Sporting Kansas City Academy forward Tyler Freeman has joined the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team for an international training camp featuring four games from Aug. 2-13 in San Jose, Costa Rica, where the Americans will play Concacaf rivals Mexico and Costa Rica twice each.
Freeman, 15, is the youngest player in the 23-man squad assembled by U.S. U-17 head coach John Hackworth. The forward is also one of four players to earn his first call-up at the U-17 level, having helped the U.S. U-16s to a third-place finish at the prestigious Torneo Delle Nazioni in Italy in April. Freeman is the only player born in 2003 on a talented team that will play four games over a seven-day period in San Jose.
U.S. U-17 MNT Match Schedule
- Monday, Aug. 6 vs. Mexico
- Tuesday, Aug. 7 vs. Costa Rica
- Friday, Aug. 10 vs. Costa Rica
- Sunday, Aug. 12 vs. Mexico
Freeman enjoyed a strong run of performances for the U.S. U-16 BNT this spring at the Torneo Delle Nazioni, featuring in a pair of group stage wins over Macedonia and Croatia before scoring in a 1-1 semifinal draw against Slovenia that the U.S. lost on penalties. Freeman started in the third-place match against Japan and guided the side to a 2-1 victory.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Freeman featured extensively for the U.S. U-14 Boys’ National Team throughout 2017. He notably scored a team-best four goals for the U-14 BNT across four international friendlies in Croatia last summer.
As a member of the Sporting KC Academy, Freeman spent most of the 2017-18 campaign with the U-17s, where he scored four goals in 16 league appearances and helped the team reach the Development Academy Playoffs.
Freeman, a rising junior at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, previously represented Sporting KC at the U-13, U-14 and U-16 levels. He led the U-13s to a fourth-place finish at the 2016 CONCACAF U-13 Champions League, scoring three goals in the tournament, before joining the U-14 BNT for the first time in November 2016.
U.S. U-17 MNT Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Damian Las (Chicago Fire; Chicago, Ill.), Chituru Odunze (Vancouver Whitecaps; Calgary Alberta)
DEFENDERS (9): Axel Alejandre (FC United; Chicago, Ill.), Michael Barragan (Atlas FC; Guadalajara, Mexico), Jahlane Forbes (Orlando City SC; Clermont, Fla.), Tayvon Gray (New York City FC; Bronx, N.Y.), Kobe Hernandez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Mason Judge (Chargers Soccer Club, Tampa, Fla.), Antino Lopez (Shattuck-Saint Mary's; Las Vegas, Nev.), Joseph Scally (New York City F.C.; Lake Grove, N.Y.), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Luis Flores (Shattuck- Saint Mary's; Half Moon Bay, Calif.), Gilbert Fuentes (San Jose Earthquakes; Tracy, Calif.), Giovanni Reyna (New York City FC; Bedford Corners, N.Y.), Adam Saldana (LA Galaxy; Panorama City, Calif.), Peter Stroud (West Ham United; Chester, N.J.)
FORWARDS (7): Sagir David Arce (Monarcas Moreila; Chihuahua, Mexico), Tyler Freeman (Sporting Kansas City; Shawnee, Kan.), Andres Jasson (New York City FC; Greenwich, Conn.), Diego Lopez (Atlanta United FC; Chino, Calif.), Alfonso Ocampo Chavez (Seattle Sounders FC; Fresno, Calif.), Benjamin Redzic (FC Dallas; Carrollton, Texas), Ray Serrano (Seattle Sounders FC; Graham, Wash.)
