Growing up in the small Central American nation of Belize in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Michael Salazar did everything he could to play soccer. At times playing barefooted, sometimes with a ball of tape rather than a true soccer ball, Salazar’s unique upbringing resulted in an amazing journey. From the unassuming, simple pitches in his hometown, Salazar would make a remarkable leap, playing against childhood idols in the United States, lining up alongside soccer legends and even becoming the first Belizean player to grace the pitch in Major League Soccer.
“It was kind of difficult to have good opportunities,” Salazar said of his native Belize. “To be where I am today is really special. I feel like I showed them [Belizeans] that it is possible to make it out of where we come from. It’s not easy, but if you put your head down and believe that you can do something, it is possible. I’m happy that I was able to be one of the few, if not only, to come out of Belize and be a successful soccer player in the United States.”
Born in New York City in 1992, Salazar moved to his family’s native Belize soon thereafter. Identifying Cayo, Belize as his true home, Salazar grew up in the company of a large, tight-knit family of cousins, aunts, uncles and more in the western, densely forested region of the country.
“All my cousins and I were the same age, so we all grew up together; we basically had enough to field a family team together,” Salazar joked. “I was the youngest out of everyone, so I always had to play against older guys, and I felt like that helped my development. We would just go out to the park and play barefooted even if we had to make balls out of tape, we would find a way to play.”
Growing up in the small Central American nation of Belize in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Michael Salazar did everything he could to play soccer. At times playing barefooted, sometimes with a ball of tape rather than a true soccer ball, Salazar’s unique upbringing resulted in an amazing journey. From the unassuming, simple pitches in his hometown, Salazar would make a remarkable leap, playing against childhood idols in the United States, lining up alongside soccer legends and even becoming the first Belizean player to grace the pitch in Major League Soccer.
“It was kind of difficult to have good opportunities,” Salazar said of his native Belize. “To be where I am today is really special. I feel like I showed them [Belizeans] that it is possible to make it out of where we come from. It’s not easy, but if you put your head down and believe that you can do something, it is possible. I’m happy that I was able to be one of the few, if not only, to come out of Belize and be a successful soccer player in the United States.”
Born in New York City in 1992, Salazar moved to his family’s native Belize soon thereafter. Identifying Cayo, Belize as his true home, Salazar grew up in the company of a large, tight-knit family of cousins, aunts, uncles and more in the western, densely forested region of the country.
“All my cousins and I were the same age, so we all grew up together; we basically had enough to field a family team together,” Salazar joked. “I was the youngest out of everyone, so I always had to play against older guys, and I felt like that helped my development. We would just go out to the park and play barefooted even if we had to make balls out of tape, we would find a way to play.”
After 18 years in Belize, Salazar made the move to Moreno Valley, Calif. where he graduated from Canyon Springs High School. Knowing little about college soccer, Salazar's high school coach convinced him to play collegiately at California Baptist University.
“I had one of the best college experiences at California Baptist University," Salazar said. "It was awesome to be a part of that group. They were incredible guys, and they helped my development massively.”
From 2011 to 2012, Salazar excelled with the Lancers as the forward played in back-to-back NCCAA Division I national championships, winning the first after scoring twice, and was named PacWest Freshman of the Year. Seeking more opportunities, Salazar transferred to UC Riverside in 2013 where he earned All-Big West First Team honors twice.
After 18 years in Belize, Salazar made the move to Moreno Valley, Calif. where he graduated from Canyon Springs High School. Knowing little about college soccer, Salazar’s high school coach convinced him to play collegiately at California Baptist University.
“I had one of the best college experiences at California Baptist University,” Salazar said. “It was awesome to be a part of that group. They were incredible guys, and they helped my development massively.”
From 2011 to 2012, Salazar excelled with the Lancers as the forward played in back-to-back NCCAA Division I national championships, winning the first after scoring twice, and was named PacWest Freshman of the Year. Seeking more opportunities, Salazar transferred to UC Riverside in 2013 where he earned All-Big West First Team honors twice.
“I had been there [Cal Baptist] for two years and we’d won everything," Salazar explained. "There wasn’t anything left for me to prove there. I wanted to go play at the highest college level and that’s when I made the switch to go to UC Riverside. That move got me to where I am today, so I think I made the right decision.”
Salazar received one of his first call-ups to the Belizean national team after spending much of his childhood within the nation’s youth system.
