FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – August has been a special month for Judah Siqueira. The 17-year-old midfielder made his MLS debut with the New England Revolution on August 19, taking the pitch for the final moments of the Revs’ 3-0 win at D.C. United. Just four days later, he was called up to the first team again, earning 26 minutes of play against New York City FC at Gillette Stadium. Now, he’s officially signed to the first team, joining New England’s roster as the 17th player to rise from the Revolution Academy to MLS.
Signing a first MLS contract is a dream for any player, but for a local like Siqueira, it’s even more special. The Easton, Massachusetts native is joining his hometown club – the same team he watched from the stands at Gillette Stadium as a kid and the one that gave shape to his dream.
“It’s a dream come true to be able to sign my first professional contract with the Revolution. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been watching games, coming with my parents and my brother, and I have always been a big fan. Me and my family are very grateful for this opportunity,” he said.
Siqueira joined the Revolution Academy in 2022 and has since worked his way up to MLS NEXT Pro side Revolution II before signing his MLS contract. A great example of New England’s Pro Pathway, the teenager has totaled 23 MLS NEXT Pro appearances, including 12 starts, scoring three goals and one assist for the developmental team. While Siqueira has spent most of his time this season training in the first team environment, he’s featured in 14 matches for Revolution II.
As he’s rapidly moved through the organization, Siqueira gave a nod to head coach Marko Mitrović for putting so much trust in him.
“I’m very grateful for him for trusting me at such a young age. I know it’s very difficult for some coaches to do that, and I’m very grateful for him to have trust in me,” Siqueira explained. “I think that he’s very talkative. He lets me know when I’m doing things right, and he helps me improve every day in training. I feel like that’s the easiest way for someone my age to grow. So, I’m very grateful to him for helping me grow as a player and as a person.”
Mitrović has noted many times that he and his staff are much less concerned about a player’s age, and much more focused on what a player adds to the team’s culture on and off the pitch. For Mitrović, Siqueira’s potential had his attention from the moment he took the helm.
“We wanted to see what resources we had with the young players, with the second team and with the Academy. Judah is someone that we really like. We appreciate the way that he sees the game and his technical qualities. Even though he's young, he has a very strong desire to compete, and that's something that also shows a good level of maturity for where he's at. I'm very glad that some of the young players get the opportunity to keep growing,” Mitrović said. “Judah just does a great job day after day in training sessions. We trust Judah, we trust his talent.”
Though Siqueira is a new signing, he’s been given a headstart on adjusting to MLS competition. He’s earned minutes in the last two games, while continuing to push himself on the Revolution training grounds, working to reach the level required to contribute consistently. No one has been more influential to his play than Carles Gil, his role model turned teammate, who he now gets to learn from every day.
“I always looked up to Carles. For me, the way he plays is somewhat how I want to play and how I try to play when I play with the first team. Just being able to train with him now and see how it is in person is a really good experience and it’s a really good way for me to learn from him,” he said.
Siqueira still has plenty to learn, but as Mitrović put it, there is no better way to learn than by doing. His rapid rise from the Academy to an MLS contract has already shown how quickly he can develop, and with the chance to now call himself an MLS player, there’s no limit to what Siqueira can achieve.
