Adalberto Carrasquilla entered the year with uncertainty about his future at Houston Dynamo FC.
After missing out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Panama, there was doubt about whether the club would opt to activate the purchase clause on his loan spell. Just weeks before his loan expired, he was permanently acquired from La Liga 2 side FC Cartagena and both he and the Dynamo are right where they want to be – in the playoff mix at the June international break.
"Yes, I think the team has it very clearly. It has shown it by game," said Carrasquilla about the team's current position in the standings. "It is not enough for us to have a regular game. We always have to have an excellent game. It's hard, we know that. But yes, the important thing is that we are in a very good position. We have to continue taking care of that position, wanting to advance further."
"Now it's time for a break that makes us reflect and we can return in the best way," he added.
The 23-year-old midfielder has been an impact player in the first team this year. His one goal and one assist can be misleading when it comes to his importance to the team's 5-6-3 record and seventh place in the Western Conference.
Everything has not been perfect, as he himself has put it, with Carrasquilla picking more yellow cards than he would like recently – causing him to miss the recent 3-0 victory at LA Galaxy. He knows he still has to adapt to a league that he only arrived to last August and that the best is yet to come, especially with the impending arrival of Mexican men's national team star Hector Herrera.
"I believe that there is a fairly healthy group, a group where we are all pulling in one direction, we are all working equally and a group that believes in the work we are applying and that is important," Carrasquilla said. "The truth is that I feel a lot of confidence in the group, I know that I can contribute much more to the group and that is what pertains to me."
Dale Coco 🔝@Acarrasquilla18 & @fepafut start their @CNationsLeague journey tonight 🆚 Costa Rica 🇵🇦#DejaloTodo pic.twitter.com/sj2e9zeKtU
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) June 2, 2022
While some players are off to a short vacation, Carrasquilla is one of a handful of Dynamo players on international competition. He was called up to Panama's four match stretch in the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League.
Los Canaleros (The Canal Men) are in Group B of League A with Costa Rica and Martinique. On top of securing direct qualification to the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Panama will be ambitious to win the group and advance to the tournament finals.
"Yes, it is a bit complicated, especially since we are in the middle of the season here," Carrasquilla said about managing international play. "It's a bit difficult, more because of the trips, but then there is the necessary time to rest and return to compete with my national team, which is always important to also represent my country."
The Dynamo head coach mentioned the FIFA international break is a good opportunity for everyone to recharge. Carrasquilla agreed with the sentiment and added that going back to his home soil does just that.
Two of Panama's June CNL encounters will be at home at the Rommel Fernández Stadium. That will bring him close to a few familiar faces that lift him up.
"I think it is necessary to disconnect a bit from what Houston is, because we have been up and down. I think it's time to analyze things well [and] come with the mentality that we have to improve," Carrasquilla told The Striker Texas. "I am going to my country. I will be able to see my parents, my siblings. I think that is also very important for me. Time that I don't see them and, every time I return to my country, just by seeing them, I feel that they recharge me with that positive energy to return with more desire."
