ASN: Joshua Perez, 18, Wanting to Impress at ACF Fiorentina

ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the proficient teen—and his well-known uncle, Hugo—about his choice to play in Italy and the way his sport ought to develop in a soccer tradition that produces so many nice defenders.

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
February 25, 2016
12:25 PM

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FOR MANY AMERICAN PLAYERS, soccer runs within the household. Alejandro Bedoya’s father and grandfather each performed professionally in Colombia. United States U-20 ahead Tommy Thompson’s father noticed time with the USA nationwide staff. And the Bradleys, Michael and Bob, each stay energetic and related within the sport. 

It is time to add one other title to the checklist: Perez.

Joshua Perez, 18, is certainly one of America’s high teenage prospects and his uncle, Hugo Perez, was probably the most dominating American gamers of his technology. The skilled soccer custom extends again two generations, as Hugo’s father and grandfather additionally performed professionally in El Salvador.

Joshua is now following swimsuit after inking a four-year take care of ACF Fiorentina earlier this month. The younger attacker is a part of a brand new technology of American gamers pursuing success within the high leagues of Europe.

It was a number of years in the past when Perez attended a camp in California and scouts had been there from varied groups, together with Fiorentina. The La Habra, Calif., native performed properly and the Italian membership made a decided effort to signal him—though it might take years as a result of his age and lack of a European passport.

Essentially the most attention-grabbing side of his signing is that for Perez, the product of a soccer household, he joined the membership as a result of they handled him like household.

“I guess at that moment I made a good impression and they invited me back over and over throughout the years,” Perez advised American Soccer Now from Italy. “I went to different clubs as well but I made the final decision to stay here in Florence with Fiorentina because here, it’s like family. They’re very close to me and I’ve gotten to know them really well. They are taking good care of me.”

Household is necessary to Joshua, and his Uncle Hugo has been an necessary affect on his life and profession. The elder Perez remembers the method that introduced him over to Italy and has been notably impressed with how properly his nephew adjusted to life on and off the sector—the latter of which generally is a main hurdle for younger People making an attempt to make the transfer overseas.

“When this first started four years ago, I had the chance to know some people from Fiorentina,” Hugo Perez recalled. “I advised my brother to deliver him to the place I used to be. Clearly, Fiorentina individuals had been there they usually noticed him and appreciated him.

“They took an opportunity with him however it wasn’t one thing the place they signal him they usually like him, the factor they did was that they introduced him over [regularly] to see if he might alter to the life in Italy for himself. After that, they saved seeing that he was optimistic being there by himself. What I feel is an important factor, they felt the expertise he had was sufficient to take an opportunity and develop him for the following three or 4 years till they might signal him.”

That signing got here earlier this month after Perez celebrated his 18th birthday in January and the membership lastly acquired its long-coveted prospect. Perez now fills one of many membership’s non-EU roster spots—a sign of how extremely he’s regarded inside the membership.

From 2013-2015 a lot of high-profile American soccer gamers left European golf equipment and returned to play in Main League Soccer. Regardless of that pattern, the variety of American prospects signing overseas was rising. It wasn’t merely midlevel prospects both. Fairly, most of the high gamers developed in the USA had been looking for to start out their careers overseas.

Already it beginning to bear fruit as Rubio Rubin, Christian Pulisic, Ethan Horvath, Emerson Hyndman, and Paul Arriola are among the many many U.S. youth internationals enjoying for international golf equipment with a number of others additionally closing in on first-team minutes. Like these gamers, shifting overseas was a high precedence for Perez at this stage of his profession.

“I never thought at one point that I would stay in the States,” Perez stated. “I pushed myself to greater limits. I found this club and I actually made it. It was always Europe for me to play overseas.”

It hasn’t at all times been a clean transition for a lot of high gamers. Traditionally, the American-developed gamers who’ve discovered probably the most success in Europe started their careers in MLS. Shifting overseas as an adolescent wasn’t as a lot of an issue for Perez because the membership had labored with him for years to organize the transfer. In consequence, homesickness was saved to a minimal as he turned fluent in Italian and tailored to the tradition.

“Over the years you kind of get used to it,” Perez stated of his adjustment. “I kind of always depended on myself and became self-reliant. Missing home, missing family was a difficult part but over the years I kind of just got used to it. It’s not a big issue. I do miss my family but I came here to do something that I love. They understand that. I have to adjust to the life I am living now.”

Thus far Perez is off to a robust begin, enjoying proper ahead in a 4-3-3 formation for Fiorentina’s Primavera staff. In his first three video games he has scored twice and added two assists.

Unsurprisingly, Perez did have choices in Europe as to the place to start his profession, however Italy at all times felt proper for him and the chance to shine in a system identified for its protection had benefits.

“It’s definitely a big difference compared with the other clubs I tried out for,” Perez defined. “Italian soccer itself is tough. It definitely just makes you think quicker and play in uncomfortable situations. For myself, I am able to adjust pretty quickly. I think that was a major thing I needed to have. I think the football here is fantastic. It’s a tough environment that challenges you.

“For some reason, I love the pressure and challenging myself. Italians are known for having great defenders and the better the defenders, the better I get with the challenges. That is why I love being here.”

Hugo Perez agrees that his nephew is in a very good scenario. Whereas Joshua lists certainly one of his objectives is to make his first-team debut with Fiorentina (which at present sits in third place in Serie A) in 2016, Hugo is barely extra cautious and emphasizes persistence in that that Joshua has a long-term deal and is just in an incredible scenario to study.

Nonetheless, the previous U.S. worldwide believes that Joshua has superb likelihood and that it’s as much as him in how he trains regularly in Florence.

“For me playing against Italians and watching them, Serie A the hardest league to play for a young kid,” Hugo Perez harassed. “The first advantage he has is that they know him very well at the club. The second is that he’s used to the culture and he speaks Italian….From Primavera to the first team is a big difference. I think if they bring him slowly and they continue to work with him at 18 years old, I think he has a chance. I know him. Leaving for Italy was the best thing for him.

“He has a chance to break into the first team but I don’t know when because I am not there every day. Even if he doesn’t soon, it’s a great progress for him. It all depends on what he does every day.”

For now, Perez is just pleased with the place he’s at with Fiorentina now that he’s cleared to play in video games for the membership. Internationally, he’s wanting ahead to shifting onto the U.S. U-20 staff after being on a U.S. U-17 which disillusioned on the 2015 World Cup. Sources have advised ASN that U.S. Soccer is hoping to deliver Perez into the U-20 for the Dallas Cup in March though Fiorentina just isn’t required to launch him.

Both method, the chances are good that Perez will issue into U.S. youth groups once more sooner quite than later. Maybe when he does, he shall be closing in on first-team minutes and can be a part of the ranks of a promising younger technology of American gamers pushing to attain success in Europe.