In 2010, the Ciudad Juárez Indios were relegated to second division in Mexican soccer. It was then that a local player finally got his chance to play for the team.

Midfielder Sergio Villaseñor who had been playing in several third division clubs, was optimistic about playing in his hometown with the Indios.

For Villaseñor, the opportunity was short lived. It took a little more than a year after the new management took over and problems began to surface. The team couldn’t pay the players’ wages and after a couple of weeks of uncertainty the Mexican Football Federation (Federación Mexicana de Fútbol) had to step in and break up the team.

“Once the team was dissolved, I didn’t want to play anymore,” Villaseñor said. “I went back to school for a semester and heard about the Patriots and (head coach) Hugo (Sámano) gave me the opportunity to be part of the team.”
Sámano, took in Villaseñor along with defenseman Daniel Campos, who played in the first division with the Indios and was part of the team that reached the semifinals in the 2008-09 season.

“I already knew some of the Indios players and when the team disappeared, we decided to bring them in to help us out,” Sámano said. “They are experienced players that can help the others improve and are very useful on the pitch.”
The 2012 season with the Patriots has not been a cakewalk for Villaseñor. The style of play is very different to what he is used to and at 5 feet 6 inches tall, he’s been struggling with the physical play of the PDL (Premier Development League.)
“In Mexico, it’s more about the skills and here it’s very physical,” Villaseñor said. “But, it’s all part of the game and getting used to the hits is part of the learning process for me.”
Villaseñor was given the task to take command of the left side of the field and to organize his teammates during the games. Due to his height, he also was asked by the coach to take long runs with the ball, to face defenders and try to dribble his way to the goal.

“He assumed his role as a leader in the midfield, it has not been an easy process to adapt as fast to this league,” Sámano said. “He is very humble, and had dedicated to work with the team, and hopefully he will help us do better next year.”
Villaseñor’s plans for the future are not yet completely clear, he has been approached by another team already, but he also wants to keep studying  (he is currently studying at Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez).

To this day he still reminisces about those times he saw more than 25,000 fans in the stands cheering and supporting the Indios regardless of the results.

“It’s very sad that the team (Indios) was relegated, and even worse that the team no longer exists, the support of the fans was impressive,” Villaseñor said. “The team was one of the very best things the city had to offer, the team united the city, and it was a far more peaceful time from what it is now.”
Edwin Delgado may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.