St. Brendan’s Alex Rodriguez is Miami-Dade Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year for 4A-2A

Alex Rodriguez’s final goal of the season was also, in his opinion, his best of the year.

Above all else, it was the most important.

With his 28th goal of the season, Rodriguez gave St. Brendan its first ever state title in boys’ soccer with a 1-0 win against Orlando Bishop Moore in the Class 4A championship. It also further solidified his place as the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year for Classes 4A-2A.

“It was probably the best one I scored all season,” Rodriguez said, “and the biggest one I scored all season.”

The forward tallied five hat tricks and added four assists to help make history for the Sabres. St. Brendan hadn’t won a state title in a boys sport in more than three decades and had never even won a region playoff game.

The Sabres’ first, and, until this year, only ever trip to the region playoffs came in 2020 and they immediately bowed out in the quarterfinals.

Two years later, they were state champions with Rodriguez leading the way.

“We’ve been improving as a soccer program,” he said.

Rodriguez’s championship-winning goal was the result of good teamwork, but also an excellent individual effort. He received a long pass about 35 yards away from the goal and wound up all alone with only Bishop Moore’s goalkeeper to beat. Matthew McCall charged at him, so Rodriguez cut inside, turned on a dime and curved a left-footed shot around the goalie to put St. Brendan ahead for good in its first trip to the title game.

These opportune moments weren’t anything new for Rodriguez. The junior also scored a hat trick in the 4A semifinals to send the Sabres through to the championship.

“When you’re able to score three goals in a game,” Rodriguez said, “most of the time you’re able to give your team the victory just like that.”

At every step of St. Brendan’s historic run, Rodriguez was at the center and he’ll be back to try to make more history with the Sabres next year.

This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 10:30 AM.