Three years after he was taken as the surprise first overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, Omar Salgado has been loaned to a USL PRO team to finally find his footing.
The Vancouver Whitecaps made that announcement on Friday, sending the 20-year-old winger to their USL PRO affiliate Charleston Battery after Salgado appeared in just seven matches over the past two seasons.
Salgado was drafted by Vancouver with the first overall pick in 2011 and appeared in 14 regular-season games during his rookie season before suffering a fractured foot that has pushed him out of the Whitecaps’ rotation.
“Omar is a young player with a lot of potential and this loan is a natural step following two seasons with limited playing time,” Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson said. “Our partnership with the Battery provides the opportunity for Omar to earn first-team minutes, with a number of his peers, during this stretch of our MLS season.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound striker is the sixth Whitecaps player on loan at Charleston, who open the USL PRO season on Saturday against defending champions Orlando City SC.
