New Atlanta United FC signing Erick "Cubo" Torres believes a lack of minutes for Mexicans in Liga MX makes Major League Soccer a better opportunity.
Torres only started 12 games in Liga MX since he left Houston Dynamo in 2017, first landing at Pumas and then Club Tijuana, forcing his return to MLS, where he has previously scored 36 goals over 75 games.
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"I'm thankful to MLS because there have been moments in my career where the doors were closed in my country and they didn't give me opportunities that I wanted and I know that I am capable of doing big things," Torres said at his presentation with Atlanta. "In Mexico, Mexicans are not given enough opportunities because no one has the patience to work with them."
Torres came out of the Chivas youth academy and made his debut for the club in 2010, but the minutes dried up and the Guadalajara native was loaned to the now-defunct Chivas USA, where he netted 22 goals over 44 games for the struggling franchise.
A return to Chivas was followed by the club selling him to Houston Dynamo, from where he was loaned briefly to Cruz Azul in 2016, before returning to Houston and then on to Pumas.
"[The lack of minutes in Mexico] is due to the topic of foreigners, coaches, a personal thing, different circumstances," explained Torres. "I didn't have the opportunities that I wanted to do bigger things and it is something that I value a lot [in MLS] and I thank MLS and [Atlanta United vice president] Carlos Bocanegra and it motivates me a lot."
The 27-year-old added he has thought a lot about why his numbers in MLS have been better and he believes it is because he hasn't been given consistent runs in Liga MX.
"I think that it is because of confidence and playing rhythm," he said. "[In MLS] I've had the minutes that any player needs to get rhythm on the field, to get that confidence. For different circumstances, in Mexico it didn't happen, maybe a little more in Pumas, but I never had the continuity that I had here."
Atlanta United restarts its MLS regular season on Aug. 22 against Nashville SC under interim coach Stephen Glass, who stepped in after the club parted ways with Frank de Boer.
Star striker Josef Martinez was placed on the season-ending injury list on July 31, paving the way for Torres to come in. Martinez tore his ACL in his right knee against Nashville on Feb. 29.
Torres joins a growing list of Mexican players who have recently opted for MLS over Liga MX, including Carlos Vela, Rodolfo Pizarro, Oswaldo Alanis, Alan Pulido, Javier Hernandez and Jurgen Damm.