This is the first episode in our series charting the path of professionals athletes from the childhood to their debut. We call it “Back Streets to Pro”.

Marcelo Balboa is a pioneer in US soccer. The goal-scoring centre-back represented his country in two World Cups and was the first player to earn 100 caps for the Stars and Stripes

His father was a professional player in Argentina and made the game a major part of Marcelo’s childhood.

He worked his way through the tough semi-pro league in the early 1980s, played in Mexico and would join Colorado Rapids when the MLS started in 1996.

But how did those formative years shape his later career?