The following article appeared in the latest version of The Sovereign, Real Salt Lake's matchday program.
Andrew Brody may only be 21 years old, but he’s already seen some difficult decisions in his soccer career that have taken him all over the country to work toward his dreams on the pitch. For most, those decisions could be met with resistance from parents vying to protect the best interests of their child. For Brody, though, a journey that has taken him from Orlando, Florida, to Casa Grande, Arizona, to Louisville, Kentucky, and now Salt Lake City, Utah, has been ventured with full support from his parents.
That is due in large part to his father Scott’s own soccer journey that was cut short by knee injuries when he was just 23 years old. Now in his first season with Real Monarchs, Andrew Brody is learning the rigors of professional soccer and the demands it places on a player. But with that support at his back and a familiar coaching staff, he is making great strides.
Brody’s journey started in his backyard in Orlando, where he played pick-up games with his father, brother and sister. There he would learn the finer points of the game and the importance of getting touches on the ball every day. He also learned how to lose. Playing 1v1 games against his dad, it wasn’t until he was 16 years old that he earned his first win. That was a pivotal day in his development, as his confidence spiked that day. And where he previously played 2v2 alongside his brother against his father and sister, the teams switch that day and he and his sister would take on his father and brother instead.
“I always knew he had something. It took a while, so once I beat him that it actually means something,” Brody said, smiling. “You could tell he tried a little harder after that.”
Brody’s admiration for his father’s soccer abilities are far from unfounded. Scott Brody played collegiately at American University and UNLV before playing three seasons with the Las Vegas Dust Devils and Colorado Foxes. Along the way, he had the chance to go abroad and play in Sweden or Belgium, but his son tells a story of devotion to a family that was just a gleam in his eye at that point.
After his sixth knee surgery, his doctor told him his options were to continue seeking out his dream on the soccer field or be able to play with his children when he was older.
“My mom kinda made that decision for him,” Brody laughed. “I’m glad he did it because I’ve learned so much from him, but I’m sure part of him also wishes that maybe he kept playing a little longer.”
With that story in his mind, Brody has seized opportunities to help his soccer future at each turn. First, he left Orlando at 16 years old to play for Real Salt Lake’s Arizona-based Academy. Then, he opted to play collegiately at Louisville under Head Coach Ken Lolla. Finally, after just three seasons, he left school early to join Real Monarchs in the USL.
That last decision was the toughest to make, but was made much easier by the coaching staff under Head Coach Freddy Juarez, who also coached Brody in Arizona with the RSL Academy.
“I’ve wanted to be a pro forever. I needed to challenge myself again. But really I just felt like it was the right time to go play with Freddy again,” Brody said. “I loved every minute of it at the Academy, so when I had that opportunity, it was something that I knew I wanted to do.”
This season, Brody has been a regular contributor for the Monarchs, scoring two goals in 826 minutes over 11 appearances. He hit another turning point in his confidence under some unique circumstances in April. With limited players available for its match against Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake included Brody and Monarchs defender Emilio Orozco on the roster for a match against the club’s top rivals. Brody and Orozco got a taste of first-team soccer, training with RSL that week before traveling with the first team to Children’s Mercy Park. Although neither played in the match, the confidence of RSL’s coaching staff did wonders.
“It was an awesome experience and I thank the RSL coaching staff for having the faith in me to take me along on that trip. It was a great eye-opener to see what I’m working for,” Brody said. “That’s where I want to be one day and with continued hard work and good results one day that could happen.”
Two weeks later, Brody scored his first professional goal against the Portland Timbers 2. And while the Monarchs continue their path in the club’s second season in the USL, Brody continues to blaze his own trail.
