A. J. Soares

Early life, college and amateur

Soares was born in Solana Beach, California. He attended Torrey Pines High School where he was the captain for his junior and senior seasons, and won the 2005 Division 1 CIF Championship. He played college soccer at the University of California, Berkeley. As the Cal co-captain in 2010, Soares was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America First Team All American, Pac-10 Player of the Year, Goal.com Player of the Year. Soares entered college at California as an attacking player, but head coach Kevin Grimes converted him to a central defender because of his size and strength. However, he still managed to score five goals in his final collegiate season while anchoring a stingy Bear defense; during this campaign, he was named a semifinalist for the 2010 Hermann Trophy. In 2010 Soares made one appearance for Orange County Blue Star in the USL Premier Development League.

Professional

Soares was chosen by New England Revolution as the sixth overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. He made his Revolution debut in the 2011 New England Revolution season opener on March 20, 2011, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. He made his home debut the following week, in a 2-1 win over D.C. United. Soares scored his first professional goal on September 7 in a 4-4 draw against the Philadelphia Union. In his rookie campaign Soares made 28 appearances (all starts). He was subsequently named New England Revolution…

Soares' father is Portuguese and was born in the Azores. He also holds an Italian passport. He married Michele Mossman in 2014 in a ceremony in La Quinta, CA. The couple have three children.