Byron Alvarez

Byron Álvarez (born October 21, 1978 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican football (soccer) forward. He was the 2010–2011 MISL Most Valuable Player.[1]

Byron Álvarez
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-10-21) October 21, 1978
Place of birth Mexico City, Mexico
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999 Yakima Reds
1999–2000 La Piedad
2000–2001 Tampico Madero
C.F. Ciudad Juárez
Tampico Madero
2002 MetroStars 8 (0)
2003–2006 Portland Timbers 96 (41)
2004–2006 Chicago Storm (indoor) 45 (25)
2007 Charleston Battery 22 (8)
2007–2009 Monterrey La Raza (indoor) 42 (39)
2008 Portland Timbers 9 (1)
2010–2014 Missouri Comets (indoor) 82 (99)
2014–2015 Wichita B-52s (indoor) 15 (26)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 March 2019

Early life

Alvarez began playing football at sixteen. He appeared with a string of minor league Mexican clubs including Reboceros de La Piedad, Jaiba Brava de Tamaulipas, Astros de Ciudad Juárez, and C.F. Tambico.

Club career

In 2002, he signed with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer. In 2003, he moved to the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division. On September 29, 2004, the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) traded Kevin Sakuda to the San Diego Sockers for the rights to Alvarez.[2] On October 18, 2004, the Storm signed him on loan from the Timbers and he played the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 indoor seasons in Chicago. Following the 2006 USL-1 season, Alvarez became a free agent and on April 3, 2007 signed with the Charleston Battery of USL-1. He played twenty-two games and scored eight goals.[3] On July 9, 2007, the Monterrey La Raza of MISL selected Alvarez in the MISL expansion draft.[4] The LaRaza went to the MISL championship series, but fell to the Baltimore Blast. Following the end of the indoor season, he contacted Gavin Wilkinson, coach of the Timbers, about the possibility of rejoining the Timbers. Alvarez signed with the Timbers on July 14, 2008.[5] He played only nine games with the Timbers and returned to the LaRaza which was now playing in the newly created National Indoor Soccer League. On April 7, 2009, he was announced as the 2008-09 NISL Most Valuable Player.[6]

Alvarez has also played for the Mexican national futsal team.[7]

On October 25, 2010 The Missouri Comets announced they had signed Byron Alvarez to play in their first season back in the MISL. Alvarez was vital to the Comets run to the MISL playoffs, leading the team and the league in scoring with 80 points. Alvarez also led the league in goals scored (33), hat tricks (5) and tied for the league-lead in game-winning goals with five. Alvarez scored at least one point in 17 games this season and he also posted the longest goal-scoring streak of the year (nine games) and point-scoring streak (15 games). He capped off this great season by being named 2010–2011 MISL MVP.

References
  1. "Byron Alvarez picked as MISL MVP". Archived from the original on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  2. Chicago Storm Acquires Rights to Forward Byron Alvarez Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Charleston Battery stats". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  4. MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE DAILY REPORT Archived 2008-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Alvarez back with Timbers — for at least one more game". Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  6. "Byron Alvarez named 2008-2009 National Indoor Soccer League MVP". Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  7. "Mexican Futbol Rapido National Team Announced". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
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