The View from Argentina: What does Alan Velasco bring to FC Dallas?

Alan Velasco will soon arrive in North Texas as the biggest signing FC Dallas has ever made.

Never before has FCD spent so much to bring in a player, and never before has such a highly touted young prospect arrived in Dallas, rather than coming up through the vaunted academy.

MORE: Velasco, Arriola signings signal new ambition from FC Dallas

To find out more about "La Joya", we spoke to a trio of Argentines working in soccer who have watched Velasco go from a nine-year-old joining the academy to a figure beloved by fans of one of Argentina's most popular teams:

What did Alan Velasco mean to Independiente?

Mauro Bajder, Head of Social Media, Independiente: As Independiente's Head of Social Media, I have the opportunity to watch almost every game of all the sports that the club has. Obviously, the young categories of football are one of the most important, and it's a huge privilege. Being one of the biggest clubs in South America, Independiente always boasts some huge talents in its lower divisions.

With that scenario in mind, I need to be honest: I’ve never seen anyone like Alan Velasco. Since day one (probably around 2018), I realized he was the biggest prospect by far. He had everything that we have seen him show with the first team in subsequent years: Pace, agility, flair, vision, technique, a good shot, and the capacity to 'resist and insist' even on the worst days.

Carlos Maidana, Journalist, Host of Nuestro Día on Spotify Argentina & Independiente 'socio': It’s not for nothing that Alan Velasco is nicknamed “La Joya” Since he came into the club and passed through all the youth levels, everyone always spoke about Alan Velasco and the potential the player has.

So, how does Alan Velasco play?

Santi Bauza, Journalist, La Nacion: Alan Velasco is your archetypal diminutive Argentine attacking midfielder. Extremely tricky, extremely skillful, a great, great dribbler and a good passer as well. Not exactly a goalscorer. I think that's his main weakness, the fact that he doesn't score a lot of goals and isn't very physical either — although I'd argue that could be a bigger problem had he left for Europe instead of MLS.

Maidana: First, as a creative player, explosive. In England, they call them a fox in the box, who get into tight spaces and solve problems quickly and efficiently. That’s the style of play. 

He’s also very accurate. Last year, after he had Covid, he dipped a bit but even still the stats showed he was the player who had the best passing accuracy and the player who was most involved in teams’ goals. Maybe it wasn’t him who scored the most goals but he was involved in every attacking move.

Bauza: You also have to take into account the fact that in the last year, he's played under a really, really conservative manager in Julio Cesar Falcioni. Independiente became a very reactive team and really didn't score a lot of goals at all if it wasn't for their striker Silvio Romero.

Maidana: He does get comfortable with the style of play the team has and what the manager is asking for, but he’s the style of player who if the manager allows him the liberty to make things happen, to be creative, he’s going to get by with a dribble, with a shot from range. 

He’s good defending, too. He’s not tall, and he’s skinny, but he still can come up on a guy and then go forward quick and find space. He’s a player who still has to be polished on the tactical level, but he understands the game well and he’s just 19.

I heard Independiente really needed the money?

Bauza: Why is this sale so hurtful to Independiente? Well, you have to understand the context of the club. Independiente are basically the biggest club in Argentina that's not Boca or River. You may know of them thanks to Sergio Aguero — they produced him. Independiente are just really, really big. They have a big fan base, have won the most Copa Libertadores of any team in South America with seven, one more than Boca, but they are in an absolute state of crisis and have been for the last, like, 20 years. 

They got relegated for the only time in 2013 and bounced right back the next year, but now I think they're in their worst institutional and economic situation ever. They're massively in debt. At this moment they have a transfer ban imposed on them, it's the second transfer ban in less than six months because of unpaid salaries and unpaid transfer fees for several players who in turn were pretty mediocre as well. 

Maidana: It owes a lot of money to América in Mexico because FIFA requires them to pay this from a transfer [Editor's note: This stems from Independiente buying now Austin FC player Cecilio Dominguez from América] and a big part of the money they get from Alan Velasco will be used to pay that debt.

Bauza: In that context, Independiente are forced to basically give away their best players for a pittance in order to cover those debts. Velasco was exactly that kind of case. He left for only $7 million, $5.5 which will go directly to Independiente and be used to cover its debts. They probably will not sign a replacement. They'll only cover what they need to pay in debts with this transfer fee. 

Maidana: It’s possible that if Alan Velasco had played in a team like that and at a club in more order, without economic difficulties every day, without players saying wages hadn’t [been paid], he’d have been able to stand out more.

Even so, he was called on to wear the No. 10 of Independiente, which is no small thing in this club’s history, and he did it well. I read all the messages people posted on social media, everyone disappointed because they all knew he’s going for economic requirements, not for sporting reasons.

What about off the field? What's this guy like?

Badjer: You will be able to see all his qualities in a few weeks or you can even enjoy watching his videos, but it is also important to highlight that he is even better off the pitch. 

Maidana: Alan is from a humble family, but he hasn’t lacked anything. He went up to the third year of secondary school here, high school. There are five years but he dedicated himself to training 100%, which takes a lot of time. He’s a guy who when you listen to him speak, he seems like a much older guy because he’s very centered.

Badjer: An outstanding human being, always available to listen or help anybody, no matter his position or status. 

Maidana: He’s really a family guy, and he’s a big fan of Independiente. That’s why he didn’t want to go. 

He grew up in the club since he was 9. That’s 10 uninterrupted years, but apart from that 10 years in a really particular and formative age. He’s a guy who possibly having to go will affect him, but I don’t think it’ll be something he can’t handle mentally because he’s a guy who has tons of character and I think he has everything to be a great player. For me, he already is. He has technique, quality, creativity, but he’s 19.

I think a league like MLS ... it’s a league with young players without the pressure of playing in Argentine soccer where fans are so much more demanding, and Alan has everything going in his favor to have a great spell with Dallas.

Badjer: He will be loved by everyone at Dallas in no time, you can trust me.