Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed six Sporting Kansas City Academy players to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts ahead of the 2025 season opener: goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro, defenders Leo Christiano, Nate Young and Zane Wantland and midfielders Carter Derksen and Johann Ortiz.
All six players are signed to amateur contracts on a single-game basis, preserving their NCAA eligibility. They will be available for selection on Saturday when Sporting Kansas City II opens the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season at Houston Dynamo 2. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the match will stream on MLSNEXTPro.com.
Christiano, a 17-year-old defender joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2019 and has represented the club at the U-12 through U-19 levels in addition to making 17 MLS NEXT Pro appearances over the previous two seasons with SKC II. The left back earned his Sporting KC II debut in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign before taking a sizable step forward in 2024, playing 16 matches as a regular starter during the second half of the season including several games in central defense. Christiano joined Sporting’s first team for a 2025 preseason campaign that took the club to Miami and Palm Springs, California.
Derksen, a 17-year-old midfielder has been with the Sporting KC Acadmey since the fall of 2017 when he was selected for the inaugural Center of Excellence along with first-team Homegrown Jacob Bartlett. Born in North Carolina, Derksen moved to Lee's Summit, MO when he was younger and has represented the club at the U-12 up to the U-19 levels. In 2024 the midfielder was a focal point of a Sporting KC U-17 team that made the GA Cup and MLS NEXT Cup Quarterfinals while also helping the U-19s win consecutive UPSL regular season titles.
Molinaro, an 18-year-old goalkeeper, grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Leawood, Kansas, and joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2019. He has played for the club at the U-13 through U-19 levels in addition to making 10 MLS NEXT Pro appearances for Sporting KC II during the 2024 season. Molinaro was an integral part of the U-17 side that reached the 2023 MLS NEXT Playoffs before joining the Sporting KC first team for preseason training in 2024. Last year also saw Molinaro break into the MLS NEXT Pro ranks as he earned his SKC II debut on May 5 against North Texas SC and collected his first win the following month versus MNUFC2.
Ortiz, an 18-year-old Arkansas native, recently played in all six of Sporting’s first-team preseason matches this winter after a strong first season with Sporting KC II last year. As an amateur player, he punctuated his 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with two goals and three assists in 11 appearances. Ortiz joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2018 and has represented the club at the U-12 through U-19 levels. The talented midfielder spent the 2023-2024 MLS NEXT season with the U-17s and U-19s, notably helping the latter team capture the 2023 UPSL Oklahoma-Arkansas regular season title.
Much like Derksen, Wantland has been with the Sporting KC Acadmey since the Center of Excellence, joining the Academy in 2018 after being selected from the prestigious camp. Also from Lee's Summit, the versatile, left-footed, outside back has repped the Sporting KC U-12s all the way up to the U-19s. Capable of playing on the backline and in the front three, the 17-year-old was also a key contributor to the two Quarterfinals run last MLS NEXT season and was a frequent feature in the UPSL for the U-19s in 2023 as well.
Young is newer to the Academy than the other five signees, joining the ranks in the fall of 2023. The 16-year-old became Homegrown first teamer Ian James centerback partner for the U-17s throughout the 2023-24 MLS NEXT Season. The duo was a major part of the team's success helping them make playoffs with a perfect showing at MLS NEXT FLEX in Boyds, Maryland. He joined SKC II for the entirety of the 2025 Preseason presented by Central Bank after training with the second team on several occasions throughout the 2024 campaign.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs Leo Christiano, Carter Derksen, Jacob Molinaro, Johann Ortiz, Zane Wantland and Nate Young to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts.
VITALS:
Leo Christiano
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 03/13/2007 (17 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Carter Derksen
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 08/02/2007 (17 years old)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 155
Hometown: Lee's Summit, Missouri
Birthplace: Laurinburg, North Carolina
Jacob Molinaro
Position: Goalkeeper
Birthdate: 01/16/2007 (18 years old)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Johann Ortiz
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 01/01/2007 (17 years old)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Hometown: Springdale, Arkansas
Birthplace: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Zane Wantland
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 08/23/2007 (17 years old)
Height: 5-8
Weight: 160
Hometown: Lee's Summit, Missouri
Birthplace: Lee's Summit, Missouri
Nate Young
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 06/04/2008 (16 years old)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois
