Photo Credit: Club Tijuana
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles forward Amando Moreno took the opportunity to fly home during the holidays last week to visit family. It was the first trip home for Moreno in nearly two years since he joined Club Tijuana.
“Love being back home and being able to see my grandma” read a post on Moreno’s Instagram account where he is seen hugging his grandmother.
Moreno got to hug more than his grandma. He got to see his father for the first time in eight months.
“What a great feeling to finally get to see him again, wish it would have been a longer vacation.”
And his visit to New Jersey was nearly not a vacation. Moreno had a week off after he helped the Under-20 team reach the 2015 Apertura title match. But he continued to work despite being off the clock. The 20-year-old striker took some of his vacation time to visit Club Tijuana’s youth academy in his home state.
Moreno spoke to hundreds of youth soccer players that were invited by the Xolos Academy FC New Jersey chapter. He met with some of the academy coaches and joined them for dinner in New Brunswick, about a 30-minute drive from his hometown.
“It was crazy how many kids showed up and were excited that I was there,”
said Moreno, whose parents had made trips to watch him play in Tijuana in the past.
“That really gives them hope that they can some day also be part of this organization at the highest level.”
Moreno has taken an ambassador role to the Club Tijuana youth academy in New Jersey. His name is often mentioned in soccer circles within the state. His picture is on the academy Facebook page and coaches use action photos of the Xoloitzcuintles forward to promote the youth academy.
That is something Moreno is grateful for. But most would say he earned it.
Moreno is coming off what could be his best season since joining Club Tijuana in January of 2014. He was 18 at the time. He made the difficult decision of leaving behind his friends and family in New Jersey and trade in the Atlantic Ocean for the Pacific Ocean.
“Going to any new place is difficult,”
said Moreno as he reminisced about his first days as a Xoloitzcuintle.
“I had a good talk with my mom, my dad and my agent. We came to the conclusion that coming to Tijuana was the best option for me at the time.”
Moreno slowly established himself in his new home. When he arrived in Tijuana he lived in the team’s facilities. He now has a place of his own and feels like he is part of Tijuana.
“I was really grateful that the club gave me place to stay,” Moreno said. “But now living on my own I get to be alone, have my own privacy.
“The people here are amazing, that’s why our fan base is so great. It is definitely different from living in the East Coast. It is a different lifestyle here and I have gotten use to it and really like it.”
Moreno’s talent on the field was quickly noticed. He has been a key player for the club’s Under-20 squad, which just completed a run to the 2015 Apertura Final. Moreno played in 15 of 17 regular season games, 14 of them from the starting lineup. He scored six goals in the regular season and followed that up with four in the playoff run to the championship series.
With the 10 goals scored between regular season and playoffs, Moreno, has scored 22 goals with Club Tijuana.
“I just try to show myself (on the field),”
said Moreno, who prefers to focus on the team’s accomplishments than his personal stats.
“I’ve put in a lot of work to score those goals. And yes, it does make me look good but it helps the team.
“My chemistry with my teammates has gotten better and better. I wouldn’t have been able to score many goals without that chemistry.”
As much as Moreno would like to keep building chemistry with his family in person, his vacation came to an end last week. He came back to work with preparing for the 2016 Clausura season in mind. Moreno is now training with the First Team. He got the chance to play in an exhibition match against Murcielagos FC. He scored a goal in the Club Tijuana 2-0 win.
“It was nice to definitely get that goal after coach Miguel Herrera gave me that chance,”
Moreno said after the game in which he came on as a second half substitute.
“That gives any player the confidence to play with the First Team and the best players we have.”
Moreno has the chance to continue to display his abilities for Herrera who can chose to use him with the First Team if desired. But Moreno remains eligible to play with the Under-20.
For now, Moreno is just glad to be back at work. Even if it means being away from family and the people he loves.
“I get a different kind of love here in Tijuana,” Moreno said. “So, it’s not all that bad.”
