Washington Corozo is in a “now or never” moment in his career. The 23-year-old winger is pushing for inclusion in an Ecuador national team that is making its first appearance at the World Cup since 2014.
He joined Austin FC on Wednesday with the belief that a six-month loan could land him in Qatar.
"The truth is that this is the goal,” Corozo told local media on Wednesday, translated from his native Spanish. “My plan is to come here to the MLS and rip it so that I can be called up to my national team and be able to play in a World Cup, which is what I most desire and what I want the most.”
Verde could also use some representation at the World Cup. Despite having the second-best record in Major League Soccer currently, the club doesn’t have a single player featuring regularly for a senior national team.
Combine that with thinning depth at Corozo’s position — with Cecilio Domínguez apparently on the way out — and the move has the potential to be a perfect match. There is little risked on either end and much to gain.
Paying for a loan, the amount of which was not disclosed, rather than a transfer fee will mean that Corozo is able to join Austin FC without occupying a designated player slot or requiring targeted allocation money. He will occupy the final senior roster spot and international spot, with the opportunity to open up one of each if Domínguez is transferred out.
Austin FC also has the option to make the addition permanent at the end of the loan.
Corozo arrives from Sporting Cristal in the Peruvian first division, and will be entering his second loan stint since joining the Lima-based club. He’s been playing in Liga MX since last July, making 44 appearances and scoring eight goals for Pumas which included a run to the Concacaf Champions League final this spring.
Corozo said he has more to give than he was able to show in Mexico.
“I think that in Mexico I could show very little of my style of play because the truth is that I lacked playing time,” he said. “And I really hope to have continuity here so that they can truly see the game I have.”
He’ll wear No. 32 for Verde, and should see the pitch soon. There’s no time to waste with a World Cup roster spot and an MLS Cup run in the balance. Corozo has 16 regular-season matches, plus the playoffs, to cement his spot.
The pressure is off. The attacking core of Sebastián Driussi (10 goals, 4 assists), Maxi Urruti (6 goals, 1 assist) and Diego Fagúndez (3 goals, 8 assists) is already one of the league’s best offenses. Corozo can take it to the next level.
“I think I am a very skillful player, as well as very fast,” Corozo said. “I have a lot of technical skills. In height, I am also very good. I hope to take advantage of every position they give me. But where I would like to play: left wing, forward, right wing. I think I have to take advantage of the opportunity in any of those positions.”
His natural position is on the left wing, the spot that Domínguez occupied before he was suspended, investigated and later ostracized following a domestic dispute with his ex-partner. The Paraguayan was still training with Austin FC as recently as last week, but has not featured in a match day roster since March 20.
In his stead, Fagúndez has been playing on the left, with 17-year-old homegrown Owen Wolff (0 goals, 1 assist) recently taking over the right wing and veteran Ethan Finlay (3 goals, 3 assists) supplying productive backup.
Corozo’s first exposure to the MLS level came in Pumas’ run to the CCL final. He played in both legs against the New England Revolution, and started the second leg of the final where the Seattle Sounders became the first team to win the trophy.
“It was a very good experience because I had not played MLS teams,” he said. “I had only played with Mexican and Peruvian teams and I think the MLS is like the Copa Libertadores, in that the best teams are there and if you are there it is because you have earned it.”
Corozo joins a stronghold of Ecuadorans playing in MLS. Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (LAFC), José Cifuentes (LAFC), Jhegson Méndez (Orlando City), Michael Estrada (D.C. United) and Leonardo Campana (Inter Miami) all hope to use the league as a springboard for their World Cup aspirations. Gustavo Alfaro, a native of Argentina, is the manager they're hoping to impress.
Corozo made his debut for La Tri in the Sept. 2 match against Paraguay, a 2-0 victory that secured Ecuador's place at the World Cup.
In addition to his given name of Washington, Corozo said that he prefers to be called Manchita, a childhood nickname that means “little spot” or “stain.” He was named after his father, which interestingly makes him the second Austin FC to have a South American father named Washington, after Diego Fagúndez.
Corozo should fit in nicely with the South American stronghold in the Verde locker room, although he said he is not a fan of mate, the traditional drink shared by the team’s Argentinians and Fagúndez, who was born in Uruguay.
Austin FC now has seven South American countries represented (Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Paraguay), and 15 nationalities altogether.
“Yes, it makes it easier for me than anything else to learn the language,” Corozo said of his fellow South Americans. “And I think I'm going to have to learn it, but the truth is yes it helps. I have played with Colombians, Argentines, Uruguayans and I think it is very satisfying to play with them because you learn something from each one of them.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Austin FC has players from six South American countries. The actual number is seven.
