HARRISON, N.J. (Jan. 31, 2015) – This week U.S. Soccer announced New York Red Bulls Academy product Kyle Duncan has been called-up to join the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team, while Tyler Adams and Matthew Olosunde have been invited to the 2015 Spring Semester of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program.
Duncan, a defender from Brooklyn, N.Y., is participating in the 2015 Copa Chivas Internacional in Guadalajara, Mexico. This is the U-18 MNT’s first competition of the new year and first competition since a two-game international set against Germany in mid-December. Duncan started and preserved a clean sheet in their Group A opener against Monarcas Morelia on Friday, Jan. 30, a 1-0 victory. The U-18 MNT will face Cruzeiro Esporte Clube on Jan. 31 (10 a.m.), Club Tijuana on Feb. 2 (10 a.m.) and Club Deportivo Universidad Católica on Feb. 3 (10 a.m.).
Duncan was the only player to start all 13 games in the Red Bulls U-18s’ Fall season. He contributed two goals and helped his team to a 9-1-3 record which topped the USDA Atlantic Division. In previous appearances with the U-18’s, the defender started two games against Germany and was a member of the U-18 team that captured the championship at the Vaclav Jezek Invitational Tournament in the Czech Republic in August 2014.
Adams and Olosunde both participated in the 2014 Fall Semester of the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., and have been invited back by U-17 MNT head coach Richie Williams. This is an important step towards the 2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in late February and early March, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“This is an important semester for us and an important year for this cycle,” Williams said. “With World Cup qualifying at the beginning of March, it will be important for us to continue training well and performing well. We also need to find a balance with this group and some of the players who are not with us on a regular basis to form a 20-man roster that will head to qualifying to compete and get results.”
Adams, a native of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., has a five-star rating from Top Drawer Soccer. He is ranked third overall and second by position in the IMG Academy Top 150. Olosunde, a native of Trenton, N.J., has a four-star rating on Top Drawer Soccer. Both players were listed as defenders on the residency roster and have competed regularly for U.S. Youth National sides.
The New York Red Bulls maintain one of the premier youth soccer development programs in the United States, committed to identifying and developing talent in the tri-state area. All five age groups, U-12s, 13s, 14s, 16s and 18s, are consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation, and Red Bulls players make regular appearances in U.S. Soccer Youth National Teams and NCAA Division I programs. For more information about Red Bulls academy and training programs, visit www.redbullsacademy.com/.
