Fidel Barajas’ impact on the Charleston Battery was felt from the moment he debuted – recording an assist off the bench – to his final matches when the club claimed the Eastern Conference title and were USL Championship Finalists.
Exactly one year ago, the 17-year-old Barajas was embarking on an electric record-setting campaign in Charleston at Patriots Point, capped off by winning Championship Young Player of the Year and All-League honors. Now 18, today he is playing for Liga MX giants Chivas after making a midyear move from MLS side Real Salt Lake.
Barajas’ story and career path paved the way for similar young prospects to follow to develop in the USL Championship and further advance their career to the next level at a faster pace.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we caught up with Fidel to discuss his tenure in Charleston, what he has been up to since his transfers, how his time with the Battery set him up for where he is now, the Mexican national teams and much more.
What has life been like the last 365 days, from playing for the Battery to going to MLS and then to Liga MX in that time?
Life has been pretty great, but at the same time, it is stressful, and taking time to adjust to new teams, new places, especially after leaving the Battery then going to a team in MLS in a whole different state. It all went pretty well because it was right after offseason, so it gave me time to get ready for the new season with a new team.
From there, it lasted not too long before moving again. So, it was another big adjustment, especially getting an opportunity and coming to Mexico, a whole different country and a top team here in North America where they get a lot of attention. So for me, it was really great. It was a dream come true, to be honest. Always supporting Chivas and then coming to the club, it was a whole different lifestyle on and off the field. Chivas are the team my family and I would always watch on TV and the team, since I first started playing soccer, I would always support.
Since then, it’s been pretty amazing to play with and against players that I’ve looked up to for my whole life. To be able to share the field with them has been pretty great but there’s also been a lot of work and adjustment.
How did your time with the Battery help you get to where you are now?
I would say the Battery helped me a lot. Being the first professional team I signed for at 16 years old, and being there for a year and a half, I feel like being in Charleston made me become the player that I am now, on and off the field. The club helped me get to the first division with the path I took, and thankfully a dream come true.
I feel like the players and the coaches, and the different playing styles, around me during that time all helped me get into the player I am now. The whole fanbase, too, really helped me a lot. i think without being at the Battery, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now. Taking that step to go to the USL and signing at a young age, helped me a lot to become the player I am now.
What was the impact of the players around you in Charleston on your growth and development?
I feel like a lot of the players on the team did, like Arturo, Juan, Emilio, Beto, who have a lot of experience. So, with their background, they helped me a lot, especially just kicking it around with them, and since they’re Hispanic, I felt comfortable with them and they really taught me how life is as a professional soccer player, on and off the field. Just being around them outside of training and hanging out off the field, they really made a big impact in my life, not only in the soccer aspects.
Do you still stay in touch with your former teammates here and follow along with the team’s performances?
Definitely. I do keep up with the Battery’s games, the big matchups and with the players as well. I keep in contact with most of them, sometimes we play video games. With everyone, I like to check on them and see when they games. I like to watch the matches and hit them up, saying they had a good game where when they score and do well.
I played with Nick Markanich for a year and being around him and knowing him, I’ve always thought he was one of the top players. I’ve been keeping up with him since I left, so I saw him from the beginning of the season, scoring goals and getting awards. I knew he was going to end up making a move hopefully by the end of the season and, so I wouldn’t say it was really shocking or surprising when I saw the announcement that he was going to Europe in the winter. I texted him, I told him I knew he was going to go to Europe, and I knew Europe was with a move for him with the season he’s been having. I feel like it’s not really something surprising to me, it’s something he deserves.
Looking back, what would you say is your favorite memory with Charleston?
I would say I have two big moments that are my favorites. The first is the Tulsa game at home, where I scored two goals that game. It was my first full year as a professional, so I think it meant a lot to me, and to the team too since it was important, two goals to win the game. Being able to do that at the pro level, I was 17 at the time, it was pretty cool to experience. The second is my first playoff game, against Indy Eleven, when we won 5-0 and I had a goal and assist. Being that it was my first playoff game, we won and I contributed, it was really important to me, and it got me a taste of my first playoff run. So, I thought those moments really stuck with me and I still think of them nowadays.
We see you’re still very active with the Mexican national teams, how has that been going?
The experiences with the national teams have been pretty good, especially now in a new cycle with the U-20 team. I’ve been to a few call-ups since I left the Battery and they’ve been good, the U-20 squad is pretty much all senior-level players and guys with minutes in first-division competition. We had a camp in Brazil and we played against top prospects in Europe. I thought those moments really helped me a lot. Most of the players I go up against now, their dream is to get to Europe, so I feel like playing against players who are living that dream is pretty cool at my age. You get a feel of what that type of level is
Playing against guys older than me is just normal, even before I was a pro, I would always go up an age group. For me, it’s normal. I don’t really think about it too much, I just look at myself the same as them, whether with Charleston, Real Salt Lake and now Chivas. I just go in there and think of the same even though they might be older, I don’t really think about the age.
Is Europe still a dream for you?
Yeah, playing in Europe is still a dream, I think since that started in Charleston and before that, it’s always been a goal. Even going to a different country and switching teams twice in less than a year, I feel like it’s still a goal. I think I’ve made the right moves so far and I feel like I’ve been growing along the way.
Speaking of national teams, you paved the way for younger players, like your former USYNT teammate Zeke Soto and current Mexican youth international Viggo Ortiz, to follow here in Charleston. What does that mean for you to see them follow in your footsteps?
Yeah, I feel happy not just for myself, but also for Charleston – having an impact and being a role model for two younger players as I knew I was once in their position. It makes me think that I’m doing the stuff things, and making the right moves, and I feel like that helps those guys have an idea of how it is and what to do. I think them being at Charleston is a good way to get to the next level since I was able to do it. It’s a good feeling for me to to know that they’re they’re in those footsteps.
In the moment, did you know you were blazing a trail that would be followed by other younger players just a year later?
I think it’s something that while I was living the moment, I knew was going to happen. Knowing that I was doing well in Charleston that year and maybe to make a move up, I kind of had a feeling that the Battery were going to keep doing the same thing, bringing in players giving them the minutes that they deserve there and develop young prospects, like Zeke and Viggo who are on national teams. It’s the same thing they did for me and I saw that happening, hopefully the club will keep doing that.
There will be plenty of Charleston supporters reading this, any message you’d like to send them here?
Thank you for all the support. I follow Charleston, I see that they keep growing in the support, the fans, La Barra and their band. I just want to say thank you. Without the experience of them being at the games and packing out the stadium, I wouldn’t be where I’m at. So, they got me ready for how it is now for me.
