Day by Day
USL Rhode Island FC

Day by Day

Published on September 30, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Since childhood, Hugo Bacharach always loved the beautiful game, and never wanted to stop playing.

When Hugo Bacharach was selected by Minnesota United FC in the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, he had no idea where he was headed. He did not know that Minnesota had an MLS team, and could not place it on a map.

"It was extremely cold," Bacharach said. "The weather was something that I had never experienced before in college and growing up in Spain. The change was one of the toughest things to deal with when I began my career."

Less than a month prior, Bacharach was surrounded by family at his home in Valencia, Spain, eagerly awaiting a shot at his first professional contract with no idea what stood ahead. After hearing his name called on the screen with the ninth overall pick, he quickly began a near-5,000 journey flight across the globe to the northernmost state in the contiguous USA, where he would spend the next year fulfilling a childhood dream as a professional soccer player.

Bacharach made his first-team debut for the MLS club in its regular-season fixture vs. Houston Dynamo on April 13, 2024, starting his first-ever game on the country's largest stage in front of a sellout crowd of 19,658 fans.

"Playing in front of a huge home crowd was a lifelong dream," Bacharach said. "Walking onto the field at Allianz field with almost 20,000 fans was an incredible memory that I am going to keep with me for the rest of my life."

Prior to Bacharach's selection, while he was still playing his final year of college soccer at Indiana University, he received a call from Khano Smith, Rhode Island FC's Head Coach and General Manager. Smith was interested in Bacharach ahead of the club's inaugural season. He was one of the first head coaches to speak directly with the defender with multiple professional teams showing keen interest in his signature. Although Bacharach did not end up in the Ocean State in 2024, the connection to Rhode Island FC never left his mind.

Early Promise

Like many children in Spain, Bacharach grew up with a ball at his feet in the midst of a culture that eats, sleeps and breathes the beautiful game. After impressing for his local school team at the young age of seven, where he began his playing career as a striker, Spanish first division club Villarreal CF's academy quickly took interest. Regarded as one of the top academies in Spain alongside global giants such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Bacharach quickly began to shine at the highest level.

"I didn't know how far you could get because I was still really young," Bacharach said. "I was just really excited to be part of a La Liga Academy. I never thought about what I could achieve, I was just enjoying every day and I was grateful to be there. As years went by, I was like, 'Every year I kept doing a good job. If I keep doing this for a few more years, maybe I can make it a career in the future."

As the years went by, the competition got more fierce and the hours required to continue playing at Spain's highest youth level became much more demanding. For many players in Spain, pursuing a professional career often meant making a choice between an education and continuing to play competitively, but for Bacharach, that was not an option.

Decision Time

"Education always came first in my house," Bacharach said. " When I turned 18, I had completed one year of college in Spain. That is when I realized I could not keep up with this for three more years if I wanted to play soccer while earning my degree. I needed to pick one, and I really did not want to choose. Soccer was my dream and education was non-negotiable in my family."

Eventually, Bacharach came across the possibility of playing college soccer in the U.S. The collegiate path presented an opportunity to pursue an education while still competing at a high level, which was not as available in Spain at the time.

"I connected with two of my older friends that had come to the U.S. for the same reason I did," Bacharach said. "They noticed the lack of exposure that the kids in Spain had at the time, which made it very hard to pursue a college career in the U.S. They founded Eture, a company that helped connect kids in Spain with the resources needed to get recruited by colleges in the U.S. They knew who I was because they also played with Villereal, so they were a huge help."

With the help of Eture, Bacharach compiled a highlight tape, got in touch with several college coaches and eventually started receiving offers from schools around the country. Although he received many offers from some of the top college programs, the increasingly high tuition costs presented a further challenge for Bacharach and his parents.

"I needed to find a full scholarship or something close to a full scholarship," Bacharach said. "I did get good offers from really big schools, but they were offering me 60 percent of the scholarship, which was not enough. When I got the offer from Fairleigh Dickinson University, it was a really reasonable offer, and it was a great university in a good city. I made up my mind quickly, and I knew this was the place where I was going to go."

