Former Orlando City midfielder Yordany Álvarez hopes young Cuban soccer players face easier path

  



Former Orlando City midfielder Yordany Álvarez hopes young Cuban soccer players face easier path
   

Yordany Álvarez can laugh now about the nervous moments nearly seven years ago, but the fear was very real when he pushed open a hotel door in 2008 and made his break to freedom.

The midfielder was just 21 when he was playing for Cuba's Olympic team during a qualifying tournament in 2008. He had his whole future ahead of him. In order to capitalize on the true potential of that future, Álvarez made the decision to defect. It was not easy, he said, because it meant leaving his family behind with the possibility of never seeing them again.

"In my case, I was 21 years old, and in Cuba, when I was 16 or 17, I was on the Cuban national team. So from there to 21, I couldn't go any further [in my career] because there's not another level to achieve," Álvarez said in his native Spanish. "To be more clear, I had reached my ceiling. And I had to make an important decision: stay in Cuba and continue to play soccer at that level, or try to do something else. That was my decision. I tried to give thanks to God for everything he had given me, and tried, tried not to be afraid."

It's a choice Álvarez hopes future Cuban soccer players may not have to make.

In the wake of President Barack Obama's decision to move toward normalizing relations with Cuba, there is hope that major changes are coming. Álvarez said he believes the lifting of sanctions is the right move, though he concedes that some Cubans are against the step.

"There are many Cubans who are in favor of this decision, like me, but there are Cubans that don't accept what Obama has [proposed,] because what they want is [for] the Castro government [to] end its power in Cuba," Álvarez said. "But in my case, my true opinion, 50 years have passed and it has not ended. Even this little loosening [of sanctions] is welcome for the country, and especially for the athletes like me, the Cuban athletes."

For many of those athletes, the dream of pursuing their professional careers outside of Cuba has meant defecting, often at great risk. The rewards, though, are too great to pass up.

After Álvarez defected in 2008, he traveled across the country for a trial with the Los Angeles Galaxy before going to an open tryout in Austin, Texas, where he was discovered by future Orlando City coach Adrian Heath. He played two years in Austin before coming with the team to Orlando, and he won USL-PRO most valuable player honors in 2011 when the Lions' won their first title.

Álvarez then signed with Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake and played two-plus seasons there. He signed again with Orlando City last season, but he was forced to retire due to medical issues. After wrapping up his playing career, he is now working as a coach with Orlando City's youth academy.

While he found much success in the United States, Álvarez has not seen his family back in Cuba for seven years.

"But it was my decision, and I wouldn't change it for anything," he said.

If the sanctions are lifted and the relationship is normalized, it would "open a big door," for Cubans, Álvarez said. Should that door open, Álvarez said he would like to be involved in helping Cubans adjust to the United States when they make the move.

Ultimately, he said, it would be good for Cuba because it would help to grow the sport back home.

"For me it's an important step," Álvarez said. "Because talking about the soccer players in Cuba, there's a lot of talent to be developed."

Zelalem likely to play for U.S. national team

One of the brightest young prospects to come out of the U.S. in recent years now appears destined to play for the Stars and Stripes.

Gedion Zelalem, 17, a German-born midfielder who plays for Arsenal, received his U.S. citizenship this week and has started the process to play for the U.S. program. Zelalem was eligible to receive a U.S. passport through the Child Citizenship Act, which allows children of naturalized parents to become citizens.

Zelalem is also eligible to play for Germany or Ethiopia, his family's homeland.

Zelalem moved to the U.S. when he was 9 years old and stayed in the country until he was 16, when he moved to London to play for Arsenal. According to the Washington Post, Zelalem has felt most comfortable with his American ties, and he remains in touch with friends he played and went to school with while growing up in the Maryland suburbs.

Zelalem played soccer for a club team in Maryland and was discovered there by Danny Karbissiyoon, a former Arsenal prospect and current scout. He also played one year of high school soccer before leaving to join Arsenal.

Zelalem's decision could be a big one for the future of the U.S. program. The lanky midfielder has been heralded as a top young prospect in Arsenal's system and, while he has played mostly for the youth team, has made appearances with the senior team in friendlies, FA Cup games and a UEFA Champions League game. He has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League.

"Great news about Gedion," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann tweeted on Tuesday. "He's a very promising young talent and we hope to have him on board soon."

UCF's Williams set to sign with Major League Soccer

UCF junior forward Romario Williams has reportedly agreed to a Generation Adidas deal with Major League Soccer and will leave school early for the SuperDraft.

Williams, a 5-foot-11 forward from Portmore, Jamaica, scored seven goals with three assists this season for the Knights and was a unanimous first-team all-American Athletic Conference selection. The 2013 American offensive player of the year scored 18 goals and five assists in three seasons with UCF.

Williams, who has represented Jamaica on the youth national team levels, has agreed to become the league's first Generation Adidas signing, according to Soccer by Ives. A UCF spokesman said Tuesday that Williams has not officially signed the deal, but is in the process of finalizing a contract.

Orlando City has three picks over the two-round SuperDraft on Jan. 15, including the No. 1 overall selection.

Róchez named to Honduras under-20 squad

Lions' forward Bryan Róchez, the club's young designated player, has been named to the Honduras under-20 national team for the CONCACAF under-20 championship.

The forward will lead the Catrachos in Group B of the tournament that begins on Jan. 9 in Jamaica. Honduras is in a group with Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba and El Salvador.

Orlando City defender Tyler Turner is part of the U.S. under-20 team taking part in a training camp ahead of the championship, while Tommy Redding was named to a 35-man provisional roster.