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) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
New York Braveheart | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2011 | Match Fit Academy | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Old Dominion Monarchs | 48 | (11) |
| 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 | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2021 | Puerto Rico | 10 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 October 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 October 2023 |
|||
Sidney Adam Rivera, born on November 15, 1993, is a professional soccer player. He plays as a forward for New York Braveheart SC. Even though he was born in the United States, he plays for the Puerto Rico national team.
Sidney grew up in Staten Island, New York. He later moved to Hampton, New Jersey, where he played high school soccer. He attended Saint Benedict's Preparatory School and North Hunterdon High School.
Contents
Sidney Rivera's Soccer Journey
College Soccer Days
Sidney played college soccer at Old Dominion University. He played 48 games for the Old Dominion Monarchs team. He scored 11 goals and made one assist during his college career.
In 2014, he was the top scorer for his team with nine goals. That year, his team won their first-ever Conference-USA tournament championship. Sidney was even named the tournament's best offensive player! In the summer of 2014, he also played for Virginia Beach City FC.
Starting Professional Soccer
On January 20, 2015, Sidney was chosen by Orlando City SC in the MLS SuperDraft. This draft is where professional soccer teams pick new players. He signed a contract with Orlando City.
Later, on May 8, Orlando City loaned him to their partner club, Louisville City FC, which plays in the USL. Sidney played his first professional game on May 12, helping his team win 3–0 against the Wilmington Hammerheads. He played 10 games for Louisville before moving on.
On July 30, he was loaned again, this time to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He played one game for them. Orlando City released him from his contract on November 25, 2015.
Playing for Puerto Rico FC
On April 6, 2016, Sidney joined Puerto Rico FC, a new team in the NASL. This was a big step for him as he got to play regularly. In his first season, he played 16 games and scored 3 goals.
He continued with Puerto Rico FC in 2017, playing 20 matches. However, he started fewer games that season. After the 2017 season, he left the club. This was partly because the NASL league paused operations. Also, Hurricane Maria caused a lot of damage in Puerto Rico, affecting the team.
New Teams and Adventures
After leaving Puerto Rico FC, Sidney 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 Reno 1868 FC in the USL Championship, but he did not play in any games for them. After Reno, Sidney moved to Vietnam to play for Than Quang Ninh FC in the V.League 1. He started in the first two games for the club. After leaving Vietnam, Sidney returned to New Jersey. He began playing for FC Motown in the National Premier Soccer League.
After the NPSL season, Sidney joined the Philadelphia Fury. This team was part of the National Independent Soccer Association.
Recent Soccer Career
On April 26, 2021, Sidney signed with Morris Elite SC. This team plays in USL League Two. On May 24, 2021, he scored the first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against F.A. Euro. This was also the first win in the club's history!
Since 2022, Sidney has been playing for New York Braveheart SC. This team is part of the United Premier Soccer League.
Playing for His Country
Sidney 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. This was a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier against Grenada. He came into the game in the 58th minute.
International Goals for Puerto Rico
Here are the goals Sidney has scored for Puerto Rico:
| 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 |
