From TV to M.L.S., One Mexican Teen’s Soccer Dream

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From TV to M.L.S., One Mexican Teen’s Soccer Dream

To describe how Jorge Flores ended up here — an unknown teenager traveling to South America and Europe to play for his country after emerging quite literally from a cast of thousands to win a tryout with Chivas USA — a word is worth a thousand pictures.

Sueño.

It is the Spanish term for dream. It is also the key word in the title of the “American Idol”-like tryout he won on Spanish-language television, “Sueño MLS.” Mostly, though, it is an apt description of the head-spinning path his life has taken in the last year.

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Flores makes the grade despite unusual background

Jorge Flores might be the only reality-show winner in the world to claim that avenue as a path to a professional soccer career. Though it went under the radar of many because the program was a Spanish language production, "Sueno MLS" was a show that tested out around 2,000 hopefuls in rounds of trials before declaring Flores the winner in 2007, the inaugural year of the competition. They awarded him a youth contract and later upgraded that to a roster spot on the MLS team that hosted the event, Chivas USA.

To a certain extent, Flores' route wasn't too unusual. Teams all over the world hold open tryouts to recruit players.

"My case was actually similar," said Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez. "I went to try my luck with a team and that's what Jorge did.

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