Former Quake Alvarez stays the course

Alvarez with the U-23’s. Photo by isiphotos.com

The path to success for a young player is often full of detours and blind alleys. Opportunities for playing time can be scarce, and once they appear, form can be fickle, especially for attacking players. Nobody knows this better than FC Dallas forward Arturo Alvarez, whose up-and-down career has taken a decidedly upward trajectory in the last year.

Alvarez enjoyed his best season yet in 2007, and so far this year, he appears to be building on that success, contributing two goals and two assists. This weekend’s match between Dallas and the San Jose Earthquakes represents a chance to increase those numbers. It will also be a homecoming of sorts for Alvarez, given that San Jose is where he began his professional career. Fans will remember him as a talented, but inconsistent performer, one who was drafted in the second round by Frank Yallop prior to the championship-winning season of 2003. It’s a year that Alvarez still cherishes.

“I was only 18-years-old,” Alvarez said. “Being part of that was simply amazing and something I’ll never forget.”

Alvarez was no mere spectator that season either, as he made his share of contributions. He even bagged his first professional goal against Dallas, an irony matched only by the shock that it came via a header. Alvarez may have been a dynamic attacking player, but his lack of prowess with his head had seen him become the butt of jokes almost from the moment he arrived in San Jose.

“[The coaches] gave me the nickname ‘Shampoo,’” Alvarez recalled with a chuckle. “They were like ‘You can get your hair dirty. There’s shampoo in the locker room. You can wash it after practice.’ And ever since then I’ve scored a couple of goals on headers.”

But that initial success was followed by plenty of disappointment. Injury robbed Alvarez of a chance to play in the 2003 U-20 World Cup, and rather than build on his successful rookie campaign, his minutes actually went down in 2004.

Alvarez was subsequently traded to FC Dallas prior to the 2005 season as part of the deal that sent Richard Mulrooney to Dallas in exchange for Brad Davis. And like his stint in San Jose, a moderately successful 2005 campaign was followed by a sub-par 2006.

But Alvarez’s fortunes began to turn the following year, when head coach Steve Morrow gave the Houston native more opportunities. The young attacker responded with three goals and three assists out of midfield, and his lethal left foot as well as his electric ability to beat players off the dribble began to come to the fore.

It’s also telling that during this period, another talented attacker in teammate Ramon Nunez was going through some highs and lows of his own. Nunez’s response was to lash out publicly at his coaches when times got tough, and he’s now out of the league. Alvarez took a different approach.

“The thing is that through those bad times, I kept my head up,” said Alvarez. “I never gave up and kept working hard. If I wanted to say something, I just kept it to myself, and kept working, and it seems to be paying off. Hopefully I can continue playing the way I’ve been playing and play even better.”

In 2008, Alvarez was moved from midfield to forward, and his partnership with Kenny Cooper has paid immediate dividends, with the duo combining for six goals. But the improvement in Alvarez’s overall game has also drawn notice, especially from Yallop, the man who originally drafted him.

“When we drafted Alvarez, you saw flashes of what he’s doing in maybe three plays a game,” said Yallop. “I think now he’s doing it for 90 minutes. I think he’s worked out what it takes to do well in this league. He plays simple when he needs to, but when he needs that bit of magic, he has it. He’s dangerous.”

Such is the nature of soccer that Alvarez hasn’t been able to leave disappointment completely in his wake. A spot on the U-23 team that recently qualified for the Olympics seemed there for the taking, but Alvarez was one of the last players cut by head coach Peter Nowak. But as he has with past obstacles, Alvarez is content to put his head down and keep working, and is hopeful that a spot on the full Olympic team is within his reach.

“If anything, I just want to let my play do the talking,” said Alvarez. “If [Nowak] wants to give me another opportunity, and is willing to call me back, I’ll take it. But I just want to play well, and help Dallas win games.”

If Alvarez accomplishes those goals, then the only way to go is up.