Although Bacharach had never been to the United States before accepting FDU's offer, he could barely contain his excitement after hearing about life at the university from his teammates. When he eventually landed at JFK International Airport with his life packed into suitcases and just a basic understanding of the English language, Bacharach wasted no time getting accustomed to his new life.

"It was a big transition, but the time flew by that first semester," Bacharach said. "I remember meeting my new teammates that I am still good friends with and going to my first practices, and how everything felt so new to me. Universities here are much bigger compared to Spain, and the facilities are unbelievable. I have really good memories of those first moments. On and off the field, my three years at FDU were the happiest years of my life."

Bacharach enjoyed visits to nearby New York City during his time at Fairleigh Dickinson.

During his time at Fairleigh Dickinson, Bacharach's success on the field continued. Starting 37 of his 38 appearances and logging 3,314 minutes over three seasons, the defender netted seven goals and assisted two.

"There is a big cliché that the level of college soccer is not that good and that it is really hard to make it to the professional world," Bacharach said. "I always thought to myself, 'at the very minimum, I'm going to get a degree from an American university, a perfect level of English and a big network of professionals from all over the world. If soccer does not work out, at least I have these three important things that I always wanted to get."

Although Bacharach's education provided a solid backup plan, he had no intentions of giving up soccer. Taking each day as a new challenge and enjoying every minute, the defender never gave up his dream as his on-field performance continued to flourish. He was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, earned a second-straight selection to the All-NEC First Team, and helped lead FDU to a regular season championship during his final season in 2022.

Looking Beyond College

"My final year was one of the first times in my life that I put soccer over education," Bacharach said. "I already had my degree from FDU. I know I can get a master's degree, but now it's my last shot at soccer."

At first, Bacaharach did not know that international players were even eligible for the MLS SuperDraft. But as he approached his final year of college, he made a decision that would go on to shape his early professional career. Following advice from his teammates, Bacharach decided to use his final year of NCAA eligibility to search for a bigger program, in order to increase his exposure to professional scouts. After so much success his first three years, a jump to the professional level felt more and more possible.

"After winning so many awards at FDU, all the schools that were giving me half offers when I was in Spain were now offering me full-ride scholarships, and they really wanted me," Bacharach said. "I chose Indiana University for my final season because it gave me an incredible offer and I knew all the background. There is no better place than Indiana, because it is one of the schools with the highest number of MLS draft picks in the country."

In his final season, what once felt like a distant hope for Bacharach eventually began to turn into reality. As his first season as Indiana went on, Bacharach's name began to appear on MLS SuperDraft watchlists. Then, he was named one of 44 invitees to the 2023 Adidas MLS College Showcase in Phoenix, Arizona. For the first time, Bacharach knew there were professional eyes on him, and he was determined to make it count.

"That year was incredible," Bacharach said. "Knowing that you had something to play for other than trophies, something to play for individually, that was also really motivating for me. Seeing yourself among some of the most talented college players at the combine was insane, and I started to realize that MLS teams were actually interested in me. I started getting interviews with teams, and my dream began to feel real."

It was around this time that Bacharach received the call from Rhode Island FC, but with MLS interest also surrounding him, Bacharach wanted to see what the SuperDraft had in store. When the SuperDraft came along, Bacharach found himself on the list of 400 eligible players. Eventually, that list narrowed even further.

"After I got back from the Combine, my coach at Indiana said, 'I don't know what you did in the Combine or who you talked to, but you're going to be a top 10 pick,'" Bacharach said. That was a really, really happy moment for me. From not knowing what the draft was to becoming a top 10 pick in under one year was really special."

Although his selection was still not guaranteed, MLS went as far as to instruct Bacharach to set up his phone camera to livestream his family's reaction during the draft as he sat and watched from his childhood home in Spain. The stage was set, and in front of his entire family, Bacharach watched his decision to come to the U.S., and to pursue the sport he loved, all pay off when Minnesota United FC called his name.

Hugo Bacharach could finally call himself a professional soccer player.

