Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempin was selected to the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team by head coach Andi Herzog for an upcoming training camp in Brazil. The training camp will feature two matches against the Brazil U-23 MNT: Wednesday in Recife and Sunday in Belem.
The U.S. U-23 MNT will meet for the first time since a third-place finish in the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship. As a result of the finish, the U-23 MNT will play a two-game series next March against Colombia for the right to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“I’m always honored to get selected for national team camps,” Kempin said. “It’s something that I never take for granted and I look forward to joining my teammates in Brazil. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the Olympic playoff matches vs. Colombia.”
Kempin has made nine appearances in all competitions since joining Sporting KC as the club’s first homegrown player in 2010. The Sporting KC Academy product had a 1-1-1 record in three MLS starts this year. He also entered Sporting KC’s MLS Cup Playoffs match against the Portland Timbers in the 85th minute for an injured Tim Melia. Kempin played the remainder of regulation and the 30-minute overtime, making three saves in the longest penalty kick shootout in MLS Cup Playoffs history.
"These matches against Brazil are a huge opportunity for us," Herzog said. "On one hand you have a strong, challenging South American opponent in Brazil, with a playing style that's similar to that of Colombia, and on the other we'll get to experience playing in Brazil, which is where we hope to be next summer for the Olympics."
Kempin has featured for the United States at the U-15, U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels. At the beginning of 2015, he was named to the United States Men’s National Team roster for the first time in his career to take part in manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s January Camp.
