Noel Buck: The new MLS sensation from New England – by Joshua Nkan
In today’s report, we analyze the New England Revolution’s Noel Buck. We highlight his strengths, weaknesses, current ability, and future potential.
Biography:
Name: Noel Arthur Coleman Buck
Nationality: United States
Date of birth: April 5, 2005
Height: 5’ 11
Strong Foot: Left
Current Club: New England Revolution
Position: Central Midfielder
Value: €500K
At just 17 years of age, Noel Buck is one of the most promising young talents in Major League Soccer and the most polished of New England’s crop of young gems this season including Jack Panayotou, Esmir Bajraktarevic, and others. The 2005 born midfielder has been impressive with his performances for New England Revolution, both at the senior and reserve levels. In this scout report, we will analyze his strengths, weaknesses, and potential.
Career Summary:
Noel Buck is a midfielder who has been signed by the New England Revolution as a homegrown player through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026. He joined the Revolution Academy at age 12 and is their second-youngest homegrown player signing to date. He is also the reigning Revolution Academy Player of the Year. Buck was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, on April 5, 2005. He holds dual nationality with England, but has only been called up for the USA U19’s. He started playing soccer at a young age with New England Futbol Club, a local youth club that has produced several MLS players. He joined the New England Revolution academy in 2017, and quickly rose through the ranks. He made his debut for New England Revolution II, the club’s USL League One affiliate team, in April 2021, at the age of 16. He became a regular starter for the second team, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 44 appearances.
Buck’s performances caught the eye of Bruce Arena, the head coach and sporting director of New England Revolution. He signed a homegrown player contract with the first team in January 2022, becoming the youngest player on the roster. He made his MLS debut on March 12, 2022, as a substitute against Chicago Fire. He scored his first MLS goal on September 5, 2022, against New York City FC, becoming the second youngest scorer in team history. He would grow into the first team slowly but surely, sticking around by virtue of his large, strong build tailored for the top level. This 2023 season, Buck has cemented himself as one of the more important players for his boyhood side, dominating and scoring the winning goal for the Rev’s in their last minute 2-1 victory against Wayne Rooney’s DC United.
Style of Play:
A player who profiles quite similarly to Belgium’s Youri Tielemans, Buck is a versatile midfielder who can play in various roles and formations. He has been deployed as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, a winger, and even a forward. He is comfortable on both feet and has excellent technical skills. He can dribble past defenders, create chances for himself and his teammates, and finish with accuracy and power. He is also a hard-working player who presses high up the pitch and tracks back to help defensively.
Buck’s main strengths are his vision, creativity, and composure. He has a keen sense of space and timing, and can exploit gaps in the opposition’s defense with his intelligent runs and passes. He can also improvise and adapt to different situations on the pitch. He is not afraid to take risks and try new things. He is calm and confident on the ball, and does not get rattled by pressure or physicality. For a young man, he has a daring confidence to his game, always looking to open lines in offensive areas with penetrating passes. Statistically, the majority of his passes in the midfield are directed forward yet he still maintains an accuracy of 72% in the opponents’ half.
His main weaknesses are his physicality and consistency. He is still developing his strength and stamina, and can sometimes struggle against bigger and faster opponents. He can also lose concentration and make mistakes at times. He needs to improve his decision-making and efficiency in the final third. He also needs to work on his defensive awareness and positioning.
Future:
Noel Buck has all the potential to become a star in MLS and beyond, and has already shown glimpses of his quality and maturity at a young age. He has a great mentor in Arena, who has coached some of the best players in US soccer history. He looks an exciting prospect for US Soccer who certainly belongs in Europe, and could make his senior debut for the USMNT in the coming years.