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ASN Exclusive

Alan Soñora emotional after USMNT call-up: “It’s a huge honor”

Alan Sonora is on his way to the United States for his first call-up to the national team. ASN's Arch Bell spoke to Alan Sonora about his first call-up and his emotional reaction. 
BY Arch Bell Posted
January 19, 2023
12:30 PM

THE FIRST UNITED STATES national team camp for 2023 has many new names on it, but perhaps the one that stands out the most from the others is that of Alan Soñora.

It is not often that a player who plies his trade in South America gets a call to the USMNT, however Soñora has managed to do just that, earning a spot on the roster of interim coach Anthony Hudson for the January friendlies against Colombia and Serbia.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who has lived most of his life in Argentina, is the son of former MLS player Diego ‘Chiche’ Soñora and younger brother of former U.S. Under-20 player Joel Soñora. Alan was born in New Jersey during Diego’s playing days with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, making him eligible for the USMNT.

 

A year ago, Gregg Berhalter invited Soñora to the January 2022 camp, but was unable to attend due to club duties in Argentina with Independiente. Now fast forward 12 months, Soñora’s time with the Stars and Stripes has finally come.

“I’m very happy. It’s very hard what one has to do to be called to the national team, so when they called me and told me that I was called up, I felt a lot of emotion,” said Soñora in an interview on Wednesday with American Soccer Now.

 

“It’s a big honor. Always in our family with my brother and my dad we say that to be on a national team is very important, and the truth is that it is honor for our entire family,” added Soñora.

After rising through the youth ranks at Argentine giants Boca Juniors, Soñora moved to Independiente in 2018 and later made his first team debut with El Rojo in a 2019 Copa Argentina match. By 2022, Soñora had assumed duties as the team’s prestigious No.10, scoring four goals in 34 league matches and another two goals in six Copa Sudamericana games.

But his contract with Independiente expired this past December 31, meaning Soñora is on the hunt for a new team. With a desire to play abroad, and specifically in MLS (Montreal has been a rumored destination), this month’s camp should provide the perfect platform for Soñora to showcase his skills to suitors.

“The idea was to go abroad and right now we are looking at where I can go. We have some interested teams, there is still no decision yet. When the news came about the national team, things were put on a hold because the idea is that at the end of the camp I can then decide where I want to go,” said Soñora.

Soñora is scheduled to fly out of Buenos Aires early on Friday morning and arrive into camp Friday evening to join his international teammates, two of whom are familiar to the Soñora family. Both Kellyn Acosta and Paul Arriola were on the 2015 Under-20 World Cup team with Joel in New Zealand under Tab Ramos.

“I was talking with my brother and he was telling me what it was like being on a U.S. national team squad. He just told me to enjoy it a lot because it’s wonderful, that it’s an immense honor to represent your country and that going from the U20 to the senior team is a lot more, so just to enjoy it because it’s not something that happens every day. I’m going to try to enjoy it to the fullest and I feel really happy about it,” said Soñora.

As far as playing style is concerned, USMNT fans can expect a silky smooth midfielder who combines smart movement around the final third with precise passing  and a lethal left foot that can put opposing goalkeepers to the sword on set pieces.

 

“I’m a midfielder who likes to have the ball. I like to generate play and chances for my team. I like good football and hope that I can contribute my grain of sand to the national team,” said Soñora. 

The USMNT camp will be warmly welcomed by Soñora, who has been out of action since the end of Independiente’s season last October. And should he get the chance to suit up and start against Serbia next Wednesday or Colombia on the 28th, hearing the national anthem while wearing the U.S. jersey will make for an emotional evening.

“To represent your country is something very beautiful. It is the dream of every player that starts playing to be in your national team. The fact that I get a chance to is great. You think about everything that you went through and worked on to get there, so I’m very happy about it,” concluded Soñora.

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