Edrey Caceres logged a 90-minute shift in a 3-2 victory for the U-19 Dynamo Academy squad over Crossfire Premier on Dec. 7 to close the first half of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy season.
As the final whistle blew the next task at hand for the 18-year-old was to pack his bags for his first international camp with his birth nation – El Salvador. Caceres was one of eight new players named to the U-23 El Salvador National Team on Dec. 17, a date that will mark the midfielder as a life-long fan of La Selecta.
“It means so much to me, to put on the El Salvador jersey, it has always been my dream to represent the country where I was born,” Caceres said. “I found out when I visited the official account of the national team and saw my name on the list, it gave me chills. I called both of my parents and they were very proud and excited for me.”
The midfielder was born in El Salvador and moved to Houston in 2012. Caceres joined the Dynamo Academy two years later and now dons number eight as he navigates the midfield for U-19 head coach Kenny Bundy and Academy Director Paul Holocher.
“To have a call in to the U23’s is a big opportunity as it is one step away from the full national team,” Holocher said. “As a young player this will only help inspire and drive his development to new levels. He is a special in his composure and his technical quality and intelligence. He has also improved dramatically in his ability and willingness to be a positive factor while not in possession, in his ability to cover important spaces.”
The 18-year-old has been fielding questions from teammates in Houston who are curious about his first camp. Caceres says that his biggest takeaway from camp is the time spent with new teammates who are currently professionals and identifying new tendencies he wants to bring with him to Texas.
Caceres logged a 45-minute shift in his first scrimmage with the U-23 squad last Saturday, a 5-3 victory over Atlético Marte, a local second division team.
“As a young player this will only help inspire and drive his development to new levels,” Holocher said. “This has been a big step in his development that can help him onto the next level.”
Caceres and the Dynamo U-19 squad will return to action on Feb. 23 as they host the Colorado Rapids at Houston Sports Park. The midfielder will look to build on this camp and earn a call up for two friendlies against the U-23 squad of Peru in 2020.
