VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — American striker Omar Salgado was granted an early transfer by FIFA and is eligible to join the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The 17-year-old Salgado was a surprise first overall pick in this year’s Major League Soccer draft, but wasn’t expected to join the expansion Whitecaps until he turned 18 on Sept. 10.
FIFA doesn’t typically grant international transfer certificates, required for anyone playing outside their home country, until a player is 18. But soccer’s governing body made an exception after lobbying from MLS, the Canadian Soccer Association and the United States Soccer Federation.
Salgado, a 6-foot-4 striker, is with the American under-20 team preparing for the 2011 CONACAF U-20 Championship, and isn’t expected to join the Whitecaps until after April 10.
