I've long been a fan of A.J. Soares. Although he wasn't the flashiest player, he always seemed to get the job done. In fact, his contributions to the New England Revolution might have been overlooked considering the team has had defensive issues since his departure in 2014.
Off the field, Soares had a warm personality. He made us laugh with the Soares Report and was always cordial during post-game interviews. I remember speaking to him after he won the team's Defender of the Year and Players' Player Awards. The California native expressed nothing but gratitude, saying "It means a lot.