FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (October 20, 2023) – Olger Escobar (2006 – Malden, Mass.) has been named the New England Revolution’s UnitedHealthcare Revolution Academy Player of the Year for the 2022-23 MLS NEXT season as selected by the Revolution’s Technical Staff.
“After an incredible season with our Academy, Olger is very deserving of this honor. He’s an incredible talent and we are all proud of how far he has come since joining our program,” Revolution Technical Director Curt Onalfo stated. “Olger has a bright future ahead of him and we are excited for his continued growth within our pro pathway.”
Escobar, 17, has excelled in New England’s system since joining the Academy in 2018. Following a sensational season where the Malden native tallied 15 goals in 17 starts with the U-17s, Escobar was named the U-17 MLS NEXT MVP, becoming the first New England player to earn the national honor. The forward also became the club’s third MLS NEXT All-Star in 2023, competing alongside the top stars across North America at the Naval Academy’s Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Maryland, following in the footsteps of Homegrown midfielders Jack Panayotou and Esmir Bajraktarević in 2022.
The Massachusetts product featured with New England’s Under-19 Academy squad earlier this summer, helping the side claim its second consecutive MLS NEXT Cup title in Frisco, Texas. He went on to sign with New England Revolution II on July 26, after making his professional debut with the team on April 21 and recorded one assist across 16 appearances.
Escobar has also shined on the international stage through four call-ups from the Guatemala Youth National Team. His most recent selection came in January, where the forward tallied four goals in the U-17 CONCACAF Championship in helping lead his country to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013.
Escobar is the ninth different recipient of the honor, given annually to the most outstanding amateur player in the Revolution’s pro pathway. Previous winners of the UnitedHealthcare Academy Player of the Year Award include current first team Homegrown Players Justin Rennicks (2015, 2016), Noel Buck (2021), and Jack Panayotou (2022) along with Zachary Herivaux (2014), Joe Brito (2017), Kevin Vang (2018), Tyler Freitas (2019), and Trevor Burns (2020).
Earlier this week, the Revolution announced that Carles Gil has been voted as Revolution Team MVP by fan vote and selected as Players’ Player of the Year by his teammates. Dave Romney has been voted as the club’s Defender of the Year by local media. The club’s Humanitarian of the Year will be announced prior to Saturday’s regular season finale against Philadelphia, and the Golden Boot winner will be confirmed after the match.
The 2023-24 MLS NEXT season is now underway. Click here for complete information on MLS NEXT, Major League Soccer’s elite player development platform or visit Revolutionsoccer.net to learn more.
New England will conclude the regular season at home on Saturday night, October 21, on MLS Decision Day against the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium. All Eastern Conference fixtures on Decision Day are scheduled to kick off at 6:00 p.m. ET. Watch the match for free on Apple TV in English and Spanish or listen to the Revolution’s local radio calls on 98.5 The Sports Hub (WBZ-FM) and 1260 AM Nossa Radio in Portuguese.
