The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced that 17-year-old striker Omar Salgado is available for immediate selection after his International Transfer Certificate was approved by FIFA.
The top pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft was expected to be out until perhaps his 18th birthday in September due to FIFA’s restrictions on youth players playing outside their home countries.
The Texas native is currently participating in the U.S. U-20 National Team camp ahead of its qualifying tournament for the 2011 U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
"I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to my club on the field and I will continue working hard, so that I am ready when the day comes,” Salgado told the club’s official website.
The move was also approved by the United States and Canadian soccer federations.
“Omar is a great talent and will be an important player to the club,” Vancouver head coach Teitur Thordarson said. “To have the news that he will be able to play from this point on is great for us, as Omar has already showed us that he can play on this level. I’m delighted for him and the club.”
What do you think of this development? How big an impact with Salgado have in his rookie season? Excited to see what the teenager can do?
Share your thoughts below.
Makes sense. Canada and the US are friends with benefits.
This is fantastic!! With the immenant emergences of Agudelo and Salgado (I don’t care how old they are!), perhaps this will light a fire under Altidores arse that, just maybe, he’s not guaranteed a spot for WC 2014!
It is a country in name only. Wales is a country in the same way that Bohemia or Catalonia are countries. There are absolutely no legal distinctions between citizens of Wales and of England. The Welsh National Assembly has far less power than possessed by the legislatures of American states. Just because an English bloke thinks England is a country does not alter international law to make it so.
What about a 17 year old from Australia playing in New Zealand or vice versa would they have to get the same waiver. New Zealand/Australia have the same set up as MLS that top league is combined sort of.
lol
Good job FIFA. Wow, I just said it!
Good job FIFA. Wow, I just said it!
Chivas guadalajara makes good players,lets hope this kid is as good as the other 17 year old chivas has right now Erick Torres.That torres kid has scored 5 goals in 8 games in his debut season, and Chivas claim he’s the reason salgado left the squad. lets see what Salgado is made of.
wasn’t Salgado starting in the pre-season? He will definitely be valuable to the team.
For once FIFA got something right. Congrats to OMAR
It’s not?
Sorry dude but you are the one who is wrong and Quebec is entirely different than Wales.
Because Wales has about 27 citizens.
Wales does have its own league. Its just really small and not successful, compared to England & Scotland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Wales
I have never understood how that works. Scotland has its own league, and national team, but aren’t they also part of the U.K.? And if Wales and Scotland are both part of the U.K. why does Scotland have its own league and not Wales? Always made me wonder.
Omar’s grandfather was from Spain allowing him access to a Spanish passport. He said he admired La Liga and eventually would like to play in Spain not for Spain. The kid is fully committed to VWFC. There’s no need to worry but like any footballer he aspires to be in Europe eventually.
Shane is right. Wales (and England, Scotland, N. Ireland) are a country within a country.. much like Inception
With Hassili not 90 min fit, Salgado should get plenty of PT.
Very true, but New Zealand is Australia’s Canada.
Also, UK is one state, the rest are nations. They are two very different things and they may one day go independent like the nations in Northern and Southern Sudan being separated by popular referendum, but currently they are different nations living in one state.
Nation- people, culture
Country- land
State- Sovereignty, government
Any chance the people at FIFA just thought that Canada was an American state?
excuse me I meant “confederation” not federation.
But Monaco doesn’t have its own federation:
“Though based in Monaco, the club is regarded as a French club, as the club plays in the French football league system, and because the principality of Monaco is not a member of UEFA.”
You also have the A League. New Zealand has a club in predominantly Australian League. Those countries are not even in the same federation anymore.
I know that they are member states, but the term that was being used was country. Sorry we can break it down further, but the point of this argument was regards to Cardiff and Swansea competing in the EPL and players being eligible to play in a different country/nation/member state or what ever you want to call it right now.
Quebec was a great example of why your definition is incorrect.. BTW
One League with two states participating in the EU would be the French league I believe. Monaco plays in the league and they are microstate.
You must be thinking of someone else. It was between the US and Mexico. Where did you get Spain?
Wow. People. I mean, wow. Are we will debating whether Wales is a country? It is a country. Full stop.
Quebec is not a nation.
Maybe in a few delusional minds it is, but it is a province in the nation of Canada.
The restrictions only apply to underage kids playing in a country which they do not hold citizenship to. He had a Mexican passport through his parents.
