At just 19 years old, defender Carlos Rodriguez is adjusting to life away from his home and family, a new language and a new club as one of this year’s new members of Sacramento Republic FC.
Earlier this year, defender Carlos Rodriguez joined the ranks of Republic FC after a successful trial period during the club’s preseason training camp in Sinaloa, Mexico. He initially caught the eye of Republic FC Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle when he and Republic FC Director of Football Graham Smith visited CESIFUT (Centro de Sinergia Futbolistica), a high-intensity performance center for youth players, during the 2015-2016 offseason.
At just 19 years old, defender Carlos Rodriguez is adjusting to life away from his home and family, a new language and a new club as one of this year’s new members of Sacramento Republic FC.
Earlier this year, defender Carlos Rodriguez joined the ranks of Republic FC after a successful trial period during the club’s preseason training camp in Sinaloa, Mexico. He initially caught the eye of Republic FC Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle when he and Republic FC Director of Football Graham Smith visited CESIFUT (Centro de Sinergia Futbolistica), a high-intensity performance center for youth players, during the 2015-2016 offseason.
“For me, as I’ve said before, the boy will go to the very top,” said Buckle. “I know you need a lot of different things to make it as a player but he’s got stature, he’s 6 foot plus, he’s quick, he’s very good on the ball and he’s a good defender.”
More than 1,500 miles away from home, Rodriguez has not only had to adjust to a more rigorous playing style but also to life in a new country. The 19-year-old defender hails from a small town called La Paz right outside of Torreon, a city in the state of Coahuila in northern Mexico that is home to Liga MX side Club Santos Laguna.
“Of course there’s a part of me that misses home, but I think that’s normal,” said Rodriguez. “Being away from home comes with the job. This is what I want and at the end of the day I’m doing what I love so it’s been great.”
The biggest challenge so far has been the language barrier. Rodriguez arrived with no English fluency and has been slowly been working to learn the language. Several of his Republic FC teammates who are fluent in Spanish have been helping him communicate. Instead of simply translating for Rodriguez, teammates like Joaquin Rivas, Augustin Cazarez and Alfonso Motagalvan teach Rodriguez how to say and ask for things himself.
“The language has definitely been the toughest aspect of the move,” said Rodriguez. “Trying to communicate or just trying to ask for something and not being able to can be really frustrating. But I’m doing my best to learn as quickly as possible so that I can communicate with all of my teammates.”
Rodriguez began his playing career when he was in primary school right outside of Coahuila, Mexico. It was there that Rodriguez was seen by visiting scouts from CESIFUT and invited to a tryout, which he successfully completed. He joined the CESIFUT Academy at 12-years-old and remained there until his move to Republic FC. Additionally, Rodriguez spent six months with Liga MX side CF Pachuca before heading back to CESIFUT for some more training with the academy.
CESIFUT is a high-intensity performance center focused on developing youth players into professional footballers. The academy can house more than 100 players on-site, and hopefuls are recruited through tryouts starting at 12-years-old.
Players admitted into CESIFUT live full-time at the academy, training two to three times a day, while also attending academic classes. The academy is free, giving players of all backgrounds who show talent, promise and dedication the opportunity to become professional footballers.
“I was so impressed with the setup at CESIFUT,” said Buckle. “From the coaches to the way we were treated was great. It’s a very, very good academy. I think there’s a good trust between CESIFUT and ourselves and hopefully it’s just the start of what we hope is a long relationship.”
The signing and the club’s good relationship with CESIFUT reflects Republic FC’s philosophy of not only bringing in top players but also developing younger players at the club itself. This process can be seen in the relatively young average age of the roster at 25 and the club’s commitment to creating an academy system that produces top players.
“Sometimes bringing in experienced players is short term. We do need a blend of both and that’s something that we’re trying to work towards with a few experienced players. But the majority of the roster is composed of a young team and Carlos comes into that category.”
“I’ve given him a lot of praise but the first thing he needs to do is develop his game,” continued Buckle. “And this is the first part of him developing, coming out of the academy, coming into men’s football. When he first came in, the speed of the play caught him out a little bit which was good to see because he’s obviously been used to getting time on the ball and our strikers and our players won’t give anyone any time so I’ve really seen a change in Carlos over the last couple of month since when he joined us in preseason in Mexico.”
