Four Comets Named to Team USA for WMF World Cup
May 17, 2025 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Kansas City Comets News Release
The Kansas City Comets will be well represented on the international stage this month, as four players have been named to the U.S. Men's National Minifootball Team for the 2025 WMF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, taking place May 21 to June 1.
Team USA, led by head coach Craig Rhodis, has called upon Zach Reget, Chad Vandegriffe, Stefan Mijatovic and Leo Acosta for international duty. They join a Team USA roster of 14 players for the fifth edition of the WMF World Cup, which the United States won as the host nation in 2015.
The veteran trio of Reget, Vandegriffe, and Mijatovic each return to the WMF World Cup for the second time. All three made their tournament debuts in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates, where they each found the back of the net and helped Team USA reach the Round of 16 before falling in extra time to the Czech Republic.
Acosta is called up for his first World Cup at the age of 22, the youngest player on Team USA's roster. The West Chicago native was named a 2025 MASL All-Star and has produced 26 goals and 11 assists in 36 games for the Comets.
Team USA is filled with MASL talent, highlighted by Vandegriffe as the league's reigning Defender of the Year. The rest of Team USA is made of other MASL stars, including former MVP winners Franck Tayou and Ian Bennett.
Comets players have a history of success in the WMF World Cup. Goalkeeper Danny Waltman was named Player of the Tournament after helping Team USA win the inaugural edition of the WMF World Cup in 2015 alongside Brian Harris, John Sosa and Leo Gibson. Guerrero Pino captained Mexico to the championship in 2019, while former Comets stars, including Harris (USA), Sosa (USA), Milan Ivanovic (Serbia) and Byron Alvarez (Mexico), have also scored in previous editions.
This year, the United States has been drawn into Group F alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, and 2023 runner-up Kazakhstan. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 16 on May 28.
Team USA Schedule:
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - Thursday, May 22 - 10:30am Central
USA vs Poland - Saturday, May 24 - 5:00am Central
USA vs Kazakhstan - Monday, May 26 - 11:45am Central
Knockout Rounds:
Round of 16 - Wednesday, May 28
Quarterfinals - Friday, May 30
Semifinals - Saturday, May 31
Finals - Sunday, June 1
Major Arena Soccer League Stories from May 17, 2025
- Four Comets Named to Team USA for WMF World Cup - Kansas City Comets
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