Welcome to part two of our look into the new players joining Union Omaha. In this round, we’ll introduce you to Joe Brito.
If you thought Union Omaha’s midfield was fully-stocked, head coach Jay Mims has a differing opinion. On Tuesday, midfield Joe Brito became one of the latest players to join the club and with his addition comes a whole new level of competition for playing time in the midfield.
Brito is a driven veteran who is used to battling above his class. Even in his early teens, Brito was proving himself in age groups above his own. As an early teenager, he was called into nine US Soccer Training Center camps and played at the U14 level. During his time at those camps, he was able to learn from Hugo Perez, former US Men’s National Team player and the current manager of the El Salvadoran Men’s National Team. It didn’t take long for clubs in his own backyard to see his talent and look to further develop his potential.
His hometown may be Bolton, Connecticut, but you can also say he grew up on the fields of the New England Revolution Academy. During his years in their Academy, he bounced between the U16 and U18 squads, amassing plenty of appearances. After starting 11 of the 15 matches with the U18 squad, he was recognized as the leading scorer. Because of that, and so much more, he was formally recognized as the 2016-2017 New England Revolution Academy Player of the Year. Later that year, Brito would move himself down to Charlotte, North Carolina and spend his collegiate years playing for the University of North Carolina – Charlotte.
During his five years with Charlotte, Brito garnered so much attention that if player awards were Pokemon, he collected just about every single one of them. Even as a freshman, he earned Conference USA All-Freshman team honors. To further hit that point home, his very first goal with the 49ers was a game-winner in the Conference Tournament semifinal against FIU, who was ranked 8th in the national polls. The next year, he helped Charlotte earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, made an appearance in the C-USA Tournament Championship, and lofted the 49ers into the national ranks for a majority of the season. In 2019, his lore grew even larger when he scored game-winning goals in two consecutive matches, separated by a mere three days. Oh, and he assisted two game-winning goals in the C-USA Tournament. Two years later, he scored the game-tying goal against 5th-ranked Kentucky with less than five minutes remaining and then assisted the game-winning goal in extra time of the first period of overtime. By the time his collegiate career came to a close, he had earned two First-Team All-Conference USA awards, Offensive Player of the Week, and named to the All-State Men’s soccer team by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA).
In the Union Omaha press release, head coach Jay Mims stated his excitement for Brito’s signing:
“Joe is a two-way midfielder who works hard defensively and can create opportunities in the attacking third. I am excited to help Joe grow as a player and look forward to his development.”
Brito expressed equal excitement in his quote that was also included in the press release:
“It’s a dream come true to sign my first professional contract with a club like Union Omaha. I’m excited to play in front of our passionate fans and help defend the championship!”
The 2022 Union Omaha midfield will be an exciting unit to watch, especially with Brito joining the club. Keep an eye out for the third part of this four-part series as we look at the new players joining the Union Omaha roster.
Who Gives A Hoot? 