When Joao Plata showed up at the 2011 Players Combine in South Florida he very quickly became one of most talked-about newcomers in Major League Soccer.
In the beginning he was a complete mystery to those who had spent the fall scouting the college soccer scene. A native of Ecuador who didn’t speak a word of English, he was nothing like the well-to-do NCAA blue-chippers trying hard to impress MLS scouts and earn a roster spot via the Super Draft a week later.
Three years later, Plata is an MLS mystery no more. Despite standing at just over five feet tall – he’s actually 5-foot-2, the shortest player in league history – Plata has emerged as one of the league’s most dynamic young strikers and a valuable presence for Real Salt Lake, who on are the verge of another playoff berth with Plata helping carry the load.
The latest episode of the Emmy-nominated MLS Insider Series takes a look at Plata’s humble roots in Ecuador and his early struggles in MLS, as well as how he’s adapted to the league and adopted a new family among his RSL teammates.
For more on Plata, check out his selection on MLSsoccer.com’s recent 24 Under 24 series, and read the latest on his success with the Ecuadorian national team. And don’t miss the entire MLS Insider series, including the MLS arrival of Jermaine Jones, a look at the importance of statistics in soccer and the story of New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips.
