Before Cristian Parano became one of the USL’s rising young players, his dream of becoming a professional footballer was stifled by rejection. The 20-year-old Argentine found a home with San Antonio FC this year, but not before bouncing from one club to another in his native country. So many doors closed on the former River Plate youth player that he got used to hearing the word “no” from technical directors, coaches and scouts.



“They said that I was talented, but that they already had enough players,” said Parano during a recent phone interview. “All kinds of excuses. The more I heard ‘no,’ the more doubts I had about myself.”



Parano’s story is not unlike that of many aspiring professionals in South America. Before the age of 10, he left his parent’s home in rural Aguilares, Argentina and moved 13 hours away to Buenos Aires in order to pursue a professional career, joining a newly formed FC...