Taylor Suarez’s path to professional soccer included some early departures.
Suarez, who attended high school in North Carolina, left after three years, signing with Florida State.
She didn’t stay long at FSU either, playing two seasons before deciding to turn professional.
“I just felt I was ready for the next step,” she said of her decision to graduate early from Ardrey Kell High in Charlotte. “I think the support systems I have around me and just talking with family and coaches that I had throughout the years, I felt ready to go and I felt ready to step into an environment like Florida State.”
Suarez stepped in at Florida State as a freshman and contributed. Last season, as a sophomore, she had five goals and nine assists, helping the Seminoles win the NCAA championship.
Then came another decision.
“I just felt ready for that next step,” she said of leaving college. “I think Florida State helped me a lot in preparation because we had so many girls that are now pro and it’s a professional environment and we were treated kind of like how it would be when you are a professional.”
The next step has led the midfielder to Angel City Football Club. In January, she signed a three-year contract through 2029.
Suarez was confident, in each moment, that she was ready.
“I think it comes from a confidence standpoint in what I was doing on the field and producing and I think mentally is such a big part of the game,” she said. “I think mentally stepping into each game, I felt very confident in myself and my abilities and that I could take that onto the next level.”
This is the second year without a college draft, under the latest NWSL collective bargaining agreement, so Suarez went through an extensive process to decide where to sign.
“My season ended after the national championship and then after that, my agent reached out to me with some interest from some clubs,” she said. “From there, I kind of just talked to all of the clubs, had multiple Zoom calls, phone calls, to kind of figure out what I wanted and asking questions, kept my family, my parents specifically, in the loop about what I wanted and where I felt like I wanted to be.
“Angel City stood out to me in that way and I wanted to become a part of this club.”
Suarez has appeared in each game this season, making her professional debut in Angel City’s season opener March 15. In the last game before the international break April 4, Suarez played 24 minutes.
“I watched her last year in college,” ACFC coach Alex Straus said. “We watched her team a lot and she was one of the players that stood out for me. She was younger, so we didn’t know (if she was going to come out early), but in November we got some information that it might be possible that she would come out early.
“She’s a huge talent and we’re very happy to get her to Angel City. I think the minutes that she’s gotten now, she has come in the games and made an impact. She is very skillful, technical, creative and a player that I think will be very important for Angel City in the future as well.”
The extended international break, which saw 10 Angel City players depart for respective national team duties, will be beneficial for players like Suarez who remained back with their clubs. Angel City, which last played April 3, will return from the break April 26 at BMO Stadium against the Portland Thorns.
“It’s been amazing, honestly,” Suarez said of the early days of her career. “It’s been a dream come true so far just being able to help the team in any way that I can, whether it’s the last five minutes or more than that.
“I think it’s been great and a big steppingstone for me, getting used to the level of play. Everyone’s faster, everyone’s stronger, so I think mentally, you always have to be one step ahead and your brain is always needing to be switched on.”