A Rookie Year to Remember

Despite the cold weather and unfamiliar surroundings, the biggest changes for Bacharach were not the conditions off the field, but rather the personnel in the locker room. Bacharach did not waste any time getting acclimated to the North Star State.

"I was used to being in the locker room with guys that are like 18-22 years old," Bacharach said. "Once I got to Minnesota, I realized that that was not the case anymore. A lot of my teammates were at least 30 years old. Everybody was older than me, some of my teammates had kids, families and other things to worry about. That was like a big shock for me."

Throughout his first season, Bacharach split 13 appearances between the first team and its MLS Next Pro reserve side, Minnesota United FC 2. He made his first-ever start for the first team in front of a sold-out Allianz Field on April 13 before making two further appearances in the club's 2023 Leagues Cup campaign. In a successful rookie season in MLS Next Pro, the defender tallied a goal and an assist in nine regular-season games.

After picking up a knee injury at the end of the season with Minnesota and his guaranteed contract coming to an end, Bacharach knew the road ahead would be very difficult. His only chance to stay in MLS would be to join a team on trial and fight for a contract during preseason, but that plan quickly derailed as his injury kept him sidelined. Facing a career-defining decision, Bacharach thought back to his first-ever conversation with a professional head coach, back when he was still playing college soccer in Indiana.

Eventually, when his time in Minnesota had officially run its course, Bacharach did not have to look very far for his next club.

"Throughout all my time in Minnesota, I kept following RIFC, checking the standings and seeing how the team was doing," Bacharach said. "I always considered it a really good option for me. The day after my contract in Minnesota ended, I already committed to Rhode Island FC. It all happened really quick, because I never forgot about our conversations with coach Khano, and also he never forgot about me as a player."

Morris Duggan, who was teammates with Bacharach in Minnesota and spent time with Rhode Island FC on loan during the second half of the 2024 season, reinforced Bacharach's decision to move to the Ocean State club.

"Rhode Island FC reached out to both Morris and I before the draft in 2023, and he was able to experience RIFC before me," Bacharach said. "Even before my contract ended with Minnesota, I kept texting him, asking 'how is it there?' He told me, 'this is the most fun I've had in a while playing soccer, and this environment is great.' He was slowly shaping my decision to sign with the club."

Morris Duggan appeared in 13 games for Rhode Island FC in 2024, including the Eastern Conference Final and USL Championship Final.

Morris Duggan appeared in 13 games for Rhode Island FC in 2024, including the Eastern Conference Final and USL Championship Final.

"Once I got the offer, I remember texting Morris one more time," Bacharach said. "He told me, 'do not think about it twice. You are going to love it here, and they are going to love you here, too."

Bacharach officially inked his first-ever USL Championship contract with the Ocean State club on Dec. 31, 2024. Although the recurring injury kept Bacharach out for more than half of the 2025 season, including the entire preseason, the defender did what he had been doing since he was seven years old: taking it day by day.

"It was one of the hardest moments of my life, getting to a new team and having to get surgery right away," Bacharach said. "It was really tough at the time, having a really long recovery in a new city with no family, but I was never down about it. My mindset was, 'just get healthy as soon as you can, then you can prove yourself.' That is what drove me."

Motivated by the constant support of teammates who he had only known for a short time, Bacharach returned from a six-month recovery period to take the field in front of a sold-out Centreville Bank Stadium for the first time on July 19. In front of 10,619 fans on national television, he helped the Ocean State club keep a clean sheet in RIFC's 0-0 draw vs. regional rival Hartford Athletic.

Since then, Bacharach has been a mainstay in one of the best defensive lines in the USL Championship, starting all of the club's last 12 games and going the full 90 in the last eight. During that time, he has helped RIFC keep seven clean sheets, anchoring a backline that has conceded just three goals in its last six games.

"I always knew that I was going to give everything I had to try to play at the highest level, but I did not expect to be a starter for one of the best defensive teams in the league in a beautiful stadium just two years into my career," Bacharach said. "With sacrifice and a lot of effort, everything is possible, and I will always stand by that."

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 30, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central