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Professional soccer is all about goals, scoring them and setting them. Last July, RGV FC academy product Brandon Morales was able to check a major goal off his list: get signed to the first team.
It was a major step for the youngster, and one that he does not take lightly. “First, I want to thank the coaching staff for believing in my ability as a soccer player, my family for always supporting me throughout the process, and my friends who always motivated me to keep going,” Morales says.
Joining the Houston Dynamo affiliate in the middle of their season, Baby Bull, as I’ve nicknamed him, appeared in two matches. The midfielder completed 20 of his 26 passes, including two key passes.
When asked about his first impressions in his first professional season, he answers, “My main takeaways from my first USL season were the speed of play and the physicality of the game. With that being said, it allowed me to reflect on what I needed to work on which was to always check my shoulder and hit the gym to be a little stronger and faster to compete against players in the USL.”
Baby Bull doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Rather than vacation and travel during his first professional offseason, he put in work. “I was at the gym three days a week and was training with the Academy meanwhile. Also, I helped some of the Academy coaches to train and give advice to the players,” Morales explains. He did get a chance to spend some time with some of his family from Reynosa, Tamaulipas in Mexico.
Last season, he got most of his attention for being the first academy player to play for the first team. This year, he’s ready to become an impact player with the Toros. “I’m going to work hard everyday on the training field. Fight for my spot and do my best to prove I want to be on the field all the time,” he says.
Not only is this his first professional team, it’s the Pharr, Texas native’s hometown team. “It’s extremely special,” Morales says about representing the Toros. “It’s something I have looked forward to since I joined the Academy in 2016. It’s been a long journey to get to where I am. I have played all over the RGV and to be given the opportunity to play for the club that I love these past three years is amazing. I am representing the RGV and am the first to sign from the Academy; I hope there is many more players to follow my footsteps.
Being an RGV native, Morales also has you covered on the best places to eat when you get to town! He suggests La Curva Taqueria, La Herradura, and Tower Burger.
Baby Bull and the rest of the Toros will play a friendly on Friday vs. rival San Antonio FC as they continue to prepare for their March 8th season opener.