Santiago Suarez Looks to Trade Revs II For First Team
Santiago Suarez Looks to Trade Revs II For First Team
Trading teams and some cards
Santiago Suarez is entering what could be a pivotal year for the youngster. After spending 2023 with Revs II, the defender is now a Homegrown player and hungry to make his MLS debut.
Suarez primarily played at right back for the second team as he amassed 28 appearances in his first season in New England. He was a consistent member of the back line flanking Victor Souza and Pierre Cayet.
“I got to learn a lot about myself and how to be a professional,” the 18-year-old said of his time with the second team.
While Suarez is hoping to successfully make the jump from the second team to the first, he is far from alone on the MLS squad. Malcolm Fry and Peyton Miller made the jump along with Suarez this offseason.
2023 also illustrated the clear pathway for players to make the jump from Revs II to the first team. Noel Buck had a breakout year and is now receiving interest from Europe and Esmir Bajraktarevic scored the first goal of his MLS career.
“Yeah, I guess we have a really good generation of young players here,” Suarez said. “So it's really nice to be a part of it. As you can see, through Noel and Esmir, getting to play last season — both getting goals — It's kind of a smooth pathway we have here where players are able to be successful.”
This also applies to the coaching staff with Clint Peay making the leap from Revs II head coach to interim head coach of the first team, to now being an assistant on Caleb Porter’s staff.
“It's really nice,” Suarez stated about having Peay on the first team staff. “I was working with him for the past year, so he looks out for us young players, and we have a good opportunity to showcase ourselves here.
In search of his first minutes, Suarez’s flexibility might help him get on the field. While he played right back all of last season, the 18-year-old can also play center back. With Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup, and league play, Porter will have to rotate his squad at some point.
“I'm pretty versatile,” the defender said. “I'm on the backline and really I just want to play where I'm needed and just be available at all times.”
When Suarez isn’t focused on making his MLS debut, he is still in the soccer world. The youngster collects soccer cards and even has an Instagram account dedicated to the craft.
The 18-year-old told The Blazing Musket that he has been collecting cards ever since he was a young kid.
“I was always trading and collecting cards and then recently I started collecting a little bit of the MLS cards. Hopefully next season — I don't think this season — I can get a card and get my one-of-one card.”
Suarez has some impressive cards in his collection including a Vinicius Jr. autographed card that is 1 of 50 as well as some young stars such as Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi.
Along with those cards, he also owns a trading card of one of his current teammates. Suarez owns a Bobby Wood USMNT card.
“I might have to get him to autograph that,” Suarez stated.
But if Suarez wants to sign cards of his own he will need to first make his MLS debut and establish himself as an MLS-caliber player. At 18 years old, the defender has plenty of time to make a name for himself but he has a real chance to make a good impression on his new head coach in 2024.
New England seems to constantly be churning out young talent with the likes of Buck and Bajraktarevic. Suarez could become yet another player who illustrates that the future is bright for the Revolution.