THIS PAST SUNDAY the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship in Honduras wrapped up with a third straight crown for the United States, who defeated the Dominican Republic 6-0 in the Final.

It serves as another milestone for the growth of U.S. youth national teams and will no doubt further inspire those players who missed out on being on Head Coach Mikey Varas’ final 20-man roster to try to work themselves into the 2024 Paris Olympics conversation.

No question there are a number of players based both in Europe and MLS who will be aiming for that Olympic squad, but one to keep an eye on down in South America is 19-year-old striker Dylan Saltos.

Recently called up to the first team at Ecuadorian first division side 9 De Octubre, Saltos is a Manhattan-born player who was groomed in the youth system of Ecuador’s biggest club, Barcelona of Guayaquil, and has already appeared for the Ecuador Under-20s.

Yet if the opportunity ever presented itself for him to play for his birth country, Saltos would leap at the chance.

“Yes, of course I would go to a United States camp if they called. I have always said that my dream in reality is to go play for the United States,” said Saltos in an interview with American Soccer Now.

“I have always wanted the national team to call me. I even tried to contact them. I have videos of myself that I sent but I have never had a response, but I’ve always wanted to play with them,” added Saltos.

Not only did Varas’ U-20 team grab the attention of national team followers here in the U.S., but it also had Saltos following along very closely.

“I have just been watching the Under-20 national team, I saw the game that they played against Canada (2-2 draw). I think I could play in that team. There are some very good players. I really liked Diego Luna a lot. He’s good, I like how he plays, but I believe I could play there,” said Saltos.

Saltos’ upbringing is different than most. Born to Ecuadorian parents in New York, he lived in the U.S. for only a year before he was sent to Ecuador to live with his grandparents. His mother and brother remain in the U.S., along with two uncles, living in The Bronx, where Saltos visits every Christmas. Meanwhile, his father moved back to Ecuador shortly after Saltos’ birth, but now lives with a different family.

Being raised by his grandparents, it was only natural that his Barcelona de Guayaquil-crazed grandfather would mold Saltos into a fan himself and eventually a youth team player. Saltos would spent almost his entire youth career with Barcelona until the opportunity arose to join 9 De Octubre, one of Ecuador’s more modest clubs.

It was an opportunity that Saltos took full advantage of, scoring 11 goals last season with the 9 De Octubre Under-18 team.

“At first it was very hard for me because since I was very little, I was a Barcelona fan. I always supported Barcelona. The transition was tough for me, but I feel like it was the best thing for me so that I could grow my footballing level. Last year I was the leading scorer of my age category and now I’m in the first team,” said Saltos. 

His first team debut in a competitive match came on May 8 when he played the final minutes of 9 De Octubre’s 2-0 defeat with Liga de Quito. Despite the loss, it was a moment to savor with his grandfather, who had been attending every 9 De Octubre match home and away with the hope of seeing his grandson debut. When the moment finally came, the first person he wanted to share it with was, of course, his grandfather.

En el partido de #LDUQ ???? #9OCT, el canterano Dylan Saltos hizo su debut oficial con la camiseta del Súper 9.
Los sueños están para cumplirse, Dylan fue testigo de aquello.
¡Vamos por más, juvenil! ????????????????#LaNueveEsperanza#EnElCorazónDeGuayaquil pic.twitter.com/5k0kt0FesU

— Formativas 9 de Octubre FC (@Formativas9Oct) May 9, 2022

“It was two months ago against Liga de Quito. I was so happy. It was a dream that I had since I was little and it became a reality and just knowing that the effort that I had made had a reward was special.

“My grandfather was with me in Barcelona, he took me there to all of the games. I’m just so grateful and that everything I have right now is because of him,” said Saltos.

After his first team debut in the Ecuadorian league in May, Saltos achieved another milestone later in the month when he made his first debut in a South American competition - appearing for 9 De Octubre in the Copa Sudamericana in losses to Brazil's Internacional and then Paraguay’s Guairena.

As for the player himself, Saltos finds himself in a club that is trying to stave off relegation when it begins its new league season next week. A self-described “daring” player, Saltos is hoping to build off his first several appearances and enjoy more sustained minutes in this second semester.

“I am a very daring player. I’m fast, I like to have a lot of contact with the ball, play filtered passes and of course score goals, which is the most important.

“This season I’m expecting to play more minutes, perhaps not be a big or important player quite yet because I’m still so young, but to get more minutes, more experience, which will help me in my career,” said Saltos.

And before it is said and done, Saltos has the stated goal of playing in Europe, but equipped with a U.S. passport, he has also cast an eye toward playing in MLS soon.

“Right now, I belong to 9 De Octubre, but I’m still trying to get myself in contact with someone in the U.S. to be able to play there, so we’ll see if something can happen soon. I want to play in Europe, but I am going step by step, trying to do things well, and afterward we’ll see,” concluded Saltos.