A Haitian Hero: David Raphael’s Road to Division One Soccer

David Raphael’s journey was never going to be full of sunshine and roses. In some respects, his soccer journey could have been cut short at numerous points throughout his upbringing.

The youngest of nine, the Haitian native and University of San Francisco freshman has had to work tirelessly for every opportunity. Raphael’s mother passed away when he was young, a massive burden for any family to shoulder. 

In his early years of practicing soccer with his older brothers, it became apparent that the game came naturally to him. Their experiences prepared David for situations across numerous positions, allowing him to mature alongside his obvious raw talent. But not everyone was on the same page about who he could be after some years of development.

“A lot of people said I wasn’t good enough to play soccer because I was too small,” said Raphael. “People used to underestimate me. My journey hasn’t been easy.”

As a 14-year-old, Raphael played against competitors who were 19 years old, rapidly ascending among prospects in Haiti. When it came to traveling for tournaments, David frequently received sponsorship from those in his circle to chase his dream. Close friends and family knew that his parents couldn’t afford the travel costs, but could be someone whose talent could transcend beyond the Island of Hispaniola.

By the time Raphael was in high school, civil tensions were heating up in Haiti. The living situation became untenable, and it was decision time. Stay in Haiti and hope things smoothen out? Or make what could be a life altering move to a country you’ve only been to so many times? 

The latter became part of the next chapter of Raphael’s soccer career. His older brother, Emerson, had moved to the United States and was making a living in Petaluma, 45 minutes north of San Francisco. Once David had settled in with Emerson’s family, it became apparent that both parties needed more space and freedom for everyone to succeed. In turn, the Raphael’s packed their bags and moved 90 minutes east to Sacramento. 

It was then that Raphael homed in his talent at Natomas High School and Sacramento United FC’s club team at the MLS NEXT level. One of the first people that David connected with in Sacramento was Kaleb Afsari, a teammate at Sacramento United who would also go on to USF to play under Head Coach Chris Brown. 

“There was this tournament in Davis, where I was actually going to watch Kaleb,” said Brown with a grin on his face. “Kaleb was out, and I was fortunate to watch David because you could tell then he was pretty special.”

Transitioning from the club level to the division one level has its roadblocks, but Brown noted that both David and Kaleb were up to the task.

“It’s not always the easiest transition, Kaleb did it well last year and we miss him with his injury this year, but David’s gotten used to the physicality, he can score goals and beat defenders at this level,” said Brown. “They have a great rapport and I’m looking forward to seeing it next year.”

Afsari’s and Raphael’s relationship has blossomed ever since their time in Sacramento. Kaleb initially ribbed David for not getting promoted to the varsity team at Natomas while they took on Jesuit, Afsari’s high school. Once they got to know each other at Sacramento United, it was almost like they had known each other for years.

“In the first state cup game I played with David, it was over 90 degrees, and he was wearing a long sleeve and gloves,” exclaimed Afsari. “I thought to myself, who the heck is this guy? Then we started playing, and we had instant chemistry. He scored off my assists and I could only think about how many we gave each other.” 

Afsari made it to the Hilltop one year before Raphael’s arrival, adding a sense of comfort to a big decision for David. It’s one thing to matriculate to a different country, let alone come to terms with deciding on the right university, a 40-year decision. With his commitment, Raphael would become the first member of his family to go to college. After conversations with Chris Brown and a visit to the Bay Area with some of his family, it wasn’t such a hard decision after all.

It was destiny to be a Don.

“David’s very prideful of his heritage, his family are absolute joys to be around,” expressed Brown. “They’ve made sacrifices for David to come here. David babysits, works, goes to school, and embraces being a family man. I think that’s why he fits in so well with our culture.”

On the pitch, it’s more than just business for David Raphael. Soccer is his outlet for expressing himself, it’s where he has the most fun, and wears his heart on his sleeve. 

In San Francisco’s non-conference match against then No. 2 Stanford, it was the tantalizing freshman who broke the seal, helping the Dons never look back en route to one of the biggest upsets of the season. Ask David Raphael what soccer means to him, and it becomes clear. 

Soccer is his everything. The sport fuels his drive. It becomes his why. His family has continued their comforting support of allowing him to chase their dreams, either attending or watching all of David’s matchups on ESPN+.

After a three-point performance to upend conference rival Saint Mary’s, the young phenom has the third highest point total on the Dons roster and is the second highest goal scorer with one match remaining in the season. Raphael has had several electrifying performances this year and it only looks to be the start for the man who hails from Haiti.

“I’m not going to lie, I’m a big-time player, it’s what I do,” said Raphael. “All my career I’ve been a big-time player. One thing I try to do is to remember to enjoy the game. It’s my game. I know I can do it; I’ve been doing it my whole life.”