Sal Olivas was 16 years old when he was invited to join Philadelphia Union’s renowned Pathway to the Pros.
Playing for an academy was a goal he’d long hoped to achieve, so the proposal was an exciting one, but there was a catch. At the time, he was living in El Paso, Texas, across the country from the club’s headquarters in Chester.
Flash forward to the present – it’s been two years since he made the life-changing move to Philadelphia to join the Union organization, and it paid off. On Thursday, the club announced that Olivas, now 18-years-old, had signed a professional contract with Philadelphia Union’s first team, becoming the club’s 29th Homegrown player.
“Becoming a professional soccer player was a dream of mine since I was little, little, little. Maybe, like seven or eight years old. So actually saying that I'm a professional soccer player? It's crazy,” Olivas said.
Olivas’ skills first shined as an energetic little brother, often jumping in with his sister and her teammates during their soccer practices.
“I always wanted to play football, like American football, because my family was all about basketball and American football. But, I was too little for that, so I started playing soccer with my sister's team, going around and practicing with them – stuff like that. I just fell in love with the sport.”
When Olivas was scouted by Philadelphia, the closest academy to his childhood home was nine hours away. At the time, he wasn’t playing club soccer, just for Coronado High School's team.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t play on any soccer team at the time. I was just practicing by myself and playing high school soccer. It was a pretty tough moment in my life, because I really didn't know what the future held for me,” he reflected.
“Philadelphia Union Academy called and said, ‘Hey, come try out with us’, so I did. It was a dream come true right there, and then everything else after came so quickly.”
He’d never been away from his family for more than a week, but soon after he received the offer, he packed his bags, flew to Philadelphia, and moved into the club’s academy residency house. From there, he started a new life in a new state, fully immersing himself in the Philadelphia Union culture.
“It was a big jump. Nerve wracking. You're moving away from home. Two, three, flights away sometimes. Obviously I got homesick and stuff like that, but I knew that if I went home, there's were no opportunities for me to really pursue my dream,” Olivas said.
Since joining the Union, Olivas has seen great success, first playing a key role in the Philadelphia Union U-17’s 2023 Generations adidas Cup win in Bradenton, Florida. He scored in the semifinals to help the team secure a spot in the final against FC Dallas. In 2024, he was an integral part of the Union II team that made history with a first-ever appearance in the MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
His favorite memory so far was scoring his first pro goal in the team’s 2-1 win against New England Revolution II at Subaru Park on March 24th.
“When I scored my first professional goal, my dad was there to watch it. I remember just being so happy, and I pointed to my dad basically saying, ‘That one was for you,” Olivas said.
While the Olivas’ are based in Texas, Sal found family right here in Philadelphia. Around the Union facilities, he’s affectionately known as ‘Pops’ – a nickname that’s carried over right from his childhood in Texas to his home away from home in Philly.
“They made me feel so welcome here. I think that's one of the biggest things that made me choose the Philadelphia Union. The school and the coaches, they made me feel at home. I just felt a lot more comfortable here, even though it was the furthest away from where I grew up.”
Olivas kicked off 2025 with a taste of what it means to be a first teamer, traveling with the squad to Spain for their pair of friendlies against Slavia Prague and Aarhus Gymnastikforening, Now, he’s preparing for the upcoming MLS Next Pro season, and he has a message for fans who’ve supported his journey so far:
“Hopefully I bring a lot to the table – that would be great. But my message to fans is to come out to the games. They make the experience a lot better, especially with the second team as well,” Olivas said.
“The experience [with Bridge Brigade last year] was great. Seeing everybody – they know each and every player by their name and they're so loyal to the club. I'm definitely excited for that again.”
