At 21, Jose Francisco Torres has made a number of tough decisions between loyalty to America and Mexico. But those decisions have paid off, as Torres successfully navigates his soccer career between the two countries. At 15, Torres left his family and Longview, Texas, for the Mexican mining town of Pachuca. Torres now starts for Los Tuzos, one of the most successful Mexican First Division teams at both the domestic and international levels during the past decade.
Last year, Torres chose to play for the U.S. national team over Mexico. Torres, nicknamed “Gringo” by teammates and fans, is American by birth and Mexican by blood (through his father). “It was a tough decision, but things happen for a reason,” said Torres, who months before giving U.S. Soccer the nod declined an invitation to play with the under-23 team at the Beijing Olympics after Pachuca promised him a starting spot in the lineup. “I’m a member of the U.S. national team and have no regrets about the decision. I play for one of the greatest national teams in the world. Now it’s a matter of working hard and earning a spot.”
Torres, a slight frame at only 5-6 and 155 pounds, is working to strengthen his body to deal with the more physically imposing nature of national team play. He says that he benefits from playing in both countries, working on different aspects of his game. He learns from the technical aspects of the Mexican game while, he says, “you have to get used to the speed of the national team. I think that – the speed of play – helps me when I go back to Mexico.” Torres, who has been called into U.S. training camps throughout this World Cup qualifying campaign, could be headed to South Africa. He also has eyes for European success. “My dream is to leave Mexico and make it to Europe,” he said.