Resilient Raposo to ride with Whitecaps
Hamilton midfielder first of four Canadians to go in top 20 of SuperDraft
Ryan Raposo has always had his eye set on pro soccer. The Vancouver Whitecaps opened the door to his dream, taking the Syracuse attacking midfielder fourth overall in the MLS SuperDraft. Raposo was one of four Canadians to go in the top 20. All of them played club soccer at Vaughan SC in the Toronto area.
“It was signing a pro contract or nothing,” said Raposo, a 20year-old from Hamilton. “At a young age, a lot of other kids I saw — some had that passion but not as much as me. I’ve always been the most competitive person. So whether it’s playing cards or soccer or anything, I’ll try and beat you at that.
“And as you get older —16,17 — even the better players, they have other priorities They start getting a girlfriend, you get your (driving) licence, this-that. You start going out. And with me, my priorities have stayed the same ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a pro footballer. That’s never once changed for me.”
Raposo made his mark in two seasons at Syracuse. In 2019 he set a school record for a sophomore for most goals (15) and points (37) while earning AllACC honours. Raposo switched to a No. 10 role last season from the wing. Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre calls him a dynamic, exciting attacker who can torment defenders.
“What I love about him is his mentality,” McIntyre said. “He’s a winner. He’s always looking to make something happen and he has that kind of drive and aggression that will translate well to the professional level as well.”
TFC went local with its first pick, choosing 21-year-old defender Nyal Higgins, of Ajax, 19th overall. The six-foot-two Higgins, who played three seasons at Oakland University before transferring to Syracuse, can play both centre back spots.
Toronto used the 25th pick to take Nigerian forward Ifunanyachi Achara, co-captain of the Georgetown team that won the NCAA College Cup last month.
Wake Forest midfielder/fullback Alistair Johnston, from Aurora, was chosen 11th by expansion Nashville SC. and Connecticut forward Dayonn Harris, of Milton, was selected 20th by Real Salt Lake.