Rowdies Boost Attacking Options With Omar Salgado Loan

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have added forward Omar Salgado on loan from Mexico’s Tigres UANL for the remainder of the 2015 North American Soccer League season, the club announced Wednesday, pending ITC clearance.

Salgado, 21, provides the Rowdies with another direct scoring threat, providing a prototypical “No. 9” option at the end of attacks. At 6-foot-4, Salgado is best deployed as a center forward and brings great potential on set pieces and at the end of crosses.

“I’m delighted to have a young talent like Omar join the Rowdies,” head coach Thomas Rongen said. “He’s a classic No.9, who can also play in the No.11 position, and he’ll add quality in the final third. I’m very familiar with him as a player, having coached him with the U-20’s and he’s someone who will work hard to bring success to this club.”

Salgado arrives in Florida from one of Mexico’s largest clubs. Tigres is currently playing in the final of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s version of the UEFA Champions League.

Despite his young age, Salgado already has plenty of experience under his belt. He is another former member of the United States Under-20 Men’s National Team to reunite with Head Coach Thomas Rongen in Tampa Bay.  Salgado has made 19 appearances with the United States U-18s, U-20s and U-23s, while also adding 9 caps with the Mexico U-17s and U-20s.

Born in Texas, Salgado played in the vaunted Chivas de Guadalajara youth system in Mexico as well as for Mexican youth national teams before Rongen invited him to join the U.S. Under-20 team in 2011. Salgado accepted Rongen’s invitation and signed with Major League Soccer to continue his career in his home nation.

Salgado was invited to participate in the Generation Adidas program and was drafted No. 1 overall as a 17-year old by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, becoming one of the Whitecaps’ first MLS players. Fellow Rowdies Corey Hertzog and Rich Balchan were also selected in the first round of that draft.

Salgado made 26 appearances, for the Whitecaps before being traded to New York City FC on December 8, 2014. Less than a month later, NYCFC sold Salgado to Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL.