Sidney Rivera facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sidney Adam Rivera | ||
| Date of birth | November 15, 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Staten Island, New York, United States | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | New York Braveheart | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2011 | Match Fit Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2014 | Virginia Beach City | ||
| 2015 | Orlando City | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Louisville City (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2015 | → Pittsburgh Riverhounds (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Puerto Rico | 36 | (5) |
| 2018 | Atlantic City | 7 | (6) |
| 2018 | Reno 1868 | 0 | (0) |
| 2019 | Than Quảng Ninh | 2 | (0) |
| 2019 | FC Motown | 5 | (2) |
| 2019 | Philadelphia Fury | 1 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Bangladesh Police | 9 | (5) |
| 2021 | Morris Elite SC | 5 | (2) |
| 2022– | New York Braveheart | ||
| National team‡ | |||
| 2019–2021 | Puerto Rico | 10 | (3) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Sidney Adam Rivera (born November 15, 1993) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a forward for New York Braveheart SC in the United Premier Soccer League. Even though he was born in the United States, he plays for the Puerto Rico on the international stage.
Sidney grew up in Staten Island, New York. Later, he moved to Hampton, New Jersey. He played high school soccer at Saint Benedict's Preparatory School and North Hunterdon High School.
Contents
Sidney Rivera's Soccer Journey
College Soccer Days
Sidney Rivera played all his college soccer at Old Dominion University. He played in 48 games for the Monarchs team. During his time there, he scored 11 goals and made one assist. In 2014, he was the top scorer for his team with nine goals. That year, he helped Old Dominion University win its first-ever Conference-USA tournament championship. He was also named the tournament's best offensive player. In the summer of 2014, Rivera also played for Virginia Beach City FC.
Starting as a Professional Player
On January 20, 2015, Sidney was chosen by Orlando City in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. This is a special event where professional soccer teams pick new players. He signed a contract with Orlando City.
However, on May 8, he was loaned to Louisville City FC, another team in the USL. He played his first professional game four days later. It was a 3–0 win against the Wilmington Hammerheads. Rivera played 10 games for Louisville.
Later, on July 30, he was loaned again, this time to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He played only one game for them. On November 25, 2015, Orlando City released him from his contract.
Playing for Puerto Rico FC
On April 6, 2016, Rivera joined NASL team Puerto Rico FC. This was a new team in the league. Here, he finally got to play regularly. He played in 16 games and scored 3 goals in his first season.
In his second season with Puerto Rico FC, he played in 20 matches. However, he started fewer games. After the 2017 season, he left the club. This was because the NASL league stopped playing for a while. Also, Hurricane Maria caused a lot of damage in Puerto Rico, affecting the team.
Later Club Experiences
After leaving Puerto Rico FC, Rivera played for Atlantic City FC in the semi-professional National Premier Soccer League. He played 7 games for them. Then, he had a short time with USL Championship team Reno 1868, but he didn't play in any games.
Next, Rivera moved to Vietnam to play for V.League 1 team Than Quang Ninh. He started in the first two games for the team. But then, he was removed from the squad for reasons that were not shared.
After leaving Vietnam, Rivera came back to New Jersey. He started playing for FC Motown in the National Premier Soccer League. After that season, he signed with the Philadelphia Fury. This team was part of the National Independent Soccer Association.
Recent Soccer Teams
On April 26, 2021, Rivera joined USL League Two team Morris Elite SC. He played in their first-ever season. On May 24, 2021, he scored the first goal in the club's history. This goal helped them win 1–0 against F.A. Euro. It was the first win for Morris Elite SC.
In 2022, Rivera joined New York Braveheart SC. This team plays in the United Premier Soccer League.
Playing for His Country: Puerto Rico
Sidney Rivera was born in the United States. His father is from Colombia, and his mother is from Cape Verde. After playing for Puerto Rico FC, he had the chance to play for the Puerto Rico national football team.
He played his first game for Puerto Rico on March 24, 2019. It was a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier match against Grenada. He came into the game as a substitute in the 58th minute.
International Goals
Scores and results Puerto Rico's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 November 2019 | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico |  Anguilla |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League C |
| 2. | 2–0 |
