Hey, american resident here, how hard is it to get a tryout for say a lower division team in argentina??? do they have foreign restrictions there? thanks alot
If it's a lower division side you shouldn't have many troubles. Around which area are you looking at?
How old are you? If you're young and good enough there will be interest. There are no restrictions, you just need to get a work visa in order to play. What is your soccer level? Are you a high school or university player, do you play for a club? Which club you approach depends on your level, of course. Call or show up at the club, and ask when there's an open tryout. They'll usually get all the kids to play a game, and if you stand out they might invite you back for a second tryout. But be warned that there's a lot of competition, lots of kids with good skills trying to make it. Usually open tryouts are very crowded, plus, even at the lower levels, some kids come recommended or with connections and will get preference. Also, if you're American they will be very skeptical, so you better bring it or you're wasting time. You should be aware that there's a lot of hacking in the lower divisions, as well as intimidation from the fans. Wages are laughable, and often unreliable, so you'd need an additional source of income. And culturally I think it would be tough for an American to deal with the life in lower division Argentine futbol. But hey, if you are adaptable and you want an adventure, give it a shot. At worst you still get a nice trip and an experience.
each team may have up to 6 lower divisions how old are you....and how competitive have you ever play at? I just learned of a friend that runs an academy, that was able to position 2 guys 16 and 15 yr old in argentina. Then is up to them for next 6 months halfNhalf......your coach is a good connection for all matters
Im 20, playing at college level , thing is its tough to get a look at when your only 5'5 but I feel as a hispanic (european looking) you would get much more appreciation for being good with the ball in south america, i know i'll never be a superstar but I would love to be able to at least be a pro player.My greatest strengths are dribbling and crossing and I am left footed, Im just asking realistically speaking, would any argentinian lower division team even bother with giving a foreigner a chance? Im very adaptable and dont want to regret later in my life not taking a shot at something that I have dreamed about since I was a kid. Thanks!
Size is not a problem in Argentina, look at Buonanotte or Moralez. Of course they have superior skill. Your age is a problem. I think most tryouts are usually for players between 9 and 17 years old, so right now they'd be looking for players born in 93 through 01. Even 17 is pushing it. Clubs like to get them young, to be able to teach them technique, skills and strategy. Realistically, unless you know somebody who has contacts, all you can do is google some clubs and call them, find out when they have tryouts, and if they are interested in looking at a 20 year old player, and if they are then plan a trip. If you had some success at the college level, won some awards, maybe you can use that to try to get their interest. Also if you belong to an ethnic community, you might be able to use that to target a specific club (Atlanta-Jewish, Deportivo Armenio- Armenian, Sportivo Italiano-Italian etc.) But at 20 years old I think it's really a very long shot.
Probably, but hey, I don't want to discourage you, I don't know how good you are. If you really want it I guess it's worth a shot. Here's the contact of a friend of mine who has a soccer academy in SoCal. His name is Walter Loyola, and he's played as a pro in Argentina and Brazil, and has coached youth soccer in Argentina, for River Plate. He has contacts with clubs, in fact he helped a cousin of mine who was a pro. He might be able to advice you, based on your skill level. A very nice guy too, if anybody can advice you it's probably him. Here's his website: http://walterloyola.com/