José Francisco Torres
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | José Francisco Torres Mezzell | |||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | October 29, 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Longview, Texas, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Rio Grande Valley FC | |||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2003–2006 | Pachuca | |||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
2006–2013 | Pachuca | 151 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
2013–2019 | Tigres UANL | 99 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
2018–2019 | → Puebla (loan) | 11 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
2021 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 26 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
2022– | Rio Grande Valley FC | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2013 | United States | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
Honours
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 31, 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of July 28, 2013 |
José Francisco Torres Mezzell (born October 29, 1987), also known as "Gringo", is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club Rio Grande Valley FC.
He is usually deployed as a central midfielder but can also play as a full-back. Torres has played for the United States national team.[2]
Early life[]
Torres was born in Texas to a Mexican father and an American mother.[3] He played two years for Longview High School and was voted the team's MVP both seasons, with 31 goals and 39 assists in total. After his sophomore year, he was scouted and signed by Mexican club Pachuca.
Club career[]
Torres was recruited by Pachuca while he was still attending high school in Texas.[3] He broke into the starting lineup during the 2008 Apertura season in central midfield. He appeared in all three matches at the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup for Pachuca, starting twice. In the InterLiga 2009 Final, Torres scored the clinching penalty kick that sent Pachuca through to the Copa Libertadores 2009.[4] In November 2012, he was transferred to Tigres UANL. On December 22, 2012, Torres made his debut with Tigres in a friendly match against Pumas UNAM in the Estadio Universitario. Tigres was the Apertura 2015 champion, and Torres played the second leg of the final.
On November 25, 2020, after more than two years without playing a professional game, Torres joined USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of their 2021 season.[5]
On February 21, 2022, Torres signed with USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC.[6]
International career[]
Torres was eligible to choose between representing Mexico, the nation of his father's heritage and where he played club football, or his native United States. Both national federations had been tracking Torres' progress at Pachuca.[7]
Torres was invited by Peter Nowak to play for the United States U-23 team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Torres declined the invitation when Pachuca promised a position in their starting lineup if he stayed with the club.[3] However, only three months later, on October 2, 2008, Torres announced his intention to represent the United States at the international level, and was called in to the U.S. camp by Bob Bradley within days.[3]
He made his U.S. debut against Cuba on October 11, 2008, coming on as a substitute for Heath Pearce in the sixty-eighth minute. He made his first start against Trinidad and Tobago four days later. Torres was also included in the roster that played against Mexico in February 2009, but did not play. He was a member of the U.S. squad for the 2009 Confederations Cup but did not play in the tournament. He was selected to the 23-man roster to represent the United States at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and started a group stage game against Slovenia.[8]
Torres continued to be a part of the U.S. set up under Bradley's successor, Jürgen Klinsmann, and was part of the qualification cycle for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite being a part of the 2013 Gold Cup winning team, he ended falling outside of Klinsmann's plans, and ultimately was not part of the U.S. team that went to the World Cup in Brazil.
Career statistics[]
Club[]
- As of September 18, 2013[9]
Club | Season | Liga MX | Liguilla | Copa MX | CONCACAF Champions League | Other | Total | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
Pachuca | 2006–07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2007–08 | 10 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | 2 | |
2008–09 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8[a] | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 1 | |
2009–10 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | 41 | 1 | 2 | |
2010–11 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | |
2011–12 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 0 | 6 | |
2012–13 | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | 1 | |
Total | 133 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 168 | 5 | 12 | |
Tigres UANL | |||||||||||||||||||
2012–13 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
2013–14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 0 | 0 | |
Career total | 155 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 5 | 23 |
- ^ Three appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup, Three appearances in the InterLiga and Two appearances in the Copa Libertadores.
- ^ Appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup.
International[]
- As of July 28, 2013
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
United States | |||
2008 | 2 | 0 | |
2009 | 5 | 0 | |
2010 | 4 | 0 | |
2011 | 3 | 0 | |
2012 | 6 | 0 | |
2013 | 6 | 0 | |
Total | 26 | 0 |
Honors[]
Pachuca
- Primera División de México: Clausura 2007
- CONCACAF Champions League: 2007, 2008, 2009–10
- Copa Sudamericana: 2006
- North American SuperLiga: 2007
Tigres UANL
- Liga MX: Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016, Apertura 2017
- Copa MX: Clausura 2014
- Campeón de Campeones: 2016, 2017
United States
References[]
- ^ "Mexico - José Torres - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Torres Commits to USA". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b c d Bell, Jack (January 6, 2009). "After Honing Game in Mexico, Jose Torres will play for US". The New York Times. p. B16. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
- ^ Canales, Andrea (January 12, 2009). "Torres happy he chose Team USA". Sports Illustrated. Carson, California: Time Inc. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
- ^ "Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Sign U.S. World Cup Veteran José Francisco Torres". www.switchbacksfc.com.
- ^ https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1210840
- ^ "Young midfielder Torres is ahead of his time on U.S. national team". CNN. August 11, 2009.
- ^ "Match 22 - Group C". FIFA.com. June 18, 2010. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ José Francisco Torres (October 29, 1987). "José Francisco Torres Profile, Statistics, News, Game Log". Pachuca, Primera División de México. ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
External links[]
- José Francisco Torres – Liga MX stats at MedioTiempo.com (in Spanish)
- José Francisco Torres – FIFA competition record (archived)
- 1987 births
- Living people
- People from Longview, Texas
- Longview High School alumni
- American sportspeople of Mexican descent
- United States men's international soccer players
- 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
- American soccer players
- Soccer players from Texas
- Liga MX players
- American expatriate soccer players
- C.F. Pachuca players
- Tigres UANL footballers
- Association football midfielders
- American expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players
- Rio Grande Valley FC Toros players