Miguel Camargo's path to professional sports didn't always point toward soccer.
"I used to be a baseball player," recalls the Panamanian attacker. Throughout the majority of his youth, soccer was an afterthought.
"I decided to play soccer at age 18," he says. "I wasn't in a league or a club or anything, then all of a sudden I didn't like baseball as much. I saw that soccer was better, and I chose soccer."
Principios
As it turns out, he chose wisely, and his footballing talents led him to the pro ranks in unlikely fashion.
"I went with a friend to a tryout. There were more than 200 players and only two of us made it," Camargo says.
"Then Chorillo FC signed me, and I was happy."
Camargo's professional career began in 2013 with Chorillo, for whom he has made 58 appearances and scored six goals while also serving several loan stints with other Central and South American clubs. Following a successful stint in Venezuela and some standout performances with the Panamanian national team, Miguel headed to NYCFC on a loan.
Panama City
Quick Facts
Panama's capital and largest city boasts over 430,000 residents and sits at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The city is home to three World Heritage Sites in the old quarter of the city.
Elsewhere, the Bridge of the Americas crosses over the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal.
Famous Capitalinos
Panama City has produced many famous athletes, including boxer Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran, National Baseball Hall of Fame member Rod Carew, and New York Yankees pitching great Mariano Rivera, among others.
The city's vibrant history has also produced many notable artists, including abstract and surrealist painter Alfredo Sinclair.
Panamanian Football
Big Clubs
Panama's biggest club, Arabe Unido, has won the Liga Nacional de Panameña 15 times. They're followed closely by Panama City's Tauro, who can count 13 titles to their name. Arabe Unido has made five appearances in the CONCACAF Champions Leaguem while Tauro have made just one.
National Team
Los Canaleros are currently in the hunt to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup. Currently, they sit in fourth place in the Hex, just one spot out of automatic qualification. If they remain in fourth, they'll face a playoff against the fifth-placed finisher in Asian qualifying.
In recent years, Panama have done pretty well in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, reaching the final in 2005 and 2013, while earning bronze medals in 2011 and 2015.
Currently, Panama is ranked 61st in the world by FIFA.
Join Miguel and the rest of the team on Saturday, September 9 at Yankee Stadium as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Get your tickets down below!
