In this week’s Grand Circus Player Profile, we meet City midfielder Aaron Franco. In just three games so far this season, the University of Maryland student-athlete has made an immediate impact in Le Rouge’s last three games – all victories.
Franco just completed his second year playing soccer at Maryland and has three more years of eligibility as a redshirt athlete. The twenty year-old was unable to join the team until the end of May since he had to wrap up finals at school.
He saw action right away, though, with a start in the 1-0 win against Glentoran FC on May 27th. Franco said it was an honor to start and had several friends and family watching back home.
“It was really an honor to start after my first week here,” Franco said. “At first, just walking out of that tunnel at Keyworth, it was surreal. Just hearing the crowd roar and holding hands with a kid I really just felt like the way a pro lives. The first couple minutes of the game I was still really nervous. But you find a way to tune out the crowd and tune out the pressure.”
He also started and played the entire 90 minutes in both league games last weekend against Grand Rapids FC and FC Indiana – both 3-1 victories. He said getting six points was a major turning point for the team.
“We’ve won all three games I’ve been in and I like the way the team is heading,” Franco said. “I feel like I’m really developing as a player and a person here.”
Before becoming a Terrapin, Franco was captain of his Boca United U18 Team, helping them make it to the State Cup Championship, the Jefferson Cup Championship and three Disney Showcase titles.
According to his bio on the University of Maryland’s website, Franco played in three matches during his sophomore year in 2016. Maryland went 18-1-2 (W-T-L) and were the Big Ten Conference champions.
Franco was able to sign with DCFC through Cale Wassermann, an Assistant Coach at Michigan State University, who introduced him to the club as well as DCFC Head Coach Ben Pirmann. He said not only has the team bonded well, but it’s been a new experience meeting teammates from all across the world.
“I knew this was the place I wanted to be,” Franco said. “The transition wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because the guys are such a great group. There’s such a great culture in the team. You can see it on the field – off the field – we’re all really good friends. The guys have been very welcoming to me.”
One major plus for Franco is being able to train and improve his game without the stress of school. He said the biggest difference compared to playing at school is playing with and against players much older than him.
“Soccer-wise, I’ve had to adapt a little bit to the style of play of the league,” Franco said. “The biggest difference is playing with guys a lot older than me – a lot more experienced than me.
Given the players’ training facilities, supporter atmosphere and coaches, Franco said he feels treated like a professional every day. He is able to devote his entire day to soccer, which makes a difference for him development-wise.
“We’re being treated almost like professionals, in the sense where, when I’m here – from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep – it’s soccer,” Franco said.
Franco said his goals for this summer go hand-in-hand with the team’s: win the conference. Despite a slower start than desired, he believes winning is always within reach and is doing everything he can to motivate his teammates.
“Ben was not satisfied and neither were the guys,” Franco said. “I knew that I had to come in right away and make an impact. I’m really happy with what I’ve done so far and what the team’s done so far, and I think it’s only the beginning. It’s well within reach to win this. I’m going to make sure I bring it everyday and I’m going to push my teammates everyday.”
A huge help for Franco in accomplishing this is the backing from all the Le Rouge supporters. He said they have helped drive his motivation, especially at the away game in Indiana.
“I love the backing from the fans,” Franco said. “They really are remarkable. I had my first away start at FC Indiana and I had the chills just knowing they traveled five hours to cheer us on and be there for us. When we scored the goal, I told Shawn let’s go celebrate with our fans. It’s so fun playing in front of them. They show us so much love.”
After the season, Franco will head back to College Park, Maryland, to start his third year playing at school. He said he hopes to bring back a winning mentality. After college, Franco hopes to pursue a career as a professional soccer player.
“I plan to take back to Maryland just a great summer experience,” Franco said. “I plan to use this game experience and knowledge and taking it to preseason at Maryland. I want to take a winning mentality back with me as well. I will pursue my dream of becoming a professional soccer player. Everything in my life, that’s what I’ve been geared towards.”
