growing up in Chula Vista became a reality after Michael was selected 23rd overall out of the University of North Carolina in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft in January.

Gabriel earned a slot after a tryout with the club after spending some time playing for Mexcio's Club América and finishing his collegiate soccer career at Cal State Fullerton.

The pair of 23-year-old California kids were on their way to the East Coast. And they were both an integral part of the Union's run deep into the playoffs. Philadelphia reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Michael, a midfielder, played in 21 matches, started in 13, and scored two goals. One of them came against Spanish giant Real Madrid. Gabriel played in 22 and started in 18 games. He scored one goal, also as a midfielder.

They both got to play against renowned players. The Union was part of the World Football Challenge, a tournament that paired MLS clubs against some of Europe's top clubs.

The twins defended Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil's Kaka and German national star Ozul amid other standout European players. There were also the MLS stars, such as David Beckham and Landon Donovan , of the Los Angeles Galaxy, and Thiery Henry, the French star with the New York Red Bulls.

Gabriel Farfan, Kathy Ollier, Louie and Michael Farfan.

"Just getting the chance to be on the field with some of the players we grew up watching on TV and wanting to be like was a humbling but exciting experience," Michael said. "Knowing we could compete and contend with them is something I won't forget."

And the twins might not forget their first MLS season together. They shared an apartment, which they said was easy. After all, they shared a place during their early college years.

"The whole thing wasn't a big deal," Michael said about living in Philadelphia. "We've lived together for practically all of our life so that part was easy … It was a bit of a culture shock but we've been in the East Coast before."

Michael and Gabriel indeed spent some time near the Atlantic. They were both part of U.S. Soccer's residency program in Bradenton, Fla. That's where they went after their freshmen year at Castle Park High and went on to play in the 2005 Under-17 World Cup.

"I remember Castle Park and all the things we did there," Michael said. "We spent a lot of time there that year. We went to our sister's (Kathy) track meets and made some nice memories with our friends."

Their mom, too, has plenty of memories.

When asked to name a moment that stood out for her during her sons' careers, she could not pick just one.

Instead, she talked about the day she took Michael and Gabriel to a 1994 World Cup match in Los Angeles. They were six at the time. She even described a photo of both boys posing behind one of the goals.

"It was one of those days you probably won't forget," said the mother, who divorced the boys' dad, Luis Farfan, and remarried.

The twins said they plan to spend time at home this off season before going back to training and prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer.

Meanwhile, they will take advantage of every opportunity to eat those coveted green enchiladas.

In the photo, Michael Farfan (l) and Cristiano Ronaldo (f). Philadelphia Union

ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com