SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
This lad isn’t holding his breath, instead he’s becoming the youngest to ever sign a professional soccer contract.
He’s 13-year-old Da’vian Kimbrough, he plays forward for North Bay Elite Futbol Club in Solano County and Woodland Soccer Club of Yolo County in Sacramento, Calif.
He has scored 27 goals in 31 matches for the Republic’s under-13 team in 2021, when he was 11.
The youngest teen to go pro played last year for the 14-and-under club after joining the under-15 for several matches.
This year he tallied six times as the New York Red Bulls Academy won the Bessevelde Cup for under-13 teams in Belgium.
Born Feb. 18, 2010, he is eligible to debut on Saturday against the Birmingham Legion.
The Republic and New Mexico United are in the Western Conference of the USL. The teams play at Sacramento on Sept. 20.
Just behind Kimbrough is Maximo Carrizo, who on his 14th birthday on Feb. 28, signed with Major League Soccer’s New York City, and he has yet to make his MLS debut.
Except that the late great Pele had played without contracts at a much earlier age then these two. Yes, those were the days, but there weren’t other Peles.
