Development Academy midfielder Soloman Straub’s story begins somewhere far away from the frosty spring fields and indoor facilities of the National Sports Center where the U13 team has already begun training for the upcoming season. It begins at an orphanage where his first touches were in sweltering 90-degree heat.
“I was born in Africa, and my mom couldn’t afford to take care of us, so she sent my brother and I to an orphanage,” said Straub. “There were a couple of older kids — way older. I asked to play soccer with them. They wouldn’t let us. And so every day, I would sit there on the steps, watching them play soccer.