Shirley resident leads U-13 team with 23 goals
Arthur Bernardino is providing some added kick to a Revolutionary offense.
The 13-year-old Shirley resident is leading the attack for the New England Revolution Academy’s Under-13 soccer team. The all-star squad is unbeaten at 19-0 and shows no signs of slowing down.
“It’s been going good so far this season,” said Bernardino. “We’re undefeated. We’re working well together in practice. We’re doing a lot of work on communication, so that really helps out in games.”
Bernardino has certainly earned his keep. He leads the team in scoring with 23 goals and six assists.
The team recently teamed up with its U-15 and U-14 counterparts to host Intercontinental FA and Valeo FC at Gillette Stadium. New England’s three youngest squads didn’t disappoint, scoring 29 times, while combining for five more victories.
Bernardino spearheaded the U-13 attack, netting a hat trick in his team’s 6-2 win over Intercontinental FA.
The 5-foot-6, 120-pound striker opened the scoring by crashing the net off a pass from teammate Brennan Mcweeny at 11:00, before burying a Boston Kahoalii setup just 10 minutes later. He capped his awesome evening, potting his third goal of the game off a Marlon Quijada feed at 61:00, giving the Revs the commanding cushion. Teammate Jason Kamerzel-smith
furthered the cause the next day, recording a goal and adding an assist in a 2-0 shutout win over Valeo FC.
According to Bernardino, the Revs have been firing on all cylinders.
“Our team’s doing really well passing the ball,” said Bernardino. “At Gillette they added more turf, so they have to put more power on the ball for passes. It has to travel a lot faster.”
Originally from Medford, Bernardino moved to Shirley with his family two years ago. The seventh-grader first kicked the soccer ball in 2015.
“My dad played it when I was younger,” said Bernardino. “That got me interested and I asked him to train me.”
A fast learner with sizable skill in the youth ranks, the Ayer Shirley Regional Middle Schooler’s raw talent and ability quickly drew the attention of the Revs scouts.
“I’m pretty sure it was TJ Love that scouted me,” said Bernardino. “My futsal coach, Lucas Dantas, also helped get me on the team.”
The Revolution Academy youth teams are fully funded by the New England Revolution. All players’ expenses related to competition are paid for by the Revs. This includes training, uniforms, training gear
and game-related travel expenses.
According to U-13 coach BJ Noble, Bernardino continues to impress.
“Working with Arthur over the course of this season has been wonderful,” said Noble. “He’s incredibly talented and it’s awesome to see his hard work continue to pay off in every game. We’re excited to have him at the Revs and to keep working with him throughout his player development process.”
The program is committed to fostering and maintaining a competitive, dynamic and professional environment for its youth team players and staff. Its 10-month competition calendar
aligns with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Teams compete September through June, training all year long. The Revs train three times a week, Tuesday through Thursday, at Gillette Stadium.
For Bernardino, the opportunity to play in the stadium where Tom Brady once played is something he doesn’t take for granted.
“It’s such an amazing experience being able to play there at such a young age playing for this team,” he said. “We’ve been really successful. I just hope we keep it going. Hopefully we’ll continue to have the confidence to play and play well.”