Tomás Romero (footballer)

Tomás Líam Romero Keubler (born 19 December 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. Born in the United States, he plays for the El Salvador national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Romero and the second or maternal family name is Keubler.

Tomás Romero
Personal information
Full name Tomás Líam Romero Keubler[1]
Date of birth (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000
Place of birth Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Toronto FC
Number 30
Youth career
Real Jersey FC
Philadelphia Union
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Georgetown Hoyas 12 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Bethlehem Steel 17 (0)
2021–2022 Los Angeles FC 18 (0)
2021–2022 → Las Vegas Lights (loan) 18 (0)
2023– Toronto FC 2 (0)
2023– → Toronto FC II (loan) 1 (0)
International career‡
2016–2017 El Salvador U17 7 (0)
2021 El Salvador U23 1 (0)
2021– El Salvador 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 20, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 11, 2023

Early life

He played youth soccer with Real Jersey FC, before later joining the Philadelphia Union's YSC Academy when he was in eighth grade.[2]

College career

In December 2017, he committed to Georgetown University to play for the men's soccer team starting in 2019.[3][4] He made his debut and earned his first victory and clean sheet on September 2 against the Temple Owls.[5] In November 2019, he was named the Big East Conference Goalkeeper of the Week.[6] In December 2019, he helped the Hoyas win the National title, making the game-winning penalty shootout save, to lead Georgetown to their first-ever National Title in soccer.[7][8] He was unable to play in 2020, as the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

Club career

On September 10, 2016, Romero was called up to the Union's USL affiliate Bethlehem Steel FC to serve as the backup keeper for a match against the Charleston Battery.[10] In the offseason, he attended training camp with both Bethlehem and the Philadelphia Union.[10] On April 1, 2017, he made his professional debut at age 16 for the Steel, against the Rochester Rhinos, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to start a USL match.[11] In July 2019, he was named USL Championship Player of the Week,[12][13] after recording a career-high 11 saves ina 1-0 win over Louisville City FC on July 20, 2019.[14] During the fall of 2020, he trained with Philadelphia Union II (the renamed Bethlehem Steel), after the Georgetown season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

In January 2021, he joined Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC, after the club acquired his homegrown player rights from the Union for $50,000 in general allocation money.[16][17] He officially signed his first professional contract with LAFC on 1 February 2021.[18][19] He began the 2021 season on loan with the club's USL Championship affiliate team, the Las Vegas Lights.[20] On June 23, 2021, Romero made his MLS debut with LAFC in a 2–0 win over FC Dallas, keeping a clean sheet.[21][22] He returned to Las Vegas on loan in 2022.[23] He was part of LAFC's 2022 MLS Cup winning squad, although he did not feature in any matches that season.[24][25] After the 2022 season, LAFC declined his club option for the 2023 season.[26]

In November 2022, at the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft, Toronto FC claimed his contract for the 2023 season, re-uniting him with Bob Bradley, who was his former head coach at LAFC in 2021.[27][28] In 2023, he was loaned to the second team, Toronto FC II for some matches,[29] making his debut on April 23 against Philadelphia Union II.[30] He made his debut for the first team on July 8 against St. Louis City SC.[31]

International career

Romero was eligible to represent the United States, where he was born, and El Salvador through descent.

In August 2016, he was called up to the El Salvador national U17 team for the first time.[32] He made his debut with the U17s at the Central American Qualifying tournament for the 2017 CONCACAF U17 Championship on 21 November 2016 against Belize U17.[33] He subsequently represented the side at the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Panama.[34] He also played with the side at the 2017 Bolivarian Games.[17]

In June 2019, he was called up to the El Salvador U23 for the Olympic qualifiers.[35] He made his debut for the U23s against Haiti U23 on March 26, 2021.[36]

On May 31, 2021, the Salvadoran Football Federation released a statement that Romero had declined an invitation to the El Salvador senior team because he wanted to maintain the possibility of playing for the United States.[37][38][39] However, he subequenltly committed to El Salvador and debuted for the senior team in a friendly 1–1 draw against Ecuador on 5 December 2021.[40][41]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played August 20, 2023[42]
Club Season League Playoffs National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bethlehem Steel FC 2017 USL 7000––—70
2018 1000––—10
2019 USL Championship 90–––—90
Total 17000000000170
Los Angeles FC 2021 Major League Soccer 180–––—180
2022 000000–—00
Total 18000000000180
Las Vegas Lights FC (loan) 2021 USL Championship 50–––—50
2022 130–––—130
Total 18000000000180
Toronto FC 2023 Major League Soccer 20–00–0020
Toronto FC II (loan) 2023 MLS Next Pro 10–––—10
Career total 56000000000560

International
As of match played September 11, 2023[43]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
El Salvador 202120
202230
202350
Total100

