LOS ANGELES – LA Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese and head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto had a little help recruiting Cristian Pavón from midfielder Favio Alvarez.
As the rumors circulated about Pavón joining the Galaxy, the Boca Juniors’ star’s former youth teammate at Club Atlético Talleres took it upon himself to try to bring his old friend to Los Angeles.
“We have a really good relationship. When I found out that he was interested in coming out here, I was bugging him constantly,” he said with a joking laugh. “Because I know what kind of player he is, and how he is as a person, which I think is very important. We have a good relationship, and if I influenced his decision then that makes me very happy because he made the right decision.
“I think that out here he is going to feel good, that’s going to be important, I think that he’s going to be able to give his best and really help us. He’s a player of top hierarchy that is going to help us reach our objective, if God wills it, to be champion.”
Pavon himself credited his old friend for his role in helping bring him to the Galaxy.
“With Favio I have him on WhatsApp because I know him from a long time ago and I am always in contact with him," he said. "But like I said before, he told me to come here and to try to enjoy, that it was really nice here in Los Angeles.”
The pair’s friendship began back in their hometown of Córdoba as they rose through the ranks at Talleres. Alvarez, making his debut in 2010 while Cristian followed three years later. The pair played alongside one another professionally for just a year before Pavon was scooped up by Boca Juniors.
Reunited again, Alvarez is hopeful that the two can help lift the Galaxy to greatness.
“Honestly, I’m very happy. I’ve known him since we were kids. We played in Tallares de Cordoba in their academy, and I had the pleasure to be on a professional team. It makes me very happy, and I am very happy for him to have come here. Hopefully, it goes very well for him, because I think that he can help us grow as a team.”
