FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 12 in Brazil, Andrew Farrell will be watching intently. He may not, however, be a spectator for the 2018 installment in Russia.
He may be a participant.
Farrell’s consistently solid performances with the New England Revolution haven’t yet garnered a call-up to the U.S. National Team, but if the 22-year-old right back continues to progress at his current rate, he’ll undoubtedly get a look in the not-too-distant future.
Should that opportunity materialize, Farrell would be more than honored.
“That’s my biggest dream ever,” he said of potentially representing the Stars and Stripes. “Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to represent my country.”
It’s something Farrell has never done at any level – youth or senior – in part because he spent 10 years of his childhood (ages 5-14) in Peru while his parents worked as missionaries. It was there that Farrell developed many of the skills which now make him one of America’s brightest young prospects.
Now five games into his sophomore season, last year’s top overall SuperDraft pick has lived up to the expectations which accompany the status. Farrell has started every game for which he’s been available for the Revolution and helped anchor the Revs to a club-record 14 shutouts in 2013.
While he’s excelled on the defensive side of the ball, Farrell continues to hone his attacking abilities, which often feature in the Revolution’s fluid system. It’s that commitment to improvement which almost guarantees Farrell will be on Jurgen Klinsmann’s radar soon enough.
“My agent always tells me, it’s all in due time,” Farrell said. “Obviously there are a lot of good players in a lot of different spots and you’ve just got to make sure you’re doing the right things. Then you’ll get noticed and you’ll get your time.
“Hopefully at some point, if I keep doing the right things on and off the field, keep working hard and keep improving, then hopefully I get that call.”
Farrell emphasized that his focus is on the Revolution and helping his club overcome a slow start to the season, while acknowledging that success at the club level could eventually lead to national team opportunities. It would be, as Farrell said, “an awesome accomplishment.”
In the opinion of his teammate and goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, Farrell is well on his way.
“Each game he plays in he gets better, and you can clearly see his growth through last season and even coming into this year,” Shuttleworth said. “Athletically, he’s as gifted as they come and rarely in a bad spot. As long as he continues to keep growing, there’s no ceiling for him.”
For now, Farrell is content to keep working and waiting for his opportunity. He’ll watch the World Cup from afar and cheer on the U.S. National Team and many of his peers from throughout Major League Soccer.
And then one day, hopefully soon, he’d love to represent two teams which wear red, white and blue.
“I’m so proud of all the national team players from the league now, who are representing the league well on the national team stage,” Farrell said. “Hopefully at some point while I’m playing here, maybe I’ll get that call-up and represent the Revs organization, as well. That would be pretty awesome.”