The first time Salazar had the privilege of playing in a professional stadium in the United States came in the form of a Gold Cup matchup against the United States in Portland, Oregon in 2013—the first time Belize had made an appearance in the tournament. The call-up served as a special moment for Salazar as the striker was able to line up alongside his uncle and childhood mentor, Trevor Lennen, with the Jaguars.
“It was the first time we [Belize] had ever made the Gold Cup,” Salazar said. “We played against the United States in our first game in Portland, which was really amazing."
“[Landon] Donovan and Stuart Holden were playing,” Salazar added. “It was so cool because I looked up to these guys growing up. The LA Galaxy were one of the only teams I watched while I was in Belize. To go and play against them at that young of an age was amazing, and I gained a lot of experience. To see the quality that those guys have and the way they play was a cool experience. That definitely helped my growth as a player.”
“I had been there [Cal Baptist] for two years and we’d won everything,” Salazar explained. “There wasn’t anything left for me to prove there. I wanted to go play at the highest college level and that’s when I made the switch to go to UC Riverside. That move got me to where I am today, so I think I made the right decision.”
Salazar received one of his first call-ups to the Belizean national team after spending much of his childhood within the nation’s youth system.
The first time Salazar had the privilege of playing in a professional stadium in the United States came in the form of a Gold Cup matchup against the United States in Portland, Oregon in 2013—the first time Belize had made an appearance in the tournament. The call-up served as a special moment for Salazar as the striker was able to line up alongside his uncle and childhood mentor, Trevor Lennen, with the Jaguars.
“It was the first time we [Belize] had ever made the Gold Cup,” Salazar said. “We played against the United States in our first game in Portland, which was really amazing.”
“[Landon] Donovan and Stuart Holden were playing,” Salazar added. “It was so cool because I looked up to these guys growing up. The LA Galaxy were one of the only teams I watched while I was in Belize. To go and play against them at that young of an age was amazing, and I gained a lot of experience. To see the quality that those guys have and the way they play was a cool experience. That definitely helped my growth as a player.”
While the U.S. would go on to win the match, Salazar would soon have the opportunity to actually line up against the team he rooted for back in Belize. During his pair of offseasons with the Highlanders, Salazar played with OC Pateadores Blues of the USL PDL (now USL League Two) and PSA Elite of the USASA.
With PSA Elite, Salazar and the amateur club made a historic run in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, making it all the way to the fourth round where the forward would be named TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament and his club would face the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer—the club Salazar idolized as a child in Belize.
While the U.S. would go on to win the match, Salazar would soon have the opportunity to actually line up against the team he rooted for back in Belize. During his pair of offseasons with the Highlanders, Salazar played with OC Pateadores Blues of the USL PDL (now USL League Two) and PSA Elite of the USASA.
With PSA Elite, Salazar and the amateur club made a historic run in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, making it all the way to the fourth round where the forward would be named TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament and his club would face the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer—the club Salazar idolized as a child in Belize.
“Leading up to that game, all the guys would be like, ‘Keep going forward and we'll play an MLS team,’ and I said, ‘We better win,’” Salazar explained. “We were just winning and winning and winning and next thing you know we're playing LA Galaxy. We had one training session where we worked on one specific play, and that play was the exact way I scored in the game. It just blew my mind."
“Leading up to that game, all the guys would be like, ‘Keep going forward and we’ll play an MLS team,’ and I said, ‘We better win,’” Salazar explained. “We were just winning and winning and winning and next thing you know we’re playing LA Galaxy. We had one training session where we worked on one specific play, and that play was the exact way I scored in the game. It just blew my mind.”
Although the Galaxy would pull out the victory, the contest in Carson marked the beginning of a strong career in Major League Soccer as Salazar was later drafted 24th overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft to the Montréal Impact. As the first Belizean player to hit the pitch in MLS history, Salazar made 36 appearances with Montréal Impact and 11 combined appearances with the club’s two USL affiliates of Ottawa Fury FC and FC Montréal, scoring eight goals between all three sides, including two in one of his first matches with Montréal, one of which being assisted by soccer legend Didier Drogba.
Although the Galaxy would pull out the victory, the contest in Carson marked the beginning of a strong career in Major League Soccer as Salazar was later drafted 24th overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft to the Montréal Impact. As the first Belizean player to hit the pitch in MLS history, Salazar made 36 appearances with Montréal Impact and 11 combined appearances with the club’s two USL affiliates of Ottawa Fury FC and FC Montréal, scoring eight goals between all three sides, including two in one of his first matches with Montréal, one of which being assisted by soccer legend Didier Drogba.
