November 10, 2023 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Toronto FC II News Release
Making the jump from one level to the next is tricky.
The game remains the same, but everything about it changes.
“It’s a good challenge,” said Theo Rigopoulos, who saw 1147 minutes in MLS NEXT Pro with Toronto FC II in 2023 as a 16-year-old – he turned 17 at the end of October. “Much older, bigger, stronger guys, faster, so you’ve got to be smart when you’re playing.”
“It’s a challenge, but the younger guys were up for a reason,” he continued. “They know their qualities and showed it.”
Both Rigopoulos and Stefanovic are with Canada for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Indonesia and started in their opening match, a 0-2, against Spain on Friday morning.
“You compare the academy level to the MLS NEXT Pro level and then when you’re with the first team, obviously, there’re gaps in between,” explained Stefanovic. “The biggest differences are understanding that you’re going into a pro environment – games are no longer about just development, it’s also finding results – and the changes in the physical game.”
“When you’re in the academy, you balance out with the academy kids, but in MLS NEXT Pro or the first team, you’re playing against grown men that are making a living by playing professional soccer,” he compared. “It’s understanding that they’re playing for their next contract, just that intensity that you don’t get in the academy.”
That is exactly what the league is for: giving top young talent a chance to prepare for what lies ahead.
“It’s something I wish was around when I was a little bit younger,” said Reshaun Walkes. “It can help the younger kids progress, understand the professional environment, and then make their jump to wherever they want to go. It’s a good introduction to the professional lifestyle.”
Highlighted Jordan Faria: “You could be 16 years old, playing a game when there’s five first team players coming down. You get to see what the level is.”
“You get that experience of understanding that you travel on the Friday, you play Saturday, so how to take care of your body. And then in some of those stadiums, like Huntsville, where they have fans and they’re in your ear when you’re warming up, that’s a little bit of the taste for when you go to a higher level,” he continued. “It’s very good tactically as well and very technical. A lot of these teams are built in systems of the first team, so you’re learning to understand certain formations and how you’re going to play around…
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