Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed 22-year-old defender Carson Klein to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract through the remainder of the 2024 season.
Klein is a product of the Los Angeles Galaxy Academy who made 44 appearances for Ventura County FC in all competitions from 2020-2024, including four in the USL Championship and two in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, and raised in California, Carson is the son of Sporting Legend Chris Klein who was enshrined at Children's Mercy Park in August 2015 after leading the Kansas City Wizards to the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup in 2000 and a U.S. Open Cup title in 2004.
Klein came up through the LA Galaxy Academy and made his professional debut on August 19, 2020, entering a home match against Phoneix Rising in the 78th minute. He went on to log four appearances for LA Galaxy II in USL Championship before departing for Cal Poly in 2021.
As a member of the Mustangs, Klein logged five appearances as a freshman on a team that finished third in the Big West Conference, two points back of the conference crown. After finishing out the 2021-22 season, Klein returned to the LA Galaxy organization, inking an MLS NEXT Pro deal with Galaxy II ahead of their inaugural season in the league.
The defender started 19 of 24 appearances in 2023, playing 1,652 minutes and adding a goal and an assist. His lone goal wound up the match-winner on July 9, 2023, in a 1-0 Galaxy II win over St. Louis CITY2. In 2024, Klein started eight of 14 matches for Ventura County FC in MLS NEXT Pro and cracked the starting XI in both of the Galaxy second team's Open Cup matches, playing the full 90 in their first-round win over Irvine Zeta 2.
Led by head coach and future Sporting Legend Benny Feilhaber, Sporting KC II is in the thick of the playoff race two matches past the halfway point of the 2024 campaign. The team will face The Town FC, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of the San Jose Earthquakes, on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT with the match streaming live on MLS Season Pass. SKC II will return home for the first time since June 30 when they host St. Louis CITY2 at Rock Chalk Park on July 21. Tickets for the rivalry match are on sale now at SeatGeek.com.
- Defenders (5): Nati Clarke, Carson Klein, Demarre Montoute, Jonathan Robinson, Mason Visconti
- Midfielders (5): Haris Alisah, Ethan Bryant, Sebastian Cruz, Jake Swallen, Cielo Tschantret
- Forwards (6): Medgy Alexandre, Beto Avila, Maouloune Goumballe, Kamron Habibullah, Roberto Hategan, Pau Vidal
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs defender Carson Klein to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract.
VITALS
- Carson Klein
- Number: 42
- Position: Defender
- Birthdate: 2/2/2002 (22 years old)
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 185 lbs.
- Hometown: Corona del Mar, California
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Kansas
- Instagram: @carsoklein
