Why The New England Revolution Traded Noel Buck To The San Jose Earthquakes

“First and foremost, we wish Noel all the best. A big reason we made that move was for him. It was what we felt was best for him."

Photo Courtesy of J. Alexander Dolan

Head coach Caleb Porter said the New England Revolution's decision to trade Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes was made with the player in mind.

The Revs announced on Tuesday that Buck would head to the Earthquakes in a cash-for-player trade worth up to $650,000 ($600k guaranteed, $50k conditional). They also maintain a sell-on percentage.

Interestingly, the 20-year-old will occupy a U22 Initiative slot for his new team.

Buck, an Arlington, MA native, signed a Revs Homegrown contract in 2022 and went on to make 47 regular-season appearances with the club.

Last year, he spent time on loan with Southampton’s youth team, returning ahead of the 2025 season. He has only logged 22 minutes so far this year.

“First and foremost, we wish Noel all the best,” Porter said. “A big reason we made that move was for him. It was what we felt was best for him.

“Obviously, he is a Homegrown Player. We care about all our players, but we care about our Homegrown Players. It’s important, in the situation we were in, that we do what’s right for a player like Noel Buck.”

While Buck has played out wide and as an outside back, he has primarily featured as a central midfielder. The Revs have several options here, including a couple in the pipeline.

“With him, we had six players for two spots,” Porter said. “Three of those players were very experienced players – [Alhassan] Yusuf, Matt [Polster], and Jackson Yueill.

“Then, for sure, a big factor was we had two 18-year-old kids that we’re really keen on in Eric Klein and Allan Oyirwoth.”

Klein is an Academy product currently with the second team. He has a tenacious motor and good awareness of the game. His father, Steve, also played for the Revolution.

Oyirwoth is a Ugandan international who signed a first-team contract this year. He’s a physical player with good size, touch, and passing ability.

Both players have been standouts with Revs II while also regularly training with the first team.

“We’ve watched those two guys and had them in our training sessions every single day, and we knew enough about them to feel very good about their future,” Porter said.

As sporting director Curt Onalfo noted, Buck has been part of the Revolution organization since he was 12 years old. He will now head west to reunite with Bruce Arena.

Porter believes the move benefits all parties.

“We have to be mindful of the now and the future, and we just felt like with six players for two spots, that it was the right thing for Noel to allow him to go and play a bigger role,” Porter said.

“He wasn’t making every bench, he wasn’t playing a ton, and we just felt like for his future and the future of some of our other young players coming through, that it was the right thing for him and us.”