Rhode Island FC announced today their second new signing for the 2025 season, 23-year old Hugo Bacharach. Bacharach, a central defender, was born in Spain and is a product of the Spanish Academy System, doing the bulk of his youth development with Villarreal. He was selected 9th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by Minnesota United.
Who is Hugo Bacharach?
Bacharach left Spain for the United States to play for Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2020. He was named Northeast Conference Defender of the Year before transferring to Indiana University for his final season, where he earned honors of All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Tournament Team. In 2023, Bacharach also earned recognition for his two seasons with Flint City Bucks, as he was named USL League Two Defender of the Year.
All of the accolades and success that Bacharach saw in the US is what led to Minnesota United drafting him 9th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
Hugo had one 90-minute appearance for Minnesota United last year in MLS, and two Leagues Cup appearances as well. The bulk of his appearances came for Minnesota’s MLS Next Pro side, Minnesota United FC 2, with his most consistent run of games coming in August and September 2024.
Hugo started roughly half of those games playing as the right-sided center back in a back three, and the other half playing as the left-sided center back in a back four.
How Does He Stack Up?
Let’s use two obvious comparisons to see how Bacharach may stack up against our current and past roster – keeping in mind that Bacharach was playing against vastly inferior competition in the MLS Next Pro.
Bacharach is unlikely to be the same caliber of player as Morris Duggan – but considering we hope for him to play on the left and he also comes to us from Minnesota United, he’ll never escape this comparison. Bacharach IS roughly the same size as Duggan, around 6 feet 4 inches, which is a great start.
Frank Nodarse may be a more equitable comparison for Bacharach, as he is a raw but talented central defender who can play on the left or right side depending on the team’s needs.
Defending
First, let’s look at his defending. Bacharach is right on par with Nodarse and Duggan as far as his Tackles Won %, with all three players between 65-75%. All three players are between 60 and 70% success rate for their ground and aerial duels as well.
Bacharach does seem to commit fouls consistently more than Duggan and Nodarse – averaging more than two fouls per 90 minutes compared to 1.2 for Frank, and > 1 for Duggan. It’s something to keep an eye on, as Bacharach was not only sent off with two yellows in one of his nine MUFC2 appearances, he was also sent off with a red card just 21 minutes in to a Leagues Cup match for Minnesota United FC. However, he did not receive a card in his final seven appearances for MUFC2.
Possession
Now for on the ball – Bacharach averages 88% pass accuracy, compared to Nodarse and Duggan at 82% and 80% respectively. This is where I would reiterate that Bacharach is playing against lesser competition – but 80+% pass accuracy for a central defender is always nice to see. Bacharach is also a healthy amount higher on long ball accuracy, at 55%, compared to 47% and 45% for Nodarse and Duggan.
Bacharach also appears to be very comfortable on the ball – which can add a new dimension to our backline. He averaged 1.2 successful dribbles per 90 minutes with 90% success, compared to 0.26 (41% success) for Nodarse, and 0.20 (67% success) for Duggan.
At 6′ 4″, expect for Bacharach to be a weapon on set pieces as well. Here’s an example, where Bacharach sparked a 4-goal comeback for MUFC2 with his headed goal on a set piece. He had absolutely no problem elevating and beating his man to the ball here:
Where Could He Fit In?
I expect to see Khano continue with the four-man rotation for three starting central defender spots. Karifa Yao will maintain his spot as the anchor, with Stoneman, Nodarse, and Bacharach rotating and competing for the two spots on the left and right.
Based on the information available on Bacharach, there is absolutely no reason that he can’t contend for a starting position in defense. He looks as if he’s ready for the step up to USL as far as his play in possession, and he may make an immediate impact on our defense with these qualities. The question is whether his defending is at the level to handle USL Championship-level competition. It’ll be hard to know, until we see it – and there is plenty of room for Bacharach to grow throughout the season as he adapts.
With this in mind, I also expect that Bacharach could be called upon for wingback coverage, same as Morris Duggan was in the latter parts of the 2024 season. Playing Bacharach at left wingback would provide a more defensive setup, and allow him to contribute to build up while easing some of his defensive responsibilities. We saw success with this tactic using Morris Duggan at left wingback, and Frank Nodarse at right wingback later in the season.
In Summary
At just 23 years old, Hugo Bacharach is an accomplished and talented young player from Villarreal’s academy in Spain. He’s had success basically everywhere he’s gone in the United States – whether that be Fairleigh Dickinson University, Indiana University, or USL League Two side Flint City Bucks. Bacharach appears to be in the sweet spot of not quite MLS-ready yet, but above the level of competition in MLS Next Pro.
With Duggan departing at the end of 2024 to return to Minnesota United, it seems only right that we maintain that relationship and take on another young, promising central defender who they drafted 9th overall just last year.
Bacharach appears to be a reliable central defender who can contend for a starting or rotation position in our team, but don’t be surprised to see him make appearances as wingback either – for tactical reasons, or in matches where Jojea Kwizera may be unavailable. I’d also expect to see him pop up with a few set pieces goals.
I think Bacharach is a great addition to our roster and can contribute immediately. This is exactly the type of player that we should continue to target to improve our squad depth, provide rotation options, and create competition among our starting XI.
Tide Talk 
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