By RGV Fútbol/Staff

Related Links: Versión en Español

FRISCO, 25 April. - Former RGV Bravos FC defender Reynol Fuentes and forward Damián "Niño" López signed with the Laredo Heat last week and traveled with the squad on Monday to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to face the MLS FC Dallas Reserves in an exhibition match at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Pizza Hut Park Soccer Complex.

Fuentes, a former Sharyland standout, played the 2009 season with Bravos FC and participated in a couple of matches with the Valley club in 2010. He was part of five emotionally-charged games between Bravos FC and the Heat, his new team.

"To tell the truth, It gives me a lot of pleasure to be a part of this organization,” said Fuentes in an interview from Frisco. "It’s an honor to continue my soccer career with this club."

López played alongside Fuentes with Bravos FC and have been teammates on a few local amateur teams.

"I’m really motivated to be here because there’s a lot of opportunities with this team," said López, who was a standout at McAllen Memorial.

The former RGV Bravos FC standouts were sponsored by BCP Sports Group and the South Texas Premier Soccer Association (STXPSA), and funneled to the Laredo organization by local Heat scout Miguel Puente.

"I’m proud that the guys made the team," said Puente. "It says a lot about the soccer talent the Valley has to offer, and the Heat organization realizes that. They had already seen Reynol and Niño in action with the Bravos and coach Collazo saw what they were capable of doing when they played against each other."

While Fuentes was a thorn in the side of Heat forwards, López was a pest for Laredo’s defenders. Heat head coach Israel Collazo is glad to have them on his side now.

"I expect Reynol and Damián to create the same havoc to the opposition this year like they created for us the past two seasons,” said Collazo. “I saw them so often in 2009 and 2010 that when they contacted us about joining the Heat in 2011, it was like they were already part of the team."

"Both of these individuals know what I expect from them and since their first day in pre-season camp, they have demonstrated their commitment to our goals as a team and their skills will definitely be an asset to us," he added.

Fuentes and López arrived in Laredo in early March and have already played a few exhibition matches with the Heat, but Tuesday’s match against FC Dallas will be their biggest test yet, as well as for the Heat as a unit.

"The group has accepted me really well and I’m adapting quickly to this team’s style of soccer and the coach has put a lot of faith in me to try and do things right," said Fuentes. "I’m really excited to be a part of this game (against FC Dallas), it’s a good opportunity for me to prove myself and win a starting spot on the team, and to see how I do under pressure. It’s going to be a tough game, but we hope it all works out and we take home a win."

López also hopes to get a shot at showing what he has to offer to the Heat against FC Dallas.

"Coach Collazo has a lot of confidence in me, and that’s good to have," said López. "It’s a real good opportunity for me for a lot of reasons. For example, I’ll get the chance to see how I do under pressure against a First Division club’s reserves and I also get the opportunity to be seen by their scouts."

Each team in the MLS consists of 30 players on its master roster and all 30 are eligible for the 18 player game day roster. However, not all of the 18 players on a game day roster get an opportunity to play at times due to the game day playing climate and coaching decisions during the match.

Because of this, the MLS reinstated their reserve team system in 2011 for all of their franchises in order that the 12 players not called up for the game day roster, along with the few players that did not get to see the field during the game, get valuable playing time that only comes from game action.

"In essence, although they may be called reserve team members, our team (Laredo Heat) will be facing an FC Dallas Reserve Team that will consist of professional players that see MLS game action week in and week out and will be playing in front of their technical staff trying to impress them for more playing time," said Heat General Manager J.J. Vela.

"Our coaching staff headed by Israel Collazo will treat this match as an actual PDL game since we will be opening up our regular season play within ten days of this game in Frisco," he concluded.