PANAMA CITY – Jorge Villafaña probably wouldn’t have started for the U.S. national soccer team Friday in a World Cup qualifier if not for a reluctant decision 10 years ago to attend a tryout instead of making a few bucks doing odd jobs at a church.
He surely would not have filled a void at left back during a 6-0 victory over Honduras in San Jose had all of the registered players on that Presidents’ Day 2007 shown up for the youth event in Bell Gardens, Calif.
In all likelihood, he wouldn’t have entered the mix for a 2018 World Cup roster slot had he not beaten out thousands of hopefuls in winning a nationally televised talent search.