EDINBURG, Texas (March 4, 2022) – Rio Grande Valley FC extended an invite to select trialists onto the pre-season practice squad following the conclusion of the 2022 Tryouts.
The club held a two-day try out session for any prospective player who sought a chance to join the local professional club, RGV FC, who is a member of the USL Championship League. The try outs were held on February 18-19, with just over 40 registered participants.
The two-day event took place under the close direction of Scouting Director and Assistant Coach Gerson Echeverry and members of the RGV FC technical staff who helped provide input and direction to the prospects as they competed on the pitch and showcased their unique abilities.
At the conclusion of the weekend there were select standout players, one of which came from Mexico to seek a chance at the club. Edmundo Lorca Vetrano is a Mexican national who spoke with RGV FC Communications staff about his journey; “In my experience in Mexico, I had to go through a lot of academy teams. My first academy team was with Club America, then I went on to CF Cruz Azul; all in the academy. I got into Alebrijes de Oaxaca first team, which was the last club team I was at. The difference between this league [the USL] and the Liga Expansion MX would be that you guys are so dynamic.”
Lorca Vetrano touched on the impressive attention to detail from the training staff in attendance at the try outs; “I think they were very real. They were very honest, and they were one hundred percent real, they said that you had to stand out if you want a chance to be with the team. That is what I would mention about them, they are one hundred percent honest and very polite to everybody.”
As the competition in preseason heats up within the active squad, there is more to look at when evaluating the selected players. Scouting Director and Assistant Coach Gerson Echeverry spoke on the qualities that Edmundo possesses. “Edmundo is a technically sound player whose rhythm is improving, and his speed of play is catching up to the rest of the guys”.
It is common to see players travel from all parts of the map to seek a chance, as was true with late arrival Christopher Tambasco who arrived at RGV just recently in late February with hopes of earning a shot at the professional ranks. Tambasco learned of RGV FC from his former coach, who encouraged the 20- year- old midfielder to take his shot. The Pennsylvania native has seen plenty of hard competition with the Toros as the preseason nears its end. As with any trial player he has been closely evaluated by the technical staff.
“Christopher is a left-footed technical player that dribbles well and likes to attack the goal line”, said Gerson Echeverry.
The trial aspect for any club is crucial as it allows for potential hidden talents to shine and be offered an opportunity to prove themselves on the field as the preparation stages occur for the club in the upcoming season. RGV FC has had some standout names emerge from the trial sessions in years past. Former Toros forward Aldo Quintanilla joined the club as a trialist at the Houston Dynamo try outs held at H-E-B Park in 2018 and quickly became a key attacking piece for RGV FC in 2018. Quintanilla went on to score 22 goals in his RGV career, adding on two goals in the US Open Cup as a loan piece for Dynamo on June 6, 2018 which highlighted his explosiveness and talent as a player at multiple levels.
Sporting Director and Head coach Wilmer Cabrera also gave his input on the tryout aspect for the club and the pre-season importance; “The tryout players have been working with the team well and while the pre-season is coming to an end, we are still working to make sure the team has a good start of the season and a good fitness base to support what we believe is going to be a very tough and competitive 2022 USL Championship season”
RGV FC is set to open up the 2022 USL Championship at home on March 12. They will face West Coast opponent Oakland Roots at 7:30pm at H-E-B Park, the matchup is sponsored by Reliant Energy.
About Rio Grande Valley FC
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (RGV FC) enter their seventh season in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship in 2022. The club plays at H-E-B Park, a state-of-the-art soccer specific stadium that holds 9,700 people, the club trains in H-E-B Park’s world class training facility adjacent to the stadium. RGV FC is the only professional soccer team located within the Rio Grande Valley. In 2016, RGV FC became USL’s first team to develop a hybrid affiliation model with a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. This partnership, with Houston Dynamo FC, began in 2016. The relationship has now evolved into a more traditional USL/MLS affiliation where RGV FC manages all aspects of the club and the Dynamo are able to loan players to the Toros for development purposes. For more information, please visit www.RGVFC.com.
