View Full Version : Has United ever recruited in the local ethnic leagues?
Enforcer
28 Jul 2002, 10:51 AM
There may be some hidden young talent in these leagues that don't participate on traditional US Youth Soccer or college teams. Is there a local Q2 lurking under our noses?
Cweedchop
28 Jul 2002, 11:01 AM
Yes....
Segio Salas and Jose Alegria were products of the local Hispanic leagues..
Take that for what you will..
Not much of a windfall in my opinion..
scarshins
28 Jul 2002, 01:36 PM
Actually Sergio Salas is a product of McLean High School...and I don't know about Alegria, he's from S. America-
There's a reason the pros are pros and the amateurs are amateurs. The concept of someone being discovered playing amateur who is going to help an MLS team is generally misguided, although I think Petter Villegas was playing amateur in New Jersey before he was signed by the Metrostars, but that was about 4 years ago.
Th4119
28 Jul 2002, 01:41 PM
Carlos Llamosa was discovered playing in ethnic leagues back in New York in the beginning of MLS.
scarshins
28 Jul 2002, 01:51 PM
Umm...I think Llamosa was playing for the New York Freedom or Staten Island Viper or wahatever- A-League or USISL- NOT amateur
Th4119
28 Jul 2002, 02:04 PM
Originally posted by scarshins
Umm...I think Llamosa was playing for the New York Freedom or Staten Island Viper or wahatever- A-League or USISL- NOT amateur
I could be wrong about that one then. I just thought I read somewhere awhile ago that he was found in "New York's ethnic leagues". Oh well, sorry.
nancyb
28 Jul 2002, 02:32 PM
That Llamosa was playing in the ethnic leagues is something I've heard.
nancyb
28 Jul 2002, 02:35 PM
Originally posted by scarshins
Actually Sergio Salas is a product of McLean High School...and I don't know about Alegria, he's from S. America-
There's a reason the pros are pros and the amateurs are amateurs. The concept of someone being discovered playing amateur who is going to help an MLS team is generally misguided, although I think Petter Villegas was playing amateur in New Jersey before he was signed by the Metrostars, but that was about 4 years ago.
I'm pretty sure Alegria is also a product of Fairfax county schools, but he may have been playing in the ethnic leagues instead of for his school. He was living here with his uncle, went home for a visit and got into visa problems because he'd overstayed. It took him somthing like 18 months to get back from what was supposed to be a 2 week visit with his mom. He played in clubs while he was whiling away his time.
Edited by Me: I was close on his background. Here's a Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A17902-2002Apr19¬Found=true