Ocegueda is a potential find at left back
By Brent Latham
ESPN Insider
A Mexican-American playing his soccer south of the border, Juan Pablo Ocegueda is used to adapting his name to the situation.
"Juan, Juan Pablo, JP, even Pacquiao, which they call me here," he says. But there's one thing Ocegueda's called that's more important to the U.S. national team than all those names combined: left back.
The U.S. has struggled for years to find the solution at that position. Interestingly, Mexican club teams are pretty good at developing them. Carlos Salcido has been a world-class left back for years, and Mexican national teams at any level are seldom lacking for talented left-sided defenders. Another Mexican-American, Miguel Ponce, is now starring for Chivas de Guadalajara at the spot. But since he appeared in the Copa America for El Tri, his future is tied to Mexico.
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Not so for Ocegueda, who has opted to play for the U.S. and joined the U-18 team for the Milk Cup over the summer. If he eventually becomes their left back solution, American fans will count their blessings that he didn't follow Ponce to Guadalajara, since Chivas won't allow players to suit up for any national team but Mexico.
"I started off playing club soccer in Southern California as a forward," Ocegueda said. "[Agent] Oliver Wyss organized a combine for the Chivas USA and Chivas de Guadalajara coaching staff and scouts. I played left back for the first time in the scrimmage, and the Chivas de Guadalajara coach liked how I played and decided to give me a tryout in Mexico. They were happy with my performance and I was supposed to go back in three or four months."
Before he could return to Guadalajara, though, Ocegueda's agent arranged another trial with Monterrey-based Tigres, a virtual utopia for Mexican-American players. The forward-turned-left back signed, and then made the decision to represent his nation of birth at the international level, a distinction he shares with no fewer than four Mexican-American teammates on Tigres' U-20 team.
"We are all really close, we share a lot of time off the field, we basically live together," Ocegueda said. "So I decided to play for the U.S. because they were the first to reach out to me, and I saw it as a great honor to represent my country. I would have loved to play for Mexico, too, especially having a Mexican background, but I am happy with my decision."
With the international choice behind him, Ocegueda now faces an under-20 cycle that could determine his place in the pecking order of the USMNT hierarchy. A lock at the position for Tigres' U-20 team, he faces some stiff competition with the Americans. In a pleasant variation on the general left back theme for American national teams, this is shaping up as a pretty deep cycle at the spot for the U-20s.
"A good left back, as many people say, is hard to find," Ocegueda said. "So getting to the full national team soon motivates me. The same goes for me at Tigres. I am hoping to be a regular on the first team soon. I see myself steps away from being there. I've had a taste of how the first team works. I went to preseason with them and played two friendlies with them. But I still have things to work on."
Despite his rapid progress, Ocegueda faces obstacles to reaching the first team at his club. Tigres recently completed the signing of Salcido from Fulham, and have a couple of other quality left backs ahead of the 18-year-old American. But with his development clearly on track, Ocegueda will find playing time somewhere if he can't break through in Monterrey.
For the U.S. national team, that's good news. As everyone around the program knows, there will never be too many promising American left backs.
NOTES
• As colleague Jeff Carlisle reported late last week, 21-year-old Mexican-American Joe Corona has elected, at least for now, to cast his lot with Mexico after being called up for a pair of friendlies for that country's Olympic team in training. Ironically, the decision could end up costing Corona a chance to play at the Olympics. The winger is among several replacements of the seven players suspended in July for their roles in a disciplinary scandal leading up to the Copa America. Though he's still eligible for either country, Corona, who would likely have figured in American Olympic plans, could now well find himself on the outside looking in of both Olympic squads when qualifying kicks off in the spring.
• Former U-20 fringe player Tristan Bowen has been loaned out to Belgian second-division club KSV Roeselare. Bowen will look to reignite a career that has stagnated over the last year after a move to Chivas USA.
By Brent Latham
ESPN Insider
A Mexican-American playing his soccer south of the border, Juan Pablo Ocegueda is used to adapting his name to the situation.
"Juan, Juan Pablo, JP, even Pacquiao, which they call me here," he says. But there's one thing Ocegueda's called that's more important to the U.S. national team than all those names combined: left back.
The U.S. has struggled for years to find the solution at that position. Interestingly, Mexican club teams are pretty good at developing them. Carlos Salcido has been a world-class left back for years, and Mexican national teams at any level are seldom lacking for talented left-sided defenders. Another Mexican-American, Miguel Ponce, is now starring for Chivas de Guadalajara at the spot. But since he appeared in the Copa America for El Tri, his future is tied to Mexico.
<OFFER>
Not so for Ocegueda, who has opted to play for the U.S. and joined the U-18 team for the Milk Cup over the summer. If he eventually becomes their left back solution, American fans will count their blessings that he didn't follow Ponce to Guadalajara, since Chivas won't allow players to suit up for any national team but Mexico.
"I started off playing club soccer in Southern California as a forward," Ocegueda said. "[Agent] Oliver Wyss organized a combine for the Chivas USA and Chivas de Guadalajara coaching staff and scouts. I played left back for the first time in the scrimmage, and the Chivas de Guadalajara coach liked how I played and decided to give me a tryout in Mexico. They were happy with my performance and I was supposed to go back in three or four months."
Before he could return to Guadalajara, though, Ocegueda's agent arranged another trial with Monterrey-based Tigres, a virtual utopia for Mexican-American players. The forward-turned-left back signed, and then made the decision to represent his nation of birth at the international level, a distinction he shares with no fewer than four Mexican-American teammates on Tigres' U-20 team.
"We are all really close, we share a lot of time off the field, we basically live together," Ocegueda said. "So I decided to play for the U.S. because they were the first to reach out to me, and I saw it as a great honor to represent my country. I would have loved to play for Mexico, too, especially having a Mexican background, but I am happy with my decision."
With the international choice behind him, Ocegueda now faces an under-20 cycle that could determine his place in the pecking order of the USMNT hierarchy. A lock at the position for Tigres' U-20 team, he faces some stiff competition with the Americans. In a pleasant variation on the general left back theme for American national teams, this is shaping up as a pretty deep cycle at the spot for the U-20s.
"A good left back, as many people say, is hard to find," Ocegueda said. "So getting to the full national team soon motivates me. The same goes for me at Tigres. I am hoping to be a regular on the first team soon. I see myself steps away from being there. I've had a taste of how the first team works. I went to preseason with them and played two friendlies with them. But I still have things to work on."
Despite his rapid progress, Ocegueda faces obstacles to reaching the first team at his club. Tigres recently completed the signing of Salcido from Fulham, and have a couple of other quality left backs ahead of the 18-year-old American. But with his development clearly on track, Ocegueda will find playing time somewhere if he can't break through in Monterrey.
For the U.S. national team, that's good news. As everyone around the program knows, there will never be too many promising American left backs.
NOTES
• As colleague Jeff Carlisle reported late last week, 21-year-old Mexican-American Joe Corona has elected, at least for now, to cast his lot with Mexico after being called up for a pair of friendlies for that country's Olympic team in training. Ironically, the decision could end up costing Corona a chance to play at the Olympics. The winger is among several replacements of the seven players suspended in July for their roles in a disciplinary scandal leading up to the Copa America. Though he's still eligible for either country, Corona, who would likely have figured in American Olympic plans, could now well find himself on the outside looking in of both Olympic squads when qualifying kicks off in the spring.
• Former U-20 fringe player Tristan Bowen has been loaned out to Belgian second-division club KSV Roeselare. Bowen will look to reignite a career that has stagnated over the last year after a move to Chivas USA.