    References
    1. "2020 Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying preliminary rosters confirmed". CONCACAF. 23 February 2021.
    2. Tannenwald, Jonathan (4 October 2017). "Meet the 16-year-old from Cherry Hill who made U.S. soccer history this summer". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
    3. Shealer, Sheldon (18 December 2017). "Recruiting Roundup: December 18–24". Top Drawer Soccer.
    4. "Tomas Romero Georgetown Hoyas Profile". Georgetown Hoyas.
    5. "No. 13 Hoyas Blank Owls, 3-0". Georgetown Hoyas. 2 September 2019.
    6. "Romero Named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week". Georgetown Hoyas. 4 November 2019.
    7. Jones, Tim (17 December 2019). "Tomas Romero's big save". The Philly Soccer Page.
    8. Davidson, Neil (16 January 2023). "Young Toronto FC goalkeeper Tomas Romero has already packed a lot in in soccer career". Toronto Star.
    9. "Romero Signs Professional Contract with Los Angeles Football Club". Georgetown Hoyas. 2 February 2022.
    10. "Tomas Romero Reflects on Professional Debut with Bethlehem Steel FC". United Soccer League. 6 April 2017.
    11. Murphy, Nicholas (8 April 2017). "Steel FC's Romero Breaks New Ground". United Soccer League.
    12. "Bethlehem Steel FC's Tomás Romero voted as USL Championship Player of the Week". Philadelphia Union. 23 July 2019.
    13. Ralph, Matthew (27 July 2019). "Tomas Romero's growth as a goalkeeper shows in USL Championship Player of the Week performance". Brotherly Game.
    14. Buffery, Steve (17 November 2023). "Toronto FC counting on Tomas Romero to be a tank in goal". Toronto Sun.
    15. Sullivan, Sean (22 January 2021). "LAFC sends $50,000 to the Union for Homegrown rights to Tomas Romero". Brotherly Game.
    16. "LAFC Acquires MLS Homegrown Rights To Goalkeeper Tomas Romero". Los Angeles FC. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
    17. Rishmawy, Feisal (21 January 2021). "Oficial: Tomás Romero es nuevo jugador de Los Ángeles Football Club" [Official: Tomás Romero is a new Los Angeles Football Club player]. Futbol Centro America (in Spanish).
    18. Bogert, Tom (1 February 2021). "LAFC sign GK Tomas Romero after acquiring homegrown rights from Philadelphia Union". Major League Soccer.
    19. "Georgetown goalkeeper Tomas Romero signs with LAFC". Soccerwire. 2 February 2021.
    20. Rodriguez, Alicia (13 January 2022). "LAFC 2021 Player Postmortem: Tomas Romero". Angels on Parade.
    21. French, Scott (23 July 2021). "Tomas Romero: The remarkably rapid rise of LAFC's young goalkeeper". Soccer America.
    22. Taylor, Paul (18 November 2022). "Toronto FC: 6 things to know about new goalkeeper Tomas Romero". Toronto Reds.
    23. Medina, Fernando (19 March 2022). "El récord del salvadoreño Tomás Romero en la USL" [The record of Salvadoran Tomás Romero in the USL]. Cancha (in Spanish).
    24. Mayel Ibarra, Diego (6 November 2022). "Tomás Romero, el salvadoreño que se consagró campeón con LAFC" [Tomás Romero, the Salvadoran who became champion with LAFC]. Diario AS (in Spanish).
    25. Tovar, Diego (6 November 2022). "Tomás Romero celebró conquista de la MLS" [Tomás Romero celebrated conquest of the MLS]. El Gráfico (in Spanish).
    26. Martínez, Rebeca (15 November 2022). "LAFC no cuenta con Tomás Romero" [LAFC does not have Tomás Romero]. Juego Directo (in Spanish).
    27. "Toronto FC acquire goalkeeper Tomás Romero in MLS Re-Entry Draft". Toronto FC. 17 November 2022.
    28. Ruud, Robbie (17 November 2022). "Portero salvadoreño Tomás Romero se reencontrará con antiguo entrenador" [Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero will reunite with former coach]. Cancha (in Spanish).
    29. "Toronto FC loan four players to TFC II for upcoming match against Union II". Toronto FC. 23 April 2023.
    30. "Philadelphia Union II (3) - Toronto FC II (3) Postgame Summary". Our Sports Central. 23 April 2023.
    31. Karageorgos, Tomas (9 July 2023). "Toronto FC on five-game losing streak with Caribbean night loss to St. Louis City SC". Waking the Red.
    32. Ralph, Matthew (12 October 2016). "Union U16 goalkeeper Tomas Romero called into El Salvador team". Brotherly Game.
    33. Ralph, Matthew (30 November 2016). "Tomas Romero, El Salvador U17s qualify for CONCACAF Championship". Brotherly Game.
    34. "Romero and McKenzie Gain Valuable Experience in International Competitions". United Soccer League. 7 May 2017.
    35. Benítez, Jorge (16 June 2019). "La sub-23 contará con un portero de la USL de Estados Unidos en el tercer microciclo" [The sub-23 will have a goalkeeper from the USL of the United States in the third microcycle]. El Gráfico (in Spanish).
    36. Rodriguez, Alicia (27 March 2021). "LAFC international update: Romero starts in Olympic qualifying; Kaye sits for Canada". Angels on Parade.
    37. "Actualización convocatoria Selección Nacional mayor" [Senior National Team call update] (in Spanish). Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol. 31 May 2021.
    38. Sigal, Jonathan (1 June 2021). "LAFC goalkeeper rejects El Salvador call up to retain USMNT eligibility". Major League Soccer.
    39. Becherano, Lizzy (1 June 2021). "LAFC goalkeeper Tomas Romero declines invitation to join El Salvador national team". 90min.
    40. "Tomás Romero será titular en El Salvador-Ecuador" [Tomás Romero will start in El Salvador-Ecuador]. El Gráfico (in Spanish). 3 December 2021.
    41. "Aficionados y periodistas destacan que Tomás Romero fue el mejor de la selecta ante Ecuador, por eso lo pedía Hugo" [Fans and journalists point out that Tomás Romero was the best in the team against Ecuador, which is why Hugo asked for it]. El Salvador Day (in Spanish). 5 December 2021.
    42. Tomás Romero at Soccerway
    43. "Tomás Romero". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
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