Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed Sporting KC Academy standouts Ryan Reid and Carlito Saylon to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Reid, a 16-year-old forward from Leawood, Kansas, has represented Sporting at the U-12 through U-19 levels since joining the Academy in 2017 as a Sporting Blue Valley product. He made a quick impact in the Academy ranks by receiving tournament MVP honors when the Sporting KC U-12s were crowned champions of the 2018 Generation adidas Cup under head coach Colby Childress. Reid landed another individual accolade at the end of 2019, leading the U-14s to a second-place finish at the prestigious Copa Rayados Internacional in Houston as the tournament's most outstanding player.
Reid was among Sporting's top goal scorers in the U-15 and U-17 age groups throughout 2020 and 2021, playing a leading role in the club's inaugural MLS NEXT season, before earning a preseason training opportunity with Sporting's first team at the start of 2022 in Arizona. He has scored five goals for the U-17s this spring.
Saylon, a 16-year-old goalkeeper who was born and raised in Michigan, joined the Sporting KC Academy in early 2020. He has competed at the U-15 and U-17 Academy levels and saved four penalty kicks in a Sporting uniform, including one at the Generation adidas Cup in April.
After strong showings in 2020 and 2021, Saylon was selected to the preseason roster for Sporting KC II and trained with the club throughout February and March in the lead up to the club's inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
Led by first-year head coach Benny Feilhaber, Sporting Kansas City II (7-8-2, 23 points) will continue their late-season push on Sunday by traveling south to face North Texas SC (9-5-3, 31 points) at Chocktaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with a live stream on MLSNextPro.com.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs forward Ryan Reid and goalkeeper Carlito Saylon to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts.
VITALS
Ryan Reid
Position: Forward
Number: 40
Birthdate: 1/26/2006 (16 years old)
Height: 5-5
Weight: 135
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas
Birthplace: Leawood, Kansas
Carlito Saylon
Position: Goalkeeper
Number: 41
Birthdate: 7/20/2006 (16 years old)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 189
Hometown: Brighton, Michigan
Birthplace: Saline, Michigan
