By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
An estimated 200 people strolled into Del Rio’s lone store dedicated to the “beautiful game” for an opportunity to meet a Mexico soccer legend Saturday.
The Epic Soccer Shop, 651 S. Main St., hosted Hector Reynoso, who played nearly his entire career for Club Deportivo de Guadalajara S.A. de C.V., better known to soccer fans as Chivas de Guadalajara. Reynoso played for 14 years for the team, amassing the second-most appearances for the team by any one player.
Reynoso also played for the Mexico national team, competing for “El Tri” in the 2011 Copa America and the 2011 CONCACAF, where Mexico beat the United States in the final.
Fans arrived early for the chance to meet Reynoso. For $10 they were given a wristband that allowed them to take a photo with the star, receive an autograph and receive an official Chivas candy figure direct from Guadalajara.
His appearance was due to the efforts of Epic Soccer Shop owners Consuelo and Hector Salazar. Hector said they met Reynoso at a tournament in Houston in 2025. They attended a separate event in Houston later that year and saw him there again and that sparked a conversation to try and bring Reynoso to Del Rio.
“My wife stayed in touch with him, and he agreed to come down. It took about a year to put all this together,” Hector Salazar, who described himself as a diehard Chivas fan since 1993, said. “He was really a cool dude, very down to earth.”
Reynoso’s visit to Del Rio was the latest milestone for a business that started in 2023 by appearing at pop ups around town. Consuelo explained that their sons played soccer, so they were familiar with the struggles of finding quality gear locally. The search often took them out of town or to online retailers.
When Hector retired, she convinced him to take a chance on creating their own local outlet for soccer gear, such as cleats, balls, shin guards and more, as well as soccer merchandise showcasing the game’s best talent from around the world. After a brief stint in their home, the duo opened a location on Greenwood Street before eventually settling on their new home on South Main Street.
Reynoso’s visit was just one of a variety of events taking place near the store. The 600 block of South Main Street was blocked off to allow for a variety of soccer-themed games to be set up, like a giant inflatable dartboard where balls were kicked at the target to earn points, a small arena big enough for youth to compete in two-on-two matchups, a soccer ball juggling contest and a set up that allowed people to see in they could jump as high as soccer star Ronaldo. There were also vendors set up selling food and drinks.
Inside, the store was buzzing. Fans who had been lined up outside began to file into the store for their facetime with Reynoso. The Chivas legend graciously signed every item placed in front of him, from the familiar red and striped jerseys of Chivas to 8×10 posters provided by the store to soccer balls and even a Chivas flag bought right off the store’s wall. One young fan even took off one of her cleats and had him sign it as she stood with one cleat on and just a socked foot.
Reynoso also came with items for fans to buy. Tucked in his bag were Chivas jerseys bearing a Leyendas, or Legends, patch and signed by multiple legends from Chivas’ history. Those soon became a hot property for fans.
Javier Hernandez was one of the first fans to arrive at the store before Reynoso’s expected arrival at 3 p.m. He carried a Chivas jersey over his shoulder, but when he saw the legends jersey he quickly added it his collection. He also swore he wouldn’t open the official Chivas candy bag.
“It’s awesome getting to meet him. It feels like I’m a kid again. I’ve always wanted to meet a legend like him,” Hernandez said.
Hector Salazar said plans are in the works to make a visit from a pro soccer player an annual thing. He said the hope is also to bring in a Major League Soccer player and hopefully a group of Chivas legends who would be open to playing Del Rio Rams soccer alumni in a friendly match at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium. He admitted it would take lots of sponsors and cooperation from the school district, but the success of Reynoso’s visit has bolstered the Salazars’ dreams.
As for Reynoso’s prediction on who will win the World Cup, his pick is France. Who’s to argue with a man who has played in front of millions of fans in his career?
—
Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
