[ad_1]
Seattle Sounders Academy product Antonio Herrera made waves back in January when he was loaned to one of the biggest clubs in North America.
Sounders MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Tacoma Defiance sent the midfielder Herrera, 19, on loan to the Chivas de Guadalajara U-23s. The Mexican giants have produced some of the best players in the region, including Mexico’s all-time leading scorer Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and former MLS MVP Carlos Vela.
On June 4, Herrera returned to Seattle with the Chivas U-23s for a friendly against USL League Two’s Ballard FC. Ballard won 3-0, but despite the result, Herrera was thrilled to be back in the city where it all began.
“I think it’s always great to be back at home and coming with the team, [Chivas], that I have always supported,” said Herrera. “I’m excited.”
Herrera was loaned through the end of 2024 with the option to purchase at any point. There’s a strike price at the end of his loan, so Chivas could acquire his playing rights, or he could return to the Sounders system. Either option is plausible.
“His dual citizenship opened some other doors for him in terms of experience and ability to experience a different culture,” Sounders Technical Director Henry Brauner said of Herrera. “The qualities and profile that Antonio possesses, they might be a good match for Liga MX, and it might be an area where he might actually thrive a little bit more, where he is currently as a player. And that gave us the opportunity to expose him to a different market, a different window, a different culture altogether that he wasn’t necessarily able to achieve if he was here domestically in the U.S.”
Chivas historically has only played Mexican players. It’s been a hallmark of the club. Recently, though, Chivas has begun to bring in dual citizens, like Herrera, to become more global. Earlier this year, Chivas signed Mexican-American, but U.S. international, Cade Cowell from the San Jose Earthquakes in a landmark transfer.
[ad_2]
