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Tajon Buchanan has appeared in every one of the New England Revolution’s 23 games this season. It’s been a fast rise for the Canadian forward, who has 11 starts, two goals and assists to his name in 2020 after appearing in just 10 matches in 2019.

In some ways, though, Buchanan’s rise mirrors his time at Syracuse. Though he started all but one match in his SU career, his output drastically improved from his freshman season in 2017 (four goals, two assists) to his sophomore campaign (eight goals, four assists). 

The Daily Orange caught up with Buchanan to discuss his development in his second season with the Revolution, how he reflects on his career with the Orange and more. 

The Daily Orange: You’ve appeared in every game this season, making that position on the right side of the Revolution’s 4-2-3-1 your own in recent weeks. Do you feel like you’re in the best period of your professional career right now? 

Tajon Buchanan: I think this season has been an improvement for me, going from fighting to make the roster (last year). So I think this season has been a huge step for me as a player, definitely. But I’m still very young, and I’m still learning every day. Right now, I’m just keeping my head down and continuing to work hard, and the sky’s the limit for me, I believe. Working toward my goals and stuff like that, I guess we’ll see where soccer takes me. I don’t think this season has been a highest peak or anything like that. I’m just gonna keep working hard and fighting to reach my goals. 

D.O.: How different was last season to this one? What was the biggest adjustment for you coming from Syracuse to the MLS? 

T.B.: I would definitely say taking in the whole professional lifestyle. Showing up to training every day, having to give it 110% every training session and every match. I think coming out of Syracuse that season (before), transitioning to the MLS was tough because it was such a long season for me. I think my body, mentally and stuff like that, I hit the wall a little bit. So this year, understanding that more and taking care of my body, it’s really helped. Eating the right foods and taking in all the information from my coaches and my teammates, that’s really helped this year. 

It’s very hard having to show up to training every day and giving it your all. And I think, as a young player last year, that was difficult for me. But this year, I was able to put that aside and really transition into that a lot better, and it’s been showing. This year, I’ve played in a lot more games, and I feel ready to go. Every game I’m feeling good.

D.O.: It definitely doesn’t seem like that wall is playing a factor anymore. Just a few weeks ago against Philadelphia, you scored an incredible goal. Can you take me through that moment? 

T.B.: Yeah, definitely one of the best goals I’ve probably ever scored. Taking you through it, I was just trying to be aggressive and take my chances when I get them. When the shot came to me, I just wanted to hit it with confidence, and I’m glad it went in. But at the end of the day, we didn’t get the three points, but we play them next, and it’s going to be a fight, and hopefully we can get the three points.

D.O.: Coming back to you playing more this season, part of that was in the bubble. What was that experience like for you? 

T.B.: That was different. It was probably tougher for everyone (else). Everyone has their different situations, but I was happy to get back out there and play again. The MLS did a great job with testing and scheduling and organizing. I’m happy we ended up doing that because we were able to continue the season. So I enjoyed it, it was good for us and very beneficial. 

D.O.: Along the lines of new developments this season, another big one in the MLS, and in pro sports generally, has been the public support of the Black Lives Matter movement. What has that meant to you to express your support for that movement on the pitch? 

T.B.: I think the community and MLS, like I said, has done an excellent job with that. To have a voice and to share your thoughts is always huge. In a time like this, I’m just happy I have my profile and my voice to do that. Hopefully we can just keep moving in the right direction.

D.O.: How do you look back on your time at Syracuse? 

T.B.: I think Syracuse was a huge part of my career. I enjoyed it. I loved those guys, (the) coaching staff was excellent and Syraucse was my dream school. I was able to go to Syracuse for a year and a half, and I was very happy with that. Syracuse was a part of my journey, and I’m very happy I was able to experience that. 

D.O.: Where did you see yourself develop at Syracuse? 

T.B.: I think just the coaching staff and my teammates really helped me learn how to express myself on the field. They gave me the freedom to really express myself as a player and try new things. I think that was huge for me to gain confidence and to show everyone. In (Real Colorado’s) academy, I wasn’t playing a lot because obviously I wasn’t allowed. So having Syracuse, a big school in the ACC, and me going there, it was huge, and I’m just happy I was able to experience that and meet all those guys. 

D.O.: You’ve said before that coaches at youth level were telling you to not look at schools that big, yet you came here, and you’re an MLS starter now. Do those past doubts still motivate you, or have you moved on? 

T.B.: I think, in everyone’s career, you have your own story. Even to this day, people still probably doubt me. I don’t really pay attention, it just makes me work harder. No matter if you’re in the pros, playing academy or playing club, you’re always going to have people that doubt you. But if you keep your head down, work hard — at the end of the day, I’m not here to make the doubters happy or anything. I’m here to make myself, my family and the ones close to me happy. 

Just like his career with the Orange, Tajon Buchanan has emerged in his second season with the Revolution. Max Freund | Staff Photographer

D.O.: And you shined for a year and a half at SU before signing a Generation Adidas contract and opting for the MLS draft. What went into that decision for you? 

T.B.: I always had a goal to leave school early. So when that came upon me, it was never really something I really thought a lot about. I’d always wanted to go pro, so when they approached me with the Generation Adidas, that started the process of signing with an agent and talking it over with your family, but my family already knew this was my dream, so it was an easy transition. I’m just happy everything worked out. 

D.O.: Getting picked by the Revolution ninth overall in the 2019 draft, were you surprised about where you went, and what do you remember about that moment? 

T.B.: Draft day is — it’s very different. There’s a lot of emotions, and a lot of things play a factor now that I see how everything is. There (were) a bunch of mock drafts. You don’t try and look at those things, but you definitely do see them. On a lot of them, they had me going top three to top five. But on draft day, you never know where you’re gonna go. You have an idea, but like I said — the Revolution, I didn’t meet with them at the combine or anything like that — so it was a surprise to me. But whoever I was selected by, I was going to give my all for, and I’m just happy everything did work, and now I’m playing for the Revs and loving life. 

D.O: The Canadian pipeline to Syracuse is still going strong, and your former roommate and club teammate Simon Triantafillou is still on the team. Do you still keep in touch with those guys? 

T.B.: Definitely, I keep in contact with the coaches a lot. Simon is one of my closest friends from back home. We try (to) talk every day. Ryan Raposo is another close buddy of mine. I played with Simon at Sigma (FC) for years before Syracuse and obviously during (my time) at Syracuse. (Triantafillou is a) great guy and one of my closer friends, so we definitely do stay in touch a lot. 

Honestly, we talk about soccer a little bit. But when we talk, it’s not really about soccer, it’s more about life in general and how everything’s going with the family. It’s mostly just having a giggle and just catching up. 

D.O.: You said earlier that you feel like the sky’s the limit for you. What are the next goals for you? 

T.B.: Definitely a big goal of mine is to play internationally, to play for my national team. So that’s definitely one of my bigger goals right now is to play for Canada. At this moment, I’m just taking it day by day and working hard every time I get onto the practice field or the game field. Just seeing where life takes me. If something happens in the future, it does. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Keep my head down and keep working. 

 This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Published on November 8, 2020 at 10:02 pm

Contact Alex: athamer@syr.edu