The Houston Dynamo have reached a player-exchange agreement with the Foundation for Educating Salvadorians (FESA), the Dynamo announced earlier this week.
Dynamo Director of Youth Development James Clarkson recently returned from a three-day trip to El Salvador, where he met with officials from FESA's Soccer High Yield Center. FESA is a private organization designed to provide education for athletic youths who play either soccer or baseball.
Clarkson visited the residential soccer training campus outside of San Salvador and watched most of the players in action. The Dynamo Academy and FESA agreed to play competitive games later this year, meeting in Houston in July and in El Salvador in August.
"Trips like this take our players out of their comfort zone, and we'll be playing against a good standard of soccer," Clarkson said. "The international travel and playing experience will really help accelerate their development."
The teams also expect to exchange players, with FESA players coming to Houston as exchange students and training with the Dynamo Academy, and Dynamo youngsters of Salvadorian background spending time training with FESA.
Finally, the Dynamo and FESA anticipate hosting a tournament in Houston in 2009 for players of Salvadorian heritage from all over the United States.
FESA also has player development agreements with Argentine team Club Quilmes and Spanish power Sevilla FC.
