[Enforcer]

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]

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]

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]

Carlos Llamosa was discovered playing in ethnic leagues back in New York in the beginning of MLS.

[scarshins]

Umm...I think Llamosa was playing for the New York Freedom or Staten Island Viper or wahatever- A-League or USISL- NOT amateur

[Th4119]

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]

That Llamosa was playing in the ethnic leagues is something I've heard.

[nancyb]

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...&notFound=true