New England Soccer Today

Soares Scores for Stabaek in Scrimmage

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

Former Revolution center back A.J. Soares started and scored early for Norway first division side Stabaek in a scrimmage against Strommen on Wednesday, per a tweet from one of the club’s supporter groups.

Soares, who declined to re-sign a new contract with the Revolution during the winter, scored in the fifth minute via header and played the first half of Wednesday’s contest. He joined the club for training earlier this week at the invitation of coach Bob Bradley, who led the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2007-11.

Incidentally, Stabaek will be in the United States later this month to play a series of scrimmages against Portland, Vancouver and Chicago for the 2015 Simple Invitational, which runs from Feb. 22-28.

Bradley told reporters earlier this week that Soares isn’t a part of the club’s plans, and suggested that the 2014 Revolution Defender of the Year had other trials lined up elsewhere. A report from Norwegian publication Budstikka emphasized that Soares is strictly a guest player at Stabaek, that it is “unlikely” the club will sign him, and that part of the reason why he is there is because his agent Mike Gartlan has a “good” relationship with the club.

The Revolution hold Soares’ rights because he was offered a new contract before his previous contract expired.

On Wednesday, Revolution coach Jay Heaps told nesoccertoday.com that while the club has moved on in the wake of Soares’ departure, he still has an appreciation for his former center back.

“In regards to A.J., he’s a fantastic guy,” Heaps said, “and someone that we respect on the highest level.”

Leave a Reply