Vidal makes Mexican First Division debut

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jul 28, 2008

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Dallas product Marco Vidal made his Mexican First Division debut when he started for Juarez Indios Juarez in its 1-0 loss to UAG Saturday in the club's debut at the top level of Mexican soccer.

Vidal, 22, was a key player in midfield for Indios in their promotion run and kept his spot in the starting lineup despite the arrival of three foreigners.

Edgar Castillo was the only other American to play on the opening day of the First Division. The New Mexico product started in Torneo Clausura champion Santos' 3-2 loss at Club America,

In the Second Division, Jesus Padilla scored both goals for Guadalajara farm team Tapatio in a 2-0 at Real Colima. Padilla, who was joined in the starting lineup by former U.S. U-17 Carlos Borja, scored last weekend on the opening day of the D1A season. (Former U.S. U-20 Sammy Ochoa also scored for UAG's D1A team on Day 1.)

Eleven Americans begin the 2008 Apertura in the top two levels of Mexican soccer. In addition, Monterrey's Division 1A team has signed 16-year-old DouDou Toure, a Liberian-born forward who played for the Atlanta Fire United and Region III OPD team and attended FC Dallas' preseason training camp.

AMERICAN PROS IN MEXICO
Division 1:
Michael Orozco-San Luis
Jose Francisco Torres-Pachuca
Marco Vidal-Indios Juarez
Daniel Hernandez-Jaguares
Edgar Castillo-Santos
Sonny Guadarrama-Morelia

Division 1A:
Jesus Padilla-Tapatio
Carlos Borja-Tapatio
Sammy Ochoa-Tecos
Noel Castillo-Indios Chihuahua
Miguel Antonio Gonzalez-Potros Chetumal