Byron Álvarez
Birth dateOctober 21, 1978 (age 48)
Birth placeMexico City, Mexico
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
PositionForward
Years 11999
Years 21999–2000
Years 32000–2001
Years 62002
Years 72003–2006
Years 82004–2006
Years 92007
Years 102007–2009
Years 112008
Years 122010–2014
Years 132014–2015
Clubs 1Yakima Reds
Clubs 2La Piedad
Clubs 3Tampico Madero
Clubs 4C.F. Ciudad Juárez
Clubs 5Tampico Madero
Clubs 6MetroStars
Clubs 7Portland Timbers
Clubs 8Chicago Storm (indoor)
Clubs 9Charleston Battery
Clubs 10Monterrey La Raza (indoor)
Clubs 11Portland Timbers
Clubs 12Missouri Comets (indoor)
Clubs 13Wichita B-52s (indoor)
Caps 68
Caps 796
Caps 845
Caps 922
Caps 1042
Caps 119
Caps 1282
Caps 1315
Goals 60
Goals 741
Goals 825
Goals 98
Goals 1039
Goals 111
Goals 1299
Goals 1326
Pcupdate13 March 2019

Byron Álvarez (born October 21, 1978) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was the 2010–2011 MISL Most Valuable Player.[1]

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.