It’s easy to forget that Omar Salgado is still just 21 years old even after all the trials and tribulations he has endured in his still fledgling pro soccer career.
Thrust into the limelight both in Mexico and the United States after a slightly bitter split from Chivas and snapped up by Vancouver Whitecaps FC as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, it’s already been a long journey.
But after four years and only 12 total starts at Whitecaps FC, Salgado is returning to Mexico with Liga MX runners-up Tigres ahead of the Clausura season, seeking to breathe life into a career that has stalled of late.
“I felt like I needed a new start," Salgado told MLSSoccer.com via phone on Tuesday. "Things with Vancouver didn’t work out the right way and a move was the best thing for me. I’m glad that it’s to a big club like Tigres.”
The deal was struck after Salgado went to train with the squad for two weeks in Monterrey in October. The 6-foot-4 striker impressed coach Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti and encouraged by his fellow Americans at Tigres -- Richard Sanchez (ex-FC Dallas), Jose “Gringo” Torres and US World Cup veteran Herculez Gomez (who has since moved on to Puebla) -- he was happy to put pen to paper and head back down south permanently.
“I feel like Tigres have great players around you that will help you succeed,” he said. “The players [in Mexico] are some of the best in Latin America and it can really help you to score some goals, for sure. “
Salgado is hoping things work out better for him at Tigres than they did in Vancouver, where he was plagued by injury complaints and appeared in just 29 total matches for the Canadian club.
“My injuries, changes of coaches, not getting along with the recent coaching staff; it was really difficult,” Salgado said about his time in Vancouver. “It was just a bad experience overall.”
Aided by his experience of playing in Mexico with Chivas, the dual US and Mexico citizen from El Paso, Texas has his feet on the ground when it comes to his role in the upcoming Liga MX season which begins on January 9.
“I think it is more of a long-term project,” Salgado said. “I was told it was going to be more of slowly getting into the team and from thereon playing some more.”
The next six months are vitally important for Tigres with the Copa Libertadores coming up. With Ferretti having a history of using the full depth of his squad in international competition, it could result in an opportunity for Salgado to break through with a spot in the 2016 US Olympics squad in his sights.
“It’s one of my ultimate goals," Salgado said. "To play for the national team at hopefully the World Cup and at the Olympics in 2016.”
Tom Marshall covers Americans based in Mexico for MLSsoccer.com.
