NEW YORK
As the spotlight shined upstairs to herald the dawn of a new era and the television cameras waited for him a few feet away, Erick Torres found a quiet place away from the commotion, smiled wide and talked about the journey that took him to this unexpected point.
No one – not even Torres himself – would have expected MLS to feature him so prominently as it revealed its new brand or play such an integral role in his ascent back toward stardom. It made sense. If everything followed according to plan, then this excursion to America never would have occurred.
Torres, 21, burst onto the scene with Chivas Guadalajara as a teenager and drew comparisons to Javier Hernández with his penalty area instincts, but his stock fell after the goals dried up and the club moved onto the next shiny bauble. He eventually found himself dispatched on loan to Chivas USA last summer to obtain first team action and rediscover the predatory instincts that made him one of Mexico’s top prospects.
The change of scenery removed him from the glare of succeeding at one of Mexico’s two largest clubs and shunted him into a position to perform on a considerably smaller stage. He landed in Los Angeles last summer with little knowledge of the language or his teammates. He connected by relying on what he knew and starting to score goals again.
Everything came pouring back to him in his new setting. His clever movement placed him in good areas and his increasing sharpness permitted him to take advantage of those openings. He struck seven times in 15 games in a poor side last season. He somehow increased that haul to 14 goals in 25 appearances this year and landed a place on the MLS All-Star team. His fortunes transformed in kind. He is no longer an outcast. He is a man in demand.
“I appreciate the opportunity that has been given to me by Major League Soccer and with Chivas USA,” Torres told Inside MLS through a translator. “Coming here, being consistent and doing well has also given me the chance to play for the Mexican national team.”
Torres’ renaissance rather unexpectedly captured the attention of Mexico boss Miguel Herrera after the World Cup concluded. Herrera spoke glowingly about Torres’ work in MLS and reinforced the words by including him in the squad to face Chile and Bolivia earlier this month.
The combination of circumstance (regular options Hernández, Raúl Jiménez and Alan Pulido were all ruled out for one reason or another) and form (goals provide a calling card particularly difficult to ignore) handed Torres the opportunity to make his full debut in the victory over Bolivia in Commerce City, Colo.
“It’s a very important step in my career that will take me to the next level,” Torres said. “I’m working hard. I hope that things continue to go well for me to make sure there are many more callups to the national team.”
"He did phenomenally, he held the ball, had a pair of important plays and left me satisfied," Mexico coach Miguel Herrera said after Cubo Torres' debut against Bolivia earlier this month.
The first steps have gone well enough to provide him a short-term future with El Tri at least. Herrera praised Torres’ performance against the overmatched Bolivians and reaffirmed his interest by selecting him in the foreign-based contingent for the upcoming friendlies against Honduras (Oct. 9 in Chiapas, Mexico) and Panama (Oct. 12 in Queretaro, Mexico).
Torres’ continued inclusion in the Mexico setup complicates the already perplexing decision ahead at the end of the season. He is currently on loan to Chivas USA from Chivas Guadalajara as the last remaining asset in an experiment gone horribly wrong. Chivas USA – really, MLS at this point – holds an option to purchase his contract at the end of the season, but the Red-and-White face an uncertain future with outside investors likely to purchase the club from MLS shortly and weigh the option of placing it on sabbatical next season.
The transformation ahead places Torres in a difficult spot. All of the connections that drew Torres to MLS dissipated over the course of this year. Torres must now contemplate his options in light of his increased standing across the board, his quest to stay in the national team picture, his strong links to Guadalajara and his success to date. MLS will want to keep him in the league somehow. Chivas Guadalajara would almost certainly welcome him back. Other clubs in Mexico and Europe would likely show interest in his services, too.
It is a decision Torres cannot and will not take lightly. The stakes are high. The right choice will keep him on track and strengthen his options for the future. The wrong move now might send him sliding back toward the purgatory he escaped just over a year ago
“I have to wait and see,” Torres said. “I have to finish the season first and foremost. Then I have to sit down with the Chivas Guadalajara representatives, the Major League Soccer representatives and my family. Together, we’ll make the right decision for what is to come.”
There is still time left to chart a course for next season, but the impact of his move to MLS is well and truly entrenched by this point. He arrived as a prospect short on confidence and first-team action. He ends this campaign as an established predator with admirers in two countries and a spot in his national team.
“I’m not the same player I used to be, the young player, the rookie, Torres said. “I think MLS has helped me to mature and grow as a player. I think it has made me a more valuable player, a more important player, a player capable of taking a bigger role. Whether that means I’ll stay here or go back to the Mexican league, we’ll wait and see.”
The story ends with this uncertainty for now as Torres ducks away and tends to more duties elsewhere. The anticipation and the debate about what comes next still surges through the building as he continues his day. It will continue until the new year arrives and the resolution for both the league and one of its emerging stars finally appears over the horizon.
