Eryk Williamson Plays Soccer Overseas in the Portuguese First Division for CD Santa Clara
Former T.C. Williams soccer star Eryk Williamson is taking a big step in his professional soccer career. Williamson, 21, has signed for the first division Portuguese team CD Santa Clara. Williamson was loaned out to Santa Clara on a one-year deal by the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. Williamson was acquired by Portland on January 23, 2018, after his Homegrown Player rights were traded from local side D.C. United. While Williamson did not make a first team appearance for the Timbers, the attacking midfielder made 15 appearances with Portland Timbers 2 of the USL (2nd Tier of US Soccer), scoring three goals and picking up two assists before he was loaned out to CD Santa Clara of the Primeira Liga on August 28.
In 2014, Williamson was a First Team All-State, All-Region, and All-Conference midfielder who was tearing up the highschool charts and catapulting the Titans to a 7A state championship. After his junior year playing for T.C., Williamson was scouted to play for the D.C. United U18 Academy. There, he blossomed into one of the best attacking midfielders in the nation, gaining national recognition and receiving countless offers from Division 1 schools across the nation. After a long recruiting process, Williamson decided to continue his playing career at the University of Maryland, only a 45 minute drive from his Alexandria home. During his time at Maryland, Williamson earned several honors. As a sophomore he was named to the 2016 All-Big Ten Second Team, and as a junior he was named to the 2017 All-Big Ten First Team and won 2017 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. In addition, Williamson was a member of the USA U-20 National Team and participated at the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
After three successful seasons at the University of Maryland, Williamson decided it was time to take the next step in his career. Because Eryk had been a part of D.C. United’s Youth Academy system, by MLS rule, United held the Homegrown Player rights to the 20-year old. The MLS rule states that “in order to place a player on its Homegrown Player list–making him eligible to sign as a Homegrown Player–the player must have resided in that club’s home territory and participated in the club’s youth development system for at least one year.” On January 23, D.C. United traded Williamson’s homegrown rights to the Portland Timbers. In exchange, United acquired $100,000 in General Allocation Money, $100,000 in Target Allocation Money, an international roster spot for the 2018 season, and a second round draft pick in 2020.
Williamson was immediately able to settle down in Portland, playing 15 games and racking up a total of 1230 minutes played before he was loaned out to CD Santa Clara.
While Eyrk has not played yet for the Portuguese side, European soccer leagues–generally considered more competitive than their American counterparts–are home to many of the world’s top young players. This is a great opportunity for the T.C. alum to prove himself at the highest level.
