Kayden Pierre Joins USA U-20 National Team
Published on October 25, 2022 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City defender Kayden Pierre has been named to the United States U-20 Men's National Team for a domestic training camp in Frisco, Texas, from Oct. 25 to Nov. 6 at Toyota Soccer Center.
Pierre is part of a 16-player squad assembled by head coach Mikey Varas and will join the U.S. U-20 MNT for the second time this year after participating in a California training camp from April 22-30.
The senior U.S. Men's National Team will also be in Frisco from Oct. 25-Nov. 5, holding fitness workouts for MLS-based players in contention for the World Cup roster and no longer in league competition.
The U.S. U-20s have enjoyed a successful 2022 campaign thus far, hoisting the Concacaf U-20 Championship in July and thereby qualifying for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia as well as the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2003 are eligible for the 2023 U-20 World Cup cycle.
Pierre, 19, is coming off a breakout season with Sporting's first team. The dynamic right back played 23 matches in all competitions, earning his MLS debut in March and starting nine of 19 league appearances. He tallied his first MLS assist in a 1-1 road draw at Minnesota United FC on July 13 and helped Sporting reach the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, starting in two of three tournament appearances.
A native of Michigan, Pierre signed for Sporting as a Homegrown Player in early 2021. His first professional season was spent mostly with Sporting KC II, where he started in 26 of 28 matches during the 2021 USL Championship campaign and finished second on the team in minutes (2,252) while recording two assists.
Pierre joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2018 from Vardar SC in his native state. He went on to represent Sporting at the U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels, making upwards of 60 academy appearances and guiding the U-17s to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs in 2019. While in Kansas City, Pierre has lived with a host family through a program currently supported by the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative. Capable of playing at both outside back positions, Pierre gained his first professional experience during the latter half of 2020 when he signed an amateur academy contract for Sporting KC II.
Pierre's most recent competitive action with the U.S. U-20s came last November at the Revelations Cup in Celaya, Mexico. He appeared in all three matches at the tournament, marking the U-20 MNT's return to action for the first time since January 2020 after the 2020 Concacaf U-20 Championship and 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup were canceled due to Covid-19.
Pierre has previously competed for the United States U-14 and U-16 national teams. He participated in multiple U-14 training camps from 2016-2017 before jumping to the U-16s for training camps from 2018-2019.
U.S. U-20 MYNT ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COLLEGE; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire FC; Naperville, Ill.), Antonio Carrera (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas)
DEFENDERS (5): Marcus Ferkranus (LA Galaxy; Santa Clarita, Calif.), Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; Lakewood, Calif.), Kayden Pierre (Sporting Kansas City; Rochester Hills, Mich.), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Daniel Edelman (New York Red Bulls; Warren, N.J.), Daniel Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew SC; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes; Saratoga, Calif.)
FORWARDS (5): Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; Ceres, Calif.), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; Miami, Fla.), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Jackson Hopkins (D.C. United; Fredericksburg, Va.), Marcos Zambrano (Philadelphia Union; Gladwyne, Pa.)
Major League Soccer Stories from October 25, 2022
- RSL Academy Trio Named to U-15 United States Youth National Team - Real Salt Lake
- Benjamin Cremaschi Called up to the U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team - Inter Miami CF
- MLS Disciplinary Committee Decisions Announced - MLS
- LA Galaxy Defenders Jalen Neal and Marcus Ferkranus Called up to U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team for Final Training Camp of 2022 - LA Galaxy
- Kayden Pierre Joins USA U-20 National Team - Sporting Kansas City
- Paul Arriola, Jesús Ferreira to Participate in USMNT Fitness Workouts from October 25-November 5 - FC Dallas
- Cowell, Tsakiris Called to United States U20 National Team Training Camp - San Jose Earthquakes
- Chris Brady and Brian Gutiérrez Called into U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team - Chicago Fire FC
- Caleb Wiley Called into U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team Training Camp - Atlanta United FC
- Daniel Edelman and John Tolkin Selected to Final Roster for United States U-20 National Team October Camp - Red Bull New York
- Atlanta United Midfielder Thiago Almada Named 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year - Atlanta United FC
- Atlanta United Midfielder Thiago Almada Named 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year - MLS
- Guatemala to Face Nicaragua in an International Friendly Match on Saturday, November 19 at Dignity Health Sports Park - LA Galaxy
- Sounders FC Announces Roster Decisions to Conclude 2022 Season - Seattle Sounders FC
- Homegrown Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina Called to U.S. Men's National Team Fitness Workouts - Chicago Fire FC
- Philadelphia Union's Jim Curtin Named 2022 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year - MLS
- Nashville Soccer Club Defenders Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore Invited to United States Men's National Team Fitness Workouts - Nashville SC
- KC Power & Light District to Host Official World Cup Watch Parties - Sporting Kansas City
- New England Revolution Academy Highlights: October 25, 2022 - New England Revolution
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