Hugo Bacharach


Hugo Antonio Bacharach Capdevila is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship.

Early life

Bacharach was born in Valencia, but grew up in Benicàssim. Bacharach began playing football at a young age with his school team. At age 7, he joined the Villarreal youth system, where he played for ten years. At age 17, he joined the CD Castellón youth system where he spent two years, until he was 19.

College career

In 2020, he decided to continue his footballing career and education, as well as learn English, by moving to the United States to attend college on a scholarship. He began attending Fairleigh Dickinson University. On 1 March 2021, he scored his first collegiate goal in a 1-0 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers. He was then named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week. At the end of his first season, he was named to the All-NEC First Team, the NEC All-Freshman Team, and the NEC Fall Honor Roll. At the end of his sophomore season, he was named to the All-NEC First Team and NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll for the second-straight season, and was named to the All-Northeast Region Second Team. In his junior season, he was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year, and named to the All-NEC First Team, the All-Northeast Region First Team, and the All-ECAC First Team.
In 2023, he transferred to Indiana University Bloomington. Prior to the season, he was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI Second Team. On 24 August, he made his debut for Indiana in a match against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Midway through the season,he was moved from his central defender position into central midfield, where he played for the remainder of the season. In his first match as a midfielder, on 7 October, he recorded a pair of assists in a victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. On 29 October, he scored his first goal for Indiana against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. On 31 October, he was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week. On 19 November he scored a brace in a 3–2 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. After the season, he was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, the Big Ten All-Tournament Team, the TopDrawerSoccer third-team Best XI, and was named #30 on the TopDrawerSoccer Postseason Top 100. After the 2023 season, he was invited to participate in the MLS College Showcase.

Club career

In 2022, he began playing with the Flint City Bucks in USL League Two, scoring once. He was named the team's Player of the Year in 2022 and was named to the USL League Two Central Conference Team of the Year. In 2023, he scored two goals, including a Goal of the Week winner in Week 8. At the end of the season, he was named Great Lakes Division Player of the Year, and was also named the USL League Two Defender of the Year, and named to the Team of the Year. Over his two seasons, he helped them win back-to-back USL League Two Central Conference titles and reached the national semifinals in both seasons.
At the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Bacharach was selected in the first round by Minnesota United FC. In March 2024, he signed a one-year contract with the club with options from 2025 through 2027. He made his professional debut with the second team Minnesota United FC 2 in a US Open Cup match against the Michigan Stars, before making his Major League Soccer debut with the first team on 13 April against Houston Dynamo FC.
Bacharach signed with USL Championship side Rhode Island FC on December 31, 2024.