The United States is often referred to as the land of opportunity. For Richmond Kickers forward Heviel Cordovés, his opportunity playing soccer in the United States came through a long and arduous journey.
Cordovés grew up in Havana, Cuba, a land mostly known for its baseball not soccer talent. In that sense, Cordovés was an outlier and instead put his scoring skills on display for the hometown soccer team, Ciudad de la Habana from 2008-2012.
“Cuba’s a place with happy people even though they have nothing,” Cordovés said. “They’re always happy and trying to move forward. It was great playing in front of my family and friends. It’s great support.”
The left-footed forward made his international debut in 2008 with Cuba and earned nine caps over a five year stretch. Still, like most Cuban athletes, Cordovés thirsted for a chance to play professionally in the United States.
“When I started growing up in soccer, I thought I had the quality to play professionally,” Cordovés said. “In Cuba, we don’t have that possibility because in Cuba we don’t have professional sports. I always thought that I had to try to find my way [to the United States] to make that happen. It was my dream.”
That dream wouldn’t come without some difficult decisions. The only way for Cordovés to play professionally would be to defect to the United States.
“To be honest, I was scared,” Cordovés said. “I was afraid because I didn’t know what would be my future. Like I said, I thought before that I had to make it happen. I had to find my way to achieve my dream. I was afraid, but at the same time I was sure that I had to take that opportunity.”
The 6-2, 194 pound forward wasn’t entering uncharted territory. Cuban soccer players like Osvaldo Alonso had paved the way for guys like Cordovés to even think about developing a soccer career in America. Alonso defected from Cuba in 2007, and he quickly became a star in the MLS with the Seattle Sounders after a one-year stint in the USL with Kickers’ rival, the Charleston Battery. In 2017, Alonso became the first player in Seattle Sounders’ history to amass 20,000 minutes in the history of the team. Alonso’s success story was something that Cordovés could look to and imagine himself in the same cleats.
“Osvaldo Alonso is my good friend,” Cordovés said. “I played with him in Cuba. I looked to him as an example. He had a successful career and I wanted to be like him.”
The time had come. Cordovés and two other teammates, Maikel Chang and Odisnel Cooper, hatched a plan to make their run for freedom during a World Cup qualifying match against Canada in October 2012. The three teammates got their opportunity at a Toronto hotel and bursted down a back stairwell when the coaches weren’t around. The players later took a bus to Niagara Falls. Cordovés remembers sitting on that bus and thinking about all that he was leaving behind in Cuba.
“At that moment my mind was confused,” Cordovés said. “Too many things were going on in that moment in my head, leaving my life, my family, the people that I know, everything. If it doesn’t work I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
All the worrying was finally put to rest when the trio stepped onto U.S. soil. Cordovés, Chang, and Cooper were all given legal permanent resident status under the “wet-foot, dry foot” policy. No longer did Cordovés have to think about being caught or being sent back to Cuba. Instead, he could now focus on starting his new life in the United States.
“It’s like I was reborn,” Cordovés said. “Everything was new. At that moment it was a great feeling. I’m in a free country. My life was changed.”
Cordovés found his place with the Charleston Battery just like Alonso and became a proven goalscorer over the past five years. The Cuban native tallied 21 goals over 86 appearances, including nine goals in 2017, the second most for the Battery. In December 2017, Cordovés signed with the Kickers and has collected 334 minutes in six appearances over three starts in the 2018 season.
“He’s a good pro,” said head coach Leigh Cowlishaw. “He’s focused and intense and very competitive, but also he has a laid-back approach where it’s not going to faze him. There’s bigger things in life.”
The 28-year old forward recorded his first goal with the Kickers this past Sunday in the 3-1 loss at Bethlehem Steel FC. Cordovés received the pass from Kickers’ defender Austin Yearwood in the box and connected with his left foot to find the back of the net.
“It was a great finish,” Cowlishaw said. “He’s very serious about making an impact for the club and the team, the players. I appreciate that and I see that, so it’s good for him to get that goal. We’re going to need more of that.”
“I’m just living my dream,” Cordovés said. “I felt great because I want to achieve great success with this team. They brought me here to score goals, so it was good to start making those numbers.”
It’s a story of courage. A story of opportunity. And a story that keeps getting better every time Cordovés continues his dream by stepping on the pitch.
