Álvaro Betancourt

College Betancourt committed to play college soccer at Valparaiso University under head coach Mike Avery, becoming the first senior national team player in the history of the Crusader men's soccer program. He found playing time hard to come by as a freshman, however, as that match against the Flames marked his only appearance of the season. He picked up a yellow card in a 2–1 victory over Michigan State in September and played a career-high 31 minutes in a loss to Kentucky in mid-October.

Return from college After leaving Valparaiso following his sophomore year, Betancourt returned to Puerto Rico to get more playing time and joined Bayamón ahead of the club's run in the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League. He made his debut for the club, and played his first match at continental level, on 7 August 2014 in a 5–0 defeat to Guatemalan club Comunicaciones. During the 2015 season, Betancourt wore the captain's armband for Bayamón in the Liga Nacional while helping the club qualify for the playoffs. He played with Bayamón through the 2016 season, appearing for the side in the 2016 Copa Luis Villarejo after the 2016 Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Puerto Rico was cancelled.

Betancourt finished his playing career by spending the 2017 season in the Puerto Rico Soccer League with Metropolitan FA. He had debuted for the club in the preseason Copa Bayamón and was assigned to play for Metropolitan's 'A' team.

International career Betancourt captained the Puerto Rico U20 national team in the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying stage, playing all three matches in the first round of the Caribbean zone. He was not called up for the final round due to academic commitments at Valparaiso, but was credited as part of the first male Puerto Rican team to qualify for a CONCACAF tournament through a Caribbean qualifying tournament. He was named to the Puerto Rican squad for the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and contested both matches; the side were defeated by Jamaica and Panama and failed to qualify for the knockout rounds. Betancourt earned five caps during his eligibility for the U20 side. Following a draw against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and a defeat against Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico finished in third place in their group and missed out on advancement to the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He made his international debut in Puerto Rico's final World Cup qualifying match, playing against Saint Lucia on 14 November 2011. Betancourt earned three more caps in 2012, with all three coming in friendlies against Nicaragua. On 26 February, with the scoreline level at 1–1, he was sent off in the 56th minute after picking up a second yellow card; Puerto Rico went on to lose that match 4–1.

After three years without an appearance at senior level, Betancourt was called back up in June 2015 for the first matches under new manager Garabet Avedissian. Betancourt earned his fifth and final international cap against Bermuda on 5 June, replacing Michael Fernández in the 84th minute of a 1–1 draw. He was named to the bench twice more during that international window, but was not selected to play during a pair of 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Grenada. National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals