Francois Dulysse brings confidence, leadership back to Revs II after time with Haiti

Francois Dulysse has hovered in the fast lane since signing for Revs II last December.

Between spending time with the New England Revolution in preseason, Revs II, and most recently Haiti in the Concacaf Gold Cup, Dulysse hasn’t had much time to exhale. It’s been a whirlwind since the center back inked his first pro contract, but he’d have it no other way.

“I’ve been enjoying [professional soccer] a lot so far––it’s been a dream of mine my whole life, so I’m just grateful to be in this position,” Dulysse told The Bent Musket.

Dulysse’s recent time with Haiti marks the crowning achievement of his early professional career, rewarding his quick transition to the professional level. Dulysse has previously spent time with the youth national teams in Haiti, including the U-20 and U-23 squads.

“It meant the world. Growing up, always watching [Haiti] in the Gold Cup, Copa America, and World Cup qualifiers, you try to envision yourself being in their shoes,” Dulysse explained. “I was over the moon when the coach called me, letting me know I was getting the call-up. That was truly an amazing feeling.”

Dulysse earned his first senior start in Haiti’s 4-1 loss to Canada on July 15, and was available as a sub in three other matches, including Haiti’s 1-0 loss to the U.S. on July 11. Haiti ultimately failed to advance from Group B––the team finished in third, behind Canada (2nd) and the U.S. (1st)––but the positives weren’t hard to find for Dulysse.

“I’m bringing back a lot of confidence, [and] a confident player is pretty much unstoppable,” Dulysse said. “Leadership as well––I’m not scared to speak my mind if the team isn’t putting in the work we need to in training.”

Dulysse, 22, has quickly found his footing since making his professional debut on April 10. He’s a go-to choice at center back for Revs II when healthy, frequently partnering with Sean O’Hearn or Pierre Cayet in the heart of defense.

Dulysse’s skills translate well to the professional level, with shades of Andrew Farrell in his game. He’s a hard-tackling defender who can out-muscle attackers with ease, supplemented by strong leadership ability.

As Dulysse chases another gear, he knows there’s still work to be done. He notes his speed of play and decision-making as two points of focus in training, hoping to polish those areas as he fights for a first-team call-up.

Dulysse’s time with the Revolution in preseason should help strengthen his case for such a promotion, as should his call-up to Haiti. The past few months have been hectic for Dulysse, but for a player with high aspirations, the busyness can only be viewed as a positive. Especially when the bar is set high.

“The ultimate goal is to be playing in Europe. I always think about playing in France, that’s always been a dream of mine. That’s my ideal career. But I’d love to play in MLS as well. I’d love to be on the first team here; it’s obviously a really good organization under Bruce Arena. First in the league right now, so if that could happen, that’d be great. We’ll see what happens.”