Soares Signs with Viking
- Updated: February 23, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
The A.J. Soares transfer saga has reached its conclusion as the former Revolution center back has signed an 18-month a deal with Viking FK following a successful trial.
Soares, who declined to re-sign with the Revolution during the offseason, will join the Tippeligaen outfit ahead of the 2015 regular season. He joined the club on trial two weeks ago, playing in a preseason scrimmage against Valerenga.
“I could have stayed in the United States,” Soares said at his introductory press conference. “That would have been an easy choice. But to come here, with a new challenge, and try to take a big club like Viking, and try to improve on the last season, and bring the club back up is something I want to do.”
The 26-year-old center back originally eyed Serie A side Hellas Verona not long after MLS Cup. But negotiations subsequently fell through, and after weeks of radio silence, Soares re-emerged in Norway training with Bob Bradley’s Stabaek side.
Although Soares made an immediate impression while with Stabaek, scoring a fifth minute goal during a preseason scrimmage on Feb. 4, Bradley quashed any notion that the former Revolution center back was a potential target. Days after his preseason debut, he joined Viking on trial, and less than two weeks later, put pen to paper on a deal.
Photo credit: Roy Storvik
Soares played in 108 games for the Revolution during his four-year MLS career. He won the team’s Defender of the Year award in 2014.
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