Updated August 19, 2024
DAMIAN RIVERA AT A GLANCE:
MLS CAREER: In fifth professional season…Signed by the Revolution as a Homegrown Player on Nov. 8, 2019 after more than three seasons in the Revolution Academy…Became the seventh Revolution Academy product to sign with the first team…At 16, tied for the Revs’ second-youngest Homegrown Player signing to date (Diego Fagundez, 15 and Noel Buck, 16)…Has made 21 MLS appearances with six starts, tallying one goal to become third player in MLS history to score in the first minute of his first career start…Loaned to USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies for 2024 season…In 2023, logged seven appearances with two starts…Also scored five goals and tallied two assists in six MLS NEXT Pro matches with Revolution II…Notched one assist in two U.S. Open Cup starts…Made 13 appearances with four starts, scoring one goal across 411 minutes in 2023…Scored three goals and tallied one assist in five appearances with Revolution II during inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season…Made MLS debut on Aug. 21, 2021 with a 28-minute appearance off the bench…Has featured extensively with Revolution II in USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro, where he’s appeared in 54 games with 17 goals and five assists since 2020.
2024: Loaned to USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies for remainder of season on Feb. 19, 2024…Has made 24 appearances across all competitions for Tampa Bay, tallying five goals and two assists.
2023: In 2023, logged seven appearances with two starts in MLS play…Also scored five goals and tallied two assists in six MLS NEXT Pro matches with Revolution II…Notched one assist in two U.S. Open Cup starts…(2/25) at CLT: Started in season opener, setting career high with nine duels won…(4/22) vs. SKC: Tallied a shot on target off the bench…(4/25) vs. HFD: Recorded first Open Cup assist….(5/9) vs. PIT: Tallied a start in the U.S. Open Cup…(8/26) at MTL: Started in a 63-minute performance.
2022: Made 13 appearances with four starts, scoring one goal across 411 minutes…Scored three goals and tallied one assist in five appearances with Revolution II during inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season…(4/9) at MCF: Made season debut, playing seven minutes off the bench…(4/23) at DC: Played 32 minutes off the bench in his longest substitute appearance to date, registering the first shot on target in his career…(4/30) vs. MCF: Scored first career MLS goal, a game-winner, in the opening minute of his first league start, logging 72 minutes…Became the third player in MLS history to score in the first minute of his first career start, and first since 2007 (Matias Mantilla, RSL)…(5/7) vs. CLB: Started and played 67 minutes...(5/25) at NYC: Started and played 90 minutes in U.S. Open Cup action...(7/3) vs. CIN: Played 21 minutes off the bench...(7/23) at CLB: Made an eight-minute appearance off the bench...(7/30) vs. TOR: Saw seven minutes of action as a substitute…(8/13) vs. DC: Played 63 minutes in fourth start of the season…(10/9) at CHI: Made a 16-minute substitute appearance in 13th game played of the year.
2021: Appeared in one match, making his MLS debut as a substitute…With Revolution II, logged 25 appearances along with a team-best six goals and one assist played in USL League One…Also led Revolution II’s attack with a team-high 51 shots…Ranked second on the team with 31 chances created …(8/21) vs. CIN: Made his MLS debut with a 28-minute performance as a substitute in the 4-1 win at Gillette Stadium.
2020: Signed a Homegrown Player contract on Nov. 8, 2019…Did not make an MLS appearance…Made five appearances in the Revolution’s match day squad…Scored two goals in 14 appearances for Revolution II in USL League One play.
CLUB CAREER OUTSIDE OF MLS: Has totaled 44 games played and 38 starts for Revolution II in both USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro, with 11 goals and three assists…Tallied three goals in two appearances to date for Revolution II during the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season…Bagged a brace in the season opener on March 25, 2022 at New York City FC II…Totaled 25 appearances in 2021, all starts, with a team-high six goals…Had his first goal-and-assist performance on September 17, 2021…Scored first career game-winning goal on July 9, 2021 for Revs II…Logged first professional action with Revolution II in USL League One during the 2020 season, making 14 appearances with nine starts and totaling two goals and one assist…Made professional debut on August 7, 2020 vs. Orlando, playing 70 minutes and recording a team-high four shots with one on target...Started and played 61 minutes on August 21, 2020 vs. Richmond...Played 12 minutes as a substitute on August 26, 2020 vs. Greenville...Logged first 90-minute performance on September 4, 2020 vs. Forward Madison, taking a team-high two shots with one on target...Played 33 minutes on September 26, 2020 at Orlando, registering three shots...Scored first-career goal on October 3, 2020 at Richmond, logging 20 minutes and recording to shots...Scored second goal of the season in 76-minute effort on October 16, 2020 vs. North Texas SC, recording two shots and nine recoveries and winning USL League One Goal of the Week...Recorded first career assist on October 24, 2020 at Madison, creating a team-high three chances in 86 minutes.
REVOLUTION ACADEMY: Developed for more than three seasons in the Revolution Academy, joining the program ahead of the 2016-17 season from Bayside FC…Has made a combined 90 appearances, including 67 starts, and totaled 41 goals scored across the U-14, U-16, U-17, and U-19 levels…Through the fall portion of the 2019-20 USSDA season, paced the Under-19s with eight goals in eight appearances…Tallied four goals against D.C. United on Oct. 19…During the 2018-19 season, made 24 appearances and 18 starts, splitting time between the U-19 and U-17 sides…Scored seven goals at the U-17 level, and three goals with the U-19s…Tallied 12 times in 27 games, with 19 starts, during the 2017-18 campaign…In first season with New England, made 14 appearances and scored three goals for the U-16s.
NATIONAL TEAM (United States & Costa Rica): Received first career international call-up for a U.S. Under-17 training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. from Nov. 11-19, 2019…One of 20 players called in by U-17 Head Coach Raphaël Wicky for the camp, which was held alongside the U-16 BNT…Received Costa Rican citizenship, allowing him to represent the country in international play…Earned first call-up to Costa Rica U-23 team for 2023 Maurice Revello Tournament in France…Made three appearances at the tournament, with two starts.
PERSONAL*:\* Commonly referred to as “Tico”, a nickname received due to his Costa Rican heritage…One of two Homegrown Players from Rhode Island in the club’s history after Isaac Angking…Developed at Bayside FC before joining the Revolution Academy ahead of the 2016-17 season…Works closely with Project GOAL in Rhode Island, an organization that uses the power of soccer to provide academic and a strong foundation of social responsibility, teamwork, and collaboration in classrooms and on the field…Impacted by Project GOAL as a middle school student, where he benefitted greatly from the free, coeducational programming.