“I ran out onto the field and the coach put me on the right wing," Salazar described. "I get on the field and [Didier] Drogba tells me ‘No, I'm going to go on the right and you go up top and you better score.’ I go up top and two minutes later he got the ball off his chest, settles it down and plays a perfect ball into the box off my head and I scored. I was just amazed by the level of player that I was playing with. He just sees the game differently from me. It was unbelievable.”
“I ran out onto the field and the coach put me on the right wing,” Salazar described. “I get on the field and [Didier] Drogba tells me ‘No, I’m going to go on the right and you go up top and you better score.’ I go up top and two minutes later he got the ball off his chest, settles it down and plays a perfect ball into the box off my head and I scored. I was just amazed by the level of player that I was playing with. He just sees the game differently from me. It was unbelievable.”
After two years in Canada, Salazar ventured to Texas where he worked within the Houston Dynamo FC organization, playing in nine games with the Dynamo and 24 with the club’s USL-affiliate, Rio Grande Valley FC.
“I just went down there with the mindset of ‘I'm absolutely going to kill it, every opportunity I get, I'm going to do the absolute best I can to get back to where I was,’” Salazar explained. “RGVFC was a great place to be for me and I really enjoyed it. The coaching staff there was incredible."
Finally, after close to two years within the Dynamo FC system, Salazar made the move to Memphis where the veteran striker has settled in nicely, recording the fastest goal in club history in a June 5 win over then-divisional leader Indy Eleven, creating the third-most chances on the team and enjoying the encouragement shown by the supporters.
After two years in Canada, Salazar ventured to Texas where he worked within the Houston Dynamo FC organization, playing in nine games with the Dynamo and 24 with the club’s USL-affiliate, Rio Grande Valley FC.
“I just went down there with the mindset of ‘I’m absolutely going to kill it, every opportunity I get, I’m going to do the absolute best I can to get back to where I was,’” Salazar explained. “RGVFC was a great place to be for me and I really enjoyed it. The coaching staff there was incredible.”
Finally, after close to two years within the Dynamo FC system, Salazar made the move to Memphis where the veteran striker has settled in nicely, recording the fastest goal in club history in a June 5 win over then-divisional leader Indy Eleven, creating the third-most chances on the team and enjoying the encouragement shown by the supporters.
“I feel like I fit right in and like these guys are my brothers,” Salazar said. “Everybody is so welcoming, and we communicate really well. We have a talented group and I think this team can be scary. I'm just enjoying the process, and I’m looking forward to growing with these guys.”
“The people are great,” Salazar added. “You can see the supporters and they're unbelievable. They're out there, whether we’re winning or losing. They’re always cheering for us and that's something special. When we really start rolling, it’s going to be unbelievable. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season is like and to continue to grow and be a part of the community.”
Crediting his upbringing, his family and his desire to attain his goals of becoming a professional soccer player, Michael Salazar feels proud of where he stands today. Crediting his own hard work along with the support system he has had over the years, Salazar remains eager to be a leader for Belizean kids who want to pursue a similar dream.
“I feel like I fit right in and like these guys are my brothers,” Salazar said. “Everybody is so welcoming, and we communicate really well. We have a talented group and I think this team can be scary. I’m just enjoying the process, and I’m looking forward to growing with these guys.”
“The people are great,” Salazar added. “You can see the supporters and they’re unbelievable. They’re out there, whether we’re winning or losing. They’re always cheering for us and that’s something special. When we really start rolling, it’s going to be unbelievable. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season is like and to continue to grow and be a part of the community.”
Crediting his upbringing, his family and his desire to attain his goals of becoming a professional soccer player, Michael Salazar feels proud of where he stands today. Crediting his own hard work along with the support system he has had over the years, Salazar remains eager to be a leader for Belizean kids who want to pursue a similar dream.
“At times it feels like a lot of pressure,” Salazar admitted. “You have to carry yourself a certain way. People are looking to you for advice, and I try to give them the best advice that I can based off of my experiences. I came up the same way most of these guys are coming up, and I feel like if they can just continue that path, the door is always there. You just take it whenever you get the opportunity.”
For the latest information on the team, visit https://www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
“At times it feels like a lot of pressure,” Salazar admitted. “You have to carry yourself a certain way. People are looking to you for advice, and I try to give them the best advice that I can based off of my experiences. I came up the same way most of these guys are coming up, and I feel like if they can just continue that path, the door is always there. You just take it whenever you get the opportunity.”
For the latest information on the team, visit https://www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
