Except I have no link to prove it. Oh well. If you read this blog regularly, you already know all about Jose Francisco Torres and how he told me he turned down a chance to play for the United States in the Olympics this summer.
I decided to write a bit on him during my weekly Tuesday column for the Press-Enterprise. But the story isn't on the web.
Again, it's nothing new to you. But I know there are people who still like their soccer news in print form. Plus, the story may get some play outside of the sports pages. I didn't present the story in any sort of controversial manner - you'll have to take my word for it - but a story on an American playing in Mexico who turns down the chance to play in the Olympics for the US is bound to get some play in the mainstream media.
I'll probably write more on Torres for other outlets, not the same story for sure but some of the stuff I didn't get to as well as some of the more soccer-specific parts of the chat we had.
as soon as I read your quote from him the first time you posted it, I wrote him off as a potential USMNT player. It's pretty obvious El Tri is his first hope and he'll play for the USMNT if he isn't called up before he's 30.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how you turn down playing for a team that qualified hoping that a team that didn't quialify might call you in at some point later...assuming they don't choke again.
Good luck on his quest to be a member of El Tri, I look forward to relentlessly heckling him and his fellow countrymen when the USMNT plays against them.
Onwards and upwards.
I'm afraid his story and Castillo's as well as others but mainly Mexican Americans playing for Mexico over the US may become a political issue in this election year. McCain is likely not to go there but other more conservative pols just might.
ReplyDeleteAs for Torres, your audio interview of him reall revealed his preference. I think his answers were an attempt to be diplomatic and keep his options open. But with El Tri relying more and more on Euro based players for its full team play against. The question he needs to ask him is whether he would prefer never or rarely being called into the Mexican National Team or play for a team that might have a better chance regularly playing for.