El Paso native Omar Salgado joins Tigres de la UANL in Monterrey, Mexico

Two of the best soccer players to come out of El Paso will soon have a rivalry in the same city in Mexico.

El Paso native Omar Salgado is now a member of Tigres de la UANL out of Monterrey, Mexico after four years with Vancouver of Major League Soccer. El Paso native Alonso Hernandez plays for their rivals, CF Monterrey Rayados.

Salgado posted on his Twitter, “Happy to be part of a club so big as @TigresOficial. Now, to give it my all for the fans!”

Salgado had been traded from Vancouver to New York City FC on Dec. 8. New York FC then transferred Salgado to Tigres.

Although he didn’t know at the time where he’d end up, Salgado said his goodbyes to Vancouver with a picture and this caption on Instagram in early November.

“Vancouver, its been unreal. Thank you to the club, the fans, and the city for making this my home for the past 4 years. Coming in at 17 wasn’t going to be easy, but you guys made it feel like home right from the beginning. Im happy to say I grew up here, and I enjoyed every single second of my time in this beautiful city. Thank you to all the fans that always had my back and supported me throughout the good and tough times. You guys were amazing. To my teammates, all I can say is thank you. You guys always helped me and supported me, and im happy to say I made many friendships here that will last forever. I wish every single one of you nothing but the best. Its been one hell of a ride,” Salgado wrote in the Instagram caption.

Salgado returned to MLS play this past May after missing 18 months due to injury. He was the first player selected overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.

As MountainStar Sports Group works to bring an MLS expansion team to El Paso, Salgado believes a team would succeed in the Sun City.

“I believe an MLS team in El Paso would do very well,” Salgado said in a Facebook message to ABC-7 in August. “Judging from the Chihuahuas game I got to see last week, it looks as if El Paso is ready to have a big league team in town and what better league to have than Major League Soccer. Like a couple years ago, Indios filled their stadium week in and week out. I believe the support an MLS team would have in El Paso would be enormous. It certainly is a team I would enjoy playing for and I hope it happens in the near future.”

This summer, Salgado was invited to the Under-23 U.S. Men’s soccer camp.

“It’s always an honor to be able to represent your country at any level and especially with the future Olympic team,” Salgado told ABC-7 in August. “It would be amazing to be at the Olympics in 2016. It’s everybody’s dream to be able to represent their country at an event like this and a dream I can hopefully accomplish.”

Salgado also talked about what being in the same U.S. soccer camp as Hernandez.

“I think its speaks highly of the talent that El Paso produces and continues to produce. It’s awesome to have two players from the same city on the national team,” Salgado said.

Salgadotweetedin August “National team camp in the Bahamas isn’t to bad…usmntwhitecaps@ Breezes Nassau Bahamas,” and added a picture of himself shirtless on the beach.

“It’s great to be able to spend some time at a vacation spot like this,” Salgado told ABC-7. “Easy to relax off the field, and get to work on the field.”

According to U.S. Soccer’s official website, Hernandez has previously been a part of the Under-20 men’s nationalteam.

Hernandez’s professional career started in 2010 with the Juarez Indios at age 15.

Hernandez was almost immediately loaned out to the club’s third division team in Cuauhtmoc, Chihuahua, according to an MLSSoccer.com article. He was picked up by Monterrey for their Under-17 team when the Indios lost their league status.

An article on MLSSoccer.com describes the camp as being the first of its kind for the U.S. It will include a friendly against the Bahamas full national team on Aug. 6 at Thompson A. Robinson National Stadium.

Of the 19 players selected to participate in the camp, eight currently represent MLS clubs.

The U.S. is hoping to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after missing the London 2012 Olympics.

CONCACAF’s qualifying tournament takes place in March of 2016.