Andrés Flores

Andrés Flores
	Flores with the Portland Timbers
Personal information
Full name	Andrés Alexander Flores Mejía
Date of birth	August 31, 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	San Salvador, El Salvador
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder, forward
Team information
Current team	Portland Timbers 2 (assistant)
Youth career
1998–2005	Academia La Chelona
2006–2008	River Plate
Senior career*
Years	Team
2009–2014	Isidro Metapán
2012	→ Viborg (loan)
2014	→ New York Cosmos (loan)
2015–2017	New York Cosmos
2018–2020	Portland Timbers
2019	Portland Timbers 2
2021–2022	Rio Grande Valley FC
International career
2002–2004	El Salvador U15
2005–2006	El Salvador U17
2007–2009	El Salvador U20
2010	El Salvador U21
2012	El Salvador U23
2008–2021	El Salvador
Managerial career
2022–	Portland Timbers 2 (assistant)
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 November 2021

Andrés Alexander Flores Mejía (born 31 August 1990) is a Salvadoran professional football manager and former player. He is the current assistant coach of Portland Timbers 2 in the MLS Next Pro.

Club career

Nicknamed Ruso, Flores was signed by top Argentine side River Plate and played for River Plate's Reserves team in 2006–2008. He impressed in Argentina, but was unable to stay due to his age.

Upon returning to El Salvador he signed with A.D. Isidro Metapán in 2009. During his time with the club Metapán enjoyed the greatest period in its history capturing four domestic titles, the last one in December 2011.

On 29 January 2012, Flores signed to first division Danish club Viborg FF. Due to injury he only played one league game, but played several games in the Danish Cup, where he scored two goals. He did not renew his contract with Viborg and went back to El Salvador to play with Metapán.

New York Cosmos

On 18 July 2014, the New York Cosmos announced that Flores would be signed on loan from Turín FESA F.C. The 23-year-old made his first appearance for the New York Cosmos on 2 August 2014 in a 1–0 loss against the Carolina RailHawks.^[1]

On 9 August 2014, Flores scored his first goal for the Cosmos in a 2–1 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks.^[2] Flores battled a hamstring injury towards the end of the season and finished the year with one goal and one assist in eight appearances (seven starts) for the Cosmos.^[3] Flores also earned NASL Fall Team of the Week honors twice (Week 5, Week 13).

Flores earned multiple call-ups to the El Salvador national team while with the Cosmos including to Copa Centoramericana and multiple friendly matches.^[4]

In the 2015 NASL season, Flores started 11 times in 20 appearances, logging 1,044 minutes, while picking up three goals and three assists.

Portland Timbers

In January 2018, Flores signed with Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.^[5] Portland declined their contract option on Flores following the 2020 season.^[6]

Rio Grande Valley FC

On 27 August 2021, Flores signed with USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC.^[7]

He announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 31 on February 23, 2022.

Coaching career

On February 24, 2022, a day after announcing his retirement, Flores was appointed as an assistant coach of Portland Timbers 2.

International career

Flores started playing for the U-15 national team, and has been an essential player in the youth national teams. In 2008, El Salvador's manager Carlos de los Cobos called the young Flores to train with the senior team. He made his debut for El Salvador in a March 2008 friendly match against Trinidad & Tobago but was overlooked from May 2008 on, only to be recalled for a September 2010 friendly against Honduras. Flores took part at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was subbed-on at the 78th minute in exchange for Léster Blanco in a friendly on 7 August 2011 against Venezuela. Flores was named as the captain of the El Salvador squad for 2014 Copa Centroamericana. Flores started four matches for El Salvador during the tournament and led the team to an overall record of 2–0–2 (W-D-L) and a fourth-place finish in the tournament.^[8]^[9]

In August 2018, Flores became a United States citizen.^[10]

International caps and goals

El Salvador's goal tally first.

International appearances and goals
#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition	Goals	Minutes played	Extras
1	19 March 2008	Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	0–1	Friendly	0	?	?'
2	23 March 2008	Jose Antonio Anzoategui stadium, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela	Venezuela	0–1	Friendly	0	32	58'
3	4 September 2010	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California	Honduras	2–2 (3–4 pen.)	Friendly	0	65	65'
4	7 September 2010	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California	Guatemala	0–2	Friendly	0	75	75'
5	8 October 2010	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Panama	0–1	Friendly	0	82	82'
6	12 October 2010	Estadio Carlos Ugalde Álvarez, Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica	Costa Rica	1–2	Friendly	0	46	46'
7	14 January 2011	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Nicaragua	2–0	2011 Copa Centroamericana	0	58	58'
8	16 January 2011	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Belize	5–2	2011 Copa Centroamericana	0	39	51'
9	18 January 2011	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Panama	0–2	2011 Copa Centroamericana	0	13	77'
10	21 January 2011	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Honduras	0–2	2011 Copa Centroamericana	0	32	58'
11	23 January 2011	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Panama	0–0 (4–5 pen.)	2011 Copa Centroamericana	0	71	71'
12	24 March 2011	Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba	Cuba	1–0	Friendly	0	26	64'
13	29 March 2011	Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador	Jamaica	2–3	Friendly	0	44	46'
14	29 May 2011	Robertson Stadium, Houston, United States	Honduras	2–2	Friendly	0	7	83'
15	5 June 2011	Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas	Mexico	0–5	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup	0	67	67'
16	9 June 2011	Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina	Costa Rica	1–1	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup	0	72	72'
17	12 June 2011	Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois	Cuba	6–1	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup	0	63	63'
18	19 June 2011	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.	Panama	1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–5 pen.)	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup	0	4	86'
19	7 August 2011	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.	Venezuela	2–1	Friendly	0	12+2	78'
20	3 September 2014	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.	Guatemala	1–2	2014 Copa Centroamericana	0	90	N/A
21	7 September 2014	Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX	Honduras	1–0	2014 Copa Centroamericana	0	90	N/A
22	10 September 2014	BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX	Belize	2–0	2014 Copa Centroamericana	0	90	N/A
23	13 September 2014	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA	Panama	0–1	2014 Copa Centroamericana	0	90	N/A
24	10 October 2014	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ	Colombia	0–3	Friendly	0	83	83'
25	14 October 2014	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ	Ecuador	1–5	Friendly	0	38	38'