Former MLS player Sebastian Velasquez joins Miami FC after battle with alcoholism
Inter Miami is not the only local professional soccer team with a big game on Saturday. Miami FC, which plays in the United Soccer League Championship division, opens its 2020 season at Saint Louis FC at 8 p.m.
One of the most compelling stories on that team is midfielder Sebastian Velasquez, a 29-year-old Colombian-American who in 2012 started for Real Salt Lake opposite Los Angeles Galaxy stars David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.
Known for his creativity and energy on the field, he entered Major League Soccer out of Spartanburg Methodist College as a first-round draft pick. His career was on the rise with Real Salt Lake and he played in the 2013 MLS Cup. But then personal problems got in the way. Velasquez was an alcoholic, admittedly made poor decisions, was arrested for DUI, and in 2015 decided to turn his life around.
“I had a rough childhood, and rough start to my career as far as things off the field,” Velasquez said. “People have always known I’m a very good player, but they would question my off-the-field behavior. Thankfully, four years ago I was able to clean all that up and be able to overcome those issues. I had an addiction to alcohol, and that affected my career.
“I easily could have stayed down the dark path and lost my whole soccer career, but I made a different choice and fixed what I had going on and now things are going very well for me.”
As Velasquez re-started his career in the minor leagues, and played a season in South Korea, he wondered what might have been.
“I always ask myself, if I didn’t have that addiction and I was as professional as I am today, where would I be in my career?” he said. “Things happen for a reason. Thankfully now I’m here. I can help people in soccer and in the real world. People write me on social media and ask how did I get over the addiction and how do I avoid Miami temptations?”
He has become very involved in community service. While playing for the El Paso Locomotive last season, he did a fundraiser for families of the El Paso mass shooting and remains in contact with some of the families that lost loved ones.
Velasquez is grateful to Miami FC general manager Paul Dalglish, who was a coach with Real Salt Lake when Velasquez was there and decided to give him another chance.
“Getting sober has allowed me to re-establish relationships I lost because of alcoholism,” Velasquez said. “It pushes me every day. My body feels better. I’m healthier. I haven’t had injuries like I did before. And it’s better financially for me, as well.”
Now, instead of heading to bars, he finds joy in Colombian restaurants, such as Fonda La Chismosa, his new favorite dining spot in Miami.
He would like to get back to MLS someday, and is happy to be playing in a city that has multiple pro teams. In addition to Inter Miami and Miami FC, there is Inter Miami’s second-tier USL team, Fort Lauderdale FC.
Miami FC coach Nelson Vargas, the former Miami Fusion midfielder, has high hopes for Velasquez.
“Sebastián is a player that has been on our radar for a while,” said Vargas. “He’s the final piece we’ve wanted to complete our roster and we’re expecting great things from him. We know Sebastián will not only be a great addition on the field, but also off the field, where he is known for being very active in the community.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 4:06 PM.