Revolution sign 17-year-old defender Santiago Suarez to MLS contract
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have signed central defender Santiago Suarez to a multi-year contract. Suarez, 17, will begin his New England career with Revolution II competing in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023. Suarez will officially be added to New England’s MLS roster as a Homegrown Player ahead of the 2024 MLS season.
Suarez, who also goes by his nickname “Tiago”, joins the New England Revolution from the Sacramento Republic FC Academy, where he has been developing since 2016. The 6-foot-5 center back made six appearances, with four starts, for Sacramento during the 2022 USL Championship campaign, logging 335 minutes of action.
“We are excited to welcome Santiago to the New England Revolution as he begins his professional career,” Revolution Technical Director Curt Onalfo stated. “He’s an incredible young talent and we look forward to helping him improve each and every day in our progressive pro player pathway system.”
Suarez began the 2021-22 Academy season with Sacramento Republic’s U-17 squad, later joining the U-19 team midway through the season. At the higher age level, the defender helped Sacramento to an unbeaten spring slate, including a winning effort in group play at the MLS NEXT Flex tournament, first place in the MLS NEXT Northwest Division, and a second straight appearance in the MLS NEXT Cup playoffs.
A United States youth international with Uruguayan heritage, Suarez recently earned his first call-up to the U.S. Under-19 Men’s National Team for a training camp in Carson, Calif. in July 2022. That 23-player roster also included three Revolution Academy products, as Esmir Bajraktarevic, Noel Buck, and Jack Panayotou all played alongside Suarez at the camp under Head Coach Marko Mitrović.
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution sign 17-year-old central defender Santiago Suarez to a multi-year contract on November 28, 2022. Suarez will be added to New England’s MLS roster as a Homegrown Player ahead of the 2024 MLS season.