Technically, you’re actually wrong. You’re using the colloquial definition of country.
Technically, there aren’t any “countries” in the UN, because the term has no meaning in political science.
The UN refers to its members as “Member States” for a reason. State is the term for a political entity with borders that has sovereignty in the international context.
Wales is a nation, and might also be called a country, but it is not a State. Look up the definition of “nation”. From wikipedia, for instance: “Contemporary definitions of the word Nation often focus on the idea of a country or sovereign state. Nevertheless, the terms has historically referred to a community of people who share a common history, language, culture, ancestry and/or territory”
Wales is a nation, Palestine is a nation, Quebec is a nation, Guadaloupe is a nation. None of these issue passports or have the other markings of states.
This is why Scotland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland are called “the home nations” in the UK.
What? I’m interested in where you have heard this because I have only read that, if anywhere outside the US, he might be eligible to play for Mexico. But Spain? I dont think so.
Yes because Wales and England are part of the UK. The UK is part of the EU. Players with EU passports are granted free movement across EU countries starting at 16.
@Shane
http://www.un.org/en/members/
They are a country in what sense? They don’t have Welsh passports, or a member state with the UN. The only country listed is UK and Northern Ireland. I have been to Wales and love the Welsh people, but technically it isn’t a different country in terms of work etc..
Not sure how committed this guy is to Vancouver, I read where he stated that he was trying to get his Spanish passport so he could play in Spain. He went on to say that he’s always felt he was Spanish and would not rule out playing for their NT.
i think the ‘home’ countries are allowed to move players freely. could be wrong though.
No, he’d be free. They’re all UK citizens. In fact, any EU citizen can play for any EU teams’ club pre-18 because of EU free trade laws.
Theoretically MLS could do the same thing, but because of NAFTA they’d have to count Mexicans as equal to Americans and Canadians. So they prefer the alternative, which requires that workaround.
He would be free to play because both Wales and England are part of the United Kingdom, even though they have separate FA’s it is still considered one country for those purposes.
Sorry Drexel you are wrong. Wales is a country, as is Scotland, England, and North Ireland. Try telling an English bloke that England is not a country. The UK is a sovereign state.
Sweet! I can’t wait to add him to my MFLS roster!
FIFA actually used common sense and made the right decision!! Good luck to the kid! But wasnt he already playing in Mexico? Did FIFA make this decision twice?
Have to agree with Gaucho above — I can’t reply there because of software problems.
There are no reasons to apply that rule for transfers within US and Canada for MLS prospects. It would needlessly disadvantage the Canadian teams, as it’s only likely to come up for USA players drafted by teams up north.
Smart gamble by the ‘Caps. With all the hyping they’re doing, I have to admit I’m really interested in seeing the kid play.
just wondering if a 17 year old Englishman could play for Cardiff. Would he need a similar approval, or just be free to play.
Wales is not a country. My wife is from there, they are a part of the UK. They do have their own FIFA credentials, so it is a bit confusing.
Great news for Whitecaps FC, this really helps the forward depth on the team.
More importantly with Hassli and Harris playing well and developing good chemistry together, this allows Salgado to properly develop and have less pressure on his 17 year shoulders. The good news is we don’t have to wait and only watch him practice all season, never getting game time, not being in true game fit condition. Now, Omar can be even more excited for his US U-20 camp and friendly this weekend, play well, and he knows he will play in MLS come April. Much less pressure than waiting for a debut on his birthday against the NYRB in September @NY. Looking forward to see the 17 year old progress throughout the season coming off in relief. He played very well in the preseason at the Cascadia Summit vs. Sounders FC at Starfire. Enjoy your Early and surprise Birthday present Omar!
Cardiff City is in Wales so the EPL/Championship covers 2. I get your point though.
I hope this becomes a routine waiver by FIFA. MLS is one of the few, if not the only, top division professional league that covers two countries. The risks of exploitation of young players that was the rationale for the rule simply doesn’t make much sense here. Omar is not coming from a poor country and getting stuck at the end of the bench on a reserve team in Europe–he’s playing for a league that includes the country of his citizenship.
Great news – for Vancouver, MLS and hopefully the USMNT!
This is good news. I’d like to see what this kid can do sooner than later.
This is great, I think Omar is going to make a solid impact this year up in Vancouver.
Good Deal