Sporting Kansas City Academy forward Tyler Freeman marked his debut for the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team with a goal in a 2-2 draw against the Costa Rica U-17s on Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Freeman (No. 10 above) was an unused substitute on Monday as the U.S. U-17s ousted rivals Mexico 1-0 in the first of four friendly matches during their two-week training camp in Costa Rica. The Shawnee, Kansas, native was given a start on Tuesday, however, and made the most of it by playing the full match and firing his side ahead with a 47th-minute penalty kick. Freeman also recorded a secondary assist on the Americans' second goal, playing playing Jahlane Forbes into space before David Arce tucked home to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead after 70 minutes.
Costa Rica managed to equalize twice, denying the U.S. their second win in as many days. Freeman made a strong impact nevertheless, and will have the opportunity to represent his country twice more before the training camp ends. The U-17s are scheduled for a rematch with Costa Rica on Friday and will end the trip with another battle against Mexico on Sunday.
U.S. U-17 MNT Match Schedule
- Monday, Aug. 6 vs. Mexico (W 1-0)
- Tuesday, Aug. 7 vs. Costa Rica (T 2-2)
- Friday, Aug. 10 vs. Costa Rica
- Sunday, Aug. 12 vs. Mexico
At just 15 years old, Freeman is the youngest player on the 23-man squad and the only selection born in 2003. 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.
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.
