Osasuna have announced that they will be hosting two Portland Timbers talents for the coming two weeks to aid their development. Goalkeeper Hunter Sulte (22) and Adolfo Enriquez (18) are training at Tajonar with their Subiza team which plays in the fourth tier, and with their under-19 side.
The pair have arrived as part of an agreement for their players to gain experience of a different style of coaching, and a different setting and style of play at Osasuna. Both have already made their senior debuts for the Major League Soccer side, but Enriquez and Sulte were hoping to get used to the higher speed of play in Spain. Sulte was the second-youngest goalkeeper to play MLS football, while Enriquez made his debut last year.
#Osasuna 🤝@TimbersFC @Osasuna_Tajonar continues to be at the forefront of player development. Our academy hosts Portland Timbers academy players Hunter Sulte and Adolfo Enríquez to our U-19 team and Subiza for a two-week training camp.
➡️ https://t.co/48OGp7ddFP
We are… pic.twitter.com/n68v08sCjs
— C. A. OSASUNA (@osasuna_en) December 10, 2024
“We are grateful to Osasuna for their openness to work with us and allow a couple of our young players to extend their training deeper into the year and continue a small part of their development in a top-level environment,” explained Jack Dodd, who is the Portland Technical Director.
“We wanted to find a club where they would be tested and exposed to an environment outside their comfort zone while knowing they’re being cared for, supported, and trained at a high level in a foreign country.”
The Technical Director of the Tajonar academy, legendary Patxi Punal, was also content with the collaboration.
“People are noticing the work we are doing at our academy. The main reason for that is the great number of homegrown players we have in the first team. As our first team continues to sign homegrown players, people in other countries are seeing the work we are doing here, which calls their attention. It is encouraging to see teams from everywhere asking if they can send their players to train with us.”
