Wisconsin Soccer Central

Sergio "Junior" Duran considers himself a midfielder – that's the position he plays for the Racine Horlick High School team and with the ACE SC Under-16 team.

But after his experiences last week, he's seeing the advantages of being versatile.

Duran traveled to Jersey City, N.J., to participate in the Sueño MLS tryout hosted by Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls. On Sunday, the 16-year-old was selected as one of the six finalists from the camp selected out of the pool of 396 players.

He'll head to Carson, Calif., next Tuesday and spend six days training with the other finalists – there also were six players chosen from tryouts hosted by the Colorado Rapids and the Los Angeles Galaxy – before the winners (one field player and one goalkeeper) of the eighth annual player search competition are announced May 18.

Now in its eighth year, Sueño MLS seeks to identify the country's best undiscovered, amateur soccer player. Male players from ages of 14 to 17 are eligible, provided that they haven't ever been a part of a Major League Soccer academy program. Among the competition's previous winners are Jorge Villafaña, who now plays for the Portland Timbers in MLS, and Rogelio Gabriel Funes Mori, who is with Portuguese power Benfica after starting his career at Argentina's River Plate.

Each of the three locations could accept up to 400 players for the free, open tryout – though participants had to provide their own transportation. Duran said paying for his first trip to New York was a challenge for his family, but they found a way to make it work.

Saturday's session included games overseen by six Red Bulls staff coaches, Red Bulls goalkeeper Santiago Castaño, Alexander Soto – a New Jersey native and one of last year's Sueño MLS winners – and a special guest: legendary Colombian midfielder Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama.

"To be honest, I didn't know what I was expecting," Duran said of his mind-set going into the camp.

But one choice proved vital: He told tryout organizers that he could play anywhere, a decision that set the stage for his successful weekend. He said he was nervous and got off to a "rough start" in his first shift, then was slotted in at center back for his second appearance.

"I like to play midfield, that's my main position, but I can play anywhere, really," the 5-foot-9 Duran said. "I tried every position so they could see me more – I thought there would be a better opportunity for me to make it.

"As soon as I played defense, right after the game, one of the coaches pulled me over to the side and told me, 'I'm going to pass you on to the second round.' "

Twenty-five players were chosen for Sunday's second round, and the six finalists were picked from that group – they were announced live on Univision’s Republica Deportiva program. The Spanish-language network also will unveil the overall Sueño MLS winners during a live telecast on May 18.

"I'm ready to go," said Duran, who will work with Valderrama again at the camp in California. "I feel like, I made it this far, why quit now?"

Duran said he and his father got home between 2 and 3 a.m. Monday, and after a full day of classes at Horlick that day, the junior was headed to training with his ACE team – they're preparing for Wisconsin State Championships group play, which is May 24 to 26 in Appleton.

He said the talk he heard at school Monday was that he was turning pro.

"No, it's not like that," Duran said with a laugh. "Hopefully, maybe in the future." He added that his top priority is to earn a scholarship and play college soccer.