Liga MX’s Tigres UANL Sign Xavier Monge-Sanchez (Nomads SC) to U20 Squad
As a youth soccer player of Mexican descent living in southern California, Xavier Monge-Sanchez has had aspirations of playing in one of the top leagues in the world—Liga MX. After extensive scouting from Tigres UANL, Monge-Sanchez has now made his dreams a reality by putting pen to paper and signing for their U20 team.
Monge Sanchez explains “As an academy player for Nomads SC in San Diego California, I was always pushed to play up with the club’s UPSL team in the SoCal South conference. There I was able to score my first semi-professional goal and gain more experience with older players at a very high level. I played many games in the UPSL with and against players with pro soccer experience.”
This past year, Monge-Sanchez and the Nomads were able to go all the way to the SoCal South conference semi-final. As one of the youngest players on the team, Monge-Sanchez was able to chip in with 2 goals and 4 assists in 8 appearances.
“The UPSL forced me to develop quickly. What I learned in the UPSL was how to take care of the ball, analyze spaces and importantly, how to take hits and get up and make the next play.”
No stranger to the Mexican pro soccer league, Monge-Sanchez knows the level of expectation that comes with playing for one of North America’s most successful club teams. To date, Tigres UANL have been crowned Liga MX champions 7 times, Copa MX champions 3 times and most recently lifted their first CONCACAF Champions League trophy in 2020.
“Tigres UANL has been a top team in Liga MX for many years now, with very successful academy teams at all ages. After seeing me play in San Diego, I was invited to a tryout in Tijuana. After the first tryout, I was given a second tryout in Monterrey where the top players from the first session competed against first team players. After two weeks of trails, I was offered a pro contract. The process to get signed was very long and difficult, no easy days.”
When asked what we can expect to see from him in Mexico, Monge-Sanchez doubles down on the mentality that has brought him this far.
“My next goals are to get even stronger physically and mentally and continue working hard. I’ve dedicated my entire life to becoming a professional soccer player because that’s all I have dreamt about. My main goal here will be to break into the first-team and compete for a place on the roster”
“A piece of advice I can give other players my age is that you should always keep working hard. You never know when someone is watching. If you keep working, you will be rewarded.”
Tigres UANL U20s are currently 7 games into their league season, and sit in sixth place with 4 wins, 3 draws and no losses. They face third place Pumas UNAM U20s this week, and with two games in hand, have an opportunity to move into second place in the Liga MX U20 table.
About United Premier Soccer League
The UPSL was formed in 2011 and currently includes more than 325 teams nationwide. The UPSL is the largest Pro Development League in North America. Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).
More information about UPSL can be found at www.staging.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).
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