While Rodriguez has yet to feature for the first team in USL play, he earned his first spot on the club’s 18-man match roster on Saturday for Republic FC’s match against Saint Louis FC. In his efforts to ensure Rodriguez’s development and transition to the club, Buckle is taking a patient approach before Rodriguez appears in the league play.
“He’s grown up, he’s coming out of himself and he’s very, very well-liked by his peers,” said Buckle. “This is an exciting time for him and the right thing for him. CESIFUT realized that he’s outgrown the academy phase and now he’s in men’s football and he’s just got to keep learning his trade on the training field and he’ll get his chance.”
“For me, as I’ve said before, the boy will go to the very top,” said Buckle. “I know you need a lot of different things to make it as a player but he’s got stature, he’s 6 foot plus, he’s quick, he’s very good on the ball and he’s a good defender.”
More than 1,500 miles away from home, Rodriguez has not only had to adjust to a more rigorous playing style but also to life in a new country. The 19-year-old defender hails from a small town called La Paz right outside of Torreon, a city in the state of Coahuila in northern Mexico that is home to Liga MX side Club Santos Laguna.
“Of course there’s a part of me that misses home, but I think that’s normal,” said Rodriguez. “Being away from home comes with the job. This is what I want and at the end of the day I’m doing what I love so it’s been great.”
The biggest challenge so far has been the language barrier. Rodriguez arrived with no English fluency and has been slowly been working to learn the language. Several of his Republic FC teammates who are fluent in Spanish have been helping him communicate. Instead of simply translating for Rodriguez, teammates like Joaquin Rivas, Augustin Cazarez and Alfonso Motagalvan teach Rodriguez how to say and ask for things himself.
“The language has definitely been the toughest aspect of the move,” said Rodriguez. “Trying to communicate or just trying to ask for something and not being able to can be really frustrating. But I’m doing my best to learn as quickly as possible so that I can communicate with all of my teammates.”
Rodriguez began his playing career when he was in primary school right outside of Coahuila, Mexico. It was there that Rodriguez was seen by visiting scouts from CESIFUT and invited to a tryout, which he successfully completed. He joined the CESIFUT Academy at 12-years-old and remained there until his move to Republic FC. Additionally, Rodriguez spent six months with Liga MX side CF Pachuca before heading back to CESIFUT for some more training with the academy.
CESIFUT is a high-intensity performance center focused on developing youth players into professional footballers. The academy can house more than 100 players on-site, and hopefuls are recruited through tryouts starting at 12-years-old.
Players admitted into CESIFUT live full-time at the academy, training two to three times a day, while also attending academic classes. The academy is free, giving players of all backgrounds who show talent, promise and dedication the opportunity to become professional footballers.
“I was so impressed with the setup at CESIFUT,” said Buckle. “From the coaches to the way we were treated was great. It’s a very, very good academy. I think there’s a good trust between CESIFUT and ourselves and hopefully it’s just the start of what we hope is a long relationship.”
The signing and the club’s good relationship with CESIFUT reflects Republic FC’s philosophy of not only bringing in top players but also developing younger players at the club itself. This process can be seen in the relatively young average age of the roster at 25 and the club’s commitment to creating an academy system that produces top players.
“Sometimes bringing in experienced players is short term. We do need a blend of both and that’s something that we’re trying to work towards with a few experienced players. But the majority of the roster is composed of a young team and Carlos comes into that category.”
“I’ve given him a lot of praise but the first thing he needs to do is develop his game,” continued Buckle. “And this is the first part of him developing, coming out of the academy, coming into men’s football. When he first came in, the speed of the play caught him out a little bit which was good to see because he’s obviously been used to getting time on the ball and our strikers and our players won’t give anyone any time so I’ve really seen a change in Carlos over the last couple of month since when he joined us in preseason in Mexico.”
While Rodriguez has yet to feature for the first team in USL play, he earned his first spot on the club’s 18-man match roster on Saturday for Republic FC’s match against Saint Louis FC. In his efforts to ensure Rodriguez’s development and transition to the club, Buckle is taking a patient approach before Rodriguez appears in the league play.
“He’s grown up, he’s coming out of himself and he’s very, very well-liked by his peers,” said Buckle. “This is an exciting time for him and the right thing for him. CESIFUT realized that he’s outgrown the academy phase and now he’s in men’s football and he’s just got to keep learning his trade on the training field and he’ll get his chance.”
