VANCOUVER, B.C. – The influence of South American and Central American talent on the Vancouver Whitecaps has been well documented these past two seasons.
A long-time fan of the skill, flair and work ethic of Latino players, head coach Carl Robinson has utilized an extensive scouting network to put together an exciting and talented squad that has taken the Whitecaps to the top of the MLS standings.
Many of those players were relatively unknown to North American soccer fans, and that includes Uruguayan winger Cristian Techera. The addition of Techera in April, signed on a season-long loan deal with a transfer option from River Plate Montevideo, has given an already electric Whitecaps attack a further boost.
The 23-year-old took a couple of games to find his feet but with two goals and two assists in his 10 appearances so far, Techera is looking very comfortable in his new surroundings and could be a key difference maker for the Whitecaps down the stretch heading into Sunday's home match against Sporting Kansas City (9 pm ET; TSN1).
"At first, it took a little bit of time in getting used to," Techera told MLSSoccer.com through translator Kianz Froese. "There's a good group here. It takes a little bit of time to get confidence and get into the rhythm of things, but now I think I've got into a good rhythm and things are going good."
Adding any new player to a settled squad is always a risk, particularly one from a different country and environment. But Robinson had high hopes for Techera from the start and has been delighted with how he has settled into life in Major League Soccer.
"He's been great," Robinson said. "I think he's had a contribution in the attacking area. He's brought a different dimension to our group, a different way of playing, a different style. He's totally different to Kekuta [Manneh], the other winger that we play.
"He understands the game. For someone that's so young as well. He can make us tick in certain areas, and I think we've found a good balance with the three behind [the lone striker]. He's still got a lot to improve. He's still a young player, but he's a good addition to the group."
Born in Paysandu, Uruguay, Techera came through the youth system at the famous Montevideo-based Club Atlético Peñarol before moving across the city and joining the pro ranks with River Plate, making his senior debut as a 17-year-old in April 2010.
Techera has been playing the game he loves from a young age, earning his nickname El Bicho (The Bug) from his father for the way he buzzed around the pitch. He knew from very early on that becoming a professional footballer was what he wanted to work toward.
"I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old," Techera said. "When you turn 12, you change to bigger fields, and that's finally when I understood and decided that I wanted to play soccer professionally, and that's what I wanted to do."
Techera had just embarked on his sixth season with River Plate when Robinson watched him play on his pre-Christmas scouting trip to South America. It proved to be a fruitful journey to Uruguay with Octavio Rivero, Diego Rodriguez and Techera all signing for the Whitecaps as the end result.
Robinson earmarked Techera right away as a player that could make a difference. For Techera, the interest came at the perfect time.
"It was a change of scenery type of thing," Techera said. "There [in Uruguay], I had been with the team for a long time. This was just a good next step for me. It lets me take care of my family and to enjoy life and see something different."
Settling in to his new surroundings was naturally made easier with the amount of fellow South Americans currently with the 'Caps. Those include Nicolas Mezquida, who he has known since they both played on a regional team together as 14-year-olds.
Techera describes that "as a plus," especially for a player who spoke very little English when he came to Vancouver, but that's something he is working on.
"It's hard," Techera said of the English language barrier. "But I'm taking one-hour classes in terms of trying to learn the language. It's hard, but it's coming."
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Coming to play in MLS always adds some new dynamics into the mix for overseas players. The amount of travel can take some getting used to, as can playing on artificial pitches, but Techera remains unaffected by it all.
"The fields are first class," Techera said. "In terms of synthetic or turf fields, it's not really a difference for me. It's good. Maybe some are better than others, but other than that I find it enjoyable. As for the long trips and travel, they're enjoyable, and it's fun being with the group."
MLS can also be a physical league at times, but Techera describes the play as "nicer and prettier" than what he's used to back home.
At 5-foot-2, Techera may not have the typical build of a player that would thrive in a physical league, but as the likes of shorter players such as Joao Plata and Sebastian Giovinco have also shown, size doesn't matter when you have the skill. And Techera feels the league is perfect for his qualities as a player.
"I may be smaller, but it doesn't faze me," Techera said. "It's not something I think about when I go on the field and play. I just try and do my best and try and do what I do on the field. I enjoy it, the physical side of the league."
