00:00This little Mexican born in Alaska who is tackling Leo Messi is a big fan of Atletico de Madrid and he just signed there, but who is Obed Bargas.
00:06Born on August 5, 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska, he started playing soccer at a very young age at the Cookinlet Soccer Club.
00:12I hate you Americans for calling our sport soccer, but whatever.
00:15At 14, he left Alaska to join the Seattle Sunders Academy in 2019.
00:19literally living with host families because his family doesn't have much money through the club's program.
00:24Two years later, on May 7, 2021, he signed a professional contract with the club's reserve team.
00:27will start two days later in the USL Championship, but afterwards will experience a meteoric rise with Seattle.
00:33On July 22, 2021, at the age of 15 years and 351 days, he will make his MLS debut against Austin
00:38and will become the third youngest player in the history of the championship to enter the game.
00:42Starting in 2022, the young Mexican-American will become part of the club's rotation.
00:46and that year, he would experience a defining moment in the CONCACAF Champions League
00:49since he will return for the second leg of the final and participate in the historic sack of the Seattle Sunders.
00:54His coach will praise his maturity, his progress, and will compare him to Christian Roldan.
00:58who is a club legend in midfield.
01:00Unfortunately for him, in June 2022, his career will be put on hold a little bit.
01:03because he will suffer a stress fracture in his back
01:05Therefore, towards the end of 2022 and in 2023, his playing time will be slightly more irregular.
01:10because physically, he will have some minor problems.
01:12That said, in 2024, he's back, he's going to score his first MLS goal against Philadelphia
01:16and from that year onwards, we will be able to see his qualities clearly.
01:19He is a player who plays between central midfield and defensive midfield.
01:22He is capable of dictating the tempo of a match.
01:24He is a very calm player who withstands opposing pressure very well.
01:27He himself, moreover, was in a very good hurry.
01:28And while it's true that he doesn't have a very imposing physique athletically, that could be a drawback.
01:32Well, he'll compensate with his agility, acceleration, and endurance.
01:36Because, in fact, he runs around quite a bit; he's someone who covers a lot of ground.
01:39And that might appeal to Diego Simeone.
01:41There are also two minor weaknesses that I've noticed,
01:43He's a player who doesn't have an exceptional passing game at medium and especially long range.
01:46And he's a player who doesn't make a significant offensive contribution.
01:49even compared to players in his position.
01:51In terms of his international career, he has had a fairly typical trajectory.
01:53He holds both American and Mexican citizenship.
01:56And you should know that he is the very first player born in Alaska.
01:58to play with the youth teams of the United States.
02:00Except that in 2024, a 90-degree turn,
02:03since he will be starting his first match with Mexico's A team.
02:06And with the transfer window drawing to a close, Atletico are expected to sign him.
02:08but first loan him out for a few months before bringing him back into the squad permanently.
Commentaires