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Byron Alvarez
Personal information
Date of birth	October 21, 1978 (1978-10-21) (age 31)
Place of birth	Mexico City, Mexico
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Monterrey La Raza
Number	23
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2002 2003-2006 2004-2006 2007 2007-2009 2008	Yakima Reds Reboceros de La Piedad Jaiba Brava de Tamaulipas C.F. Ciudad Juárez C.F. Tampico MetroStars Portland Timbers Chicago Storm (indoor) Charleston Battery Monterrey La Raza (indoor) Portland Timbers	08 0(0) 96 (41) 45 (25) 22 0(8) 42 (39) 09 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 October 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Byron Alvarez (born October 21, 1978 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican football (soccer) forward who plays for the Monterrey La Raza of National Indoor Soccer League. He was the 2008-2009 NISL Most Valuable Player.

[edit] Early Life

Alvarez began playing football at sixteen. He appeared with a string of minor league Mexican clubs including Reboceros de La Piedad, Jaiba Brava de Tamaulipas, Astros de Ciudad Juarez, and C.F. Tambico.

[edit] Club career

In 2002, he signed with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer. In 2003, he moved to the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division. On September 29, 2004, the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) traded Kevin Sakuda to the San Diego Sockers for the rights to Alvarez.^[1] On October 18, 2004, the Storm signed him on loan from the Timbers and he played the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 indoor seasons in Chicago. Following the 2006 USL-1 season, Alvarez became a free agent and on April 3, 2007 signed with the Charleston Battery of USL-1. He played twenty-two games and scored eight goals.^[2] On July 9, 2007, the Monterrey La Raza of MISL selected Alvarez in the MISL expansion draft.^[3] The LaRaza went to the MISL championship series, but fell to the Baltimore Blast. Following the end of the indoor season, he contacted Gavin Wilkinson, coach of the Timbers, about the possibility of rejoining the Timbers. Alvarez signed with the Timbers on July 14, 2008.^[4] He played only nine games with the Timbers and returned to the LaRaza which was now playing in the newly created National Indoor Soccer League. On April 7, 2009, he was announced as the 2008-08 NISL Most Valuable Player.^[5]

Alvarez has also played for the Mexican national futsal team.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Portland Timbers profile
• 2003 Timberlog Interview