Gastón Fernández came to the Rose City in the offseason last year from his native Argentina with a wealth of experience from South America. After starting out as a 15 year old at the academy of legendary club River Plate in Buenos Aires, Fernández went on to play for a number of clubs including Tigres and Monterrey in Mexico before winning a Copa Libertadores with Estudiantes in Argentina.
In a recent interview with FIFA.com, Fernández talks about his formational years at River Plate and how that helped develop him into the player he is today:
“I arrived there in 1997; I was 15 and I had the dream,” he said, thinking back to that moment when football became something else entirely. “The responsibility of wearing the River shirt and the idea of greatness motivated me. The club was the foundation for my abilities. I learned what ‘football’ is all about: to be an intelligent player, to not only run and have pace, but to pass, and to have chemistry and camaraderie with your team-mates,” he added, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. “Looking back on my career, those years were crucial.”
Fernández, tied for third on the team for goals, is already in the club history books for the fastest ever goal scored for the Timbers (see above).
Learn more about his childhood playing soccer in Argentina and road to Portland in the FIFA.com article here.
