When Louisville City FC’s Joshua Wynder got a call from US Soccer, his reaction was one of hope that the 17-year-old would be called up to his country’s senior national team for the first time.
“I was kind of taken aback,” Winder told local media on Wednesday. “But I tried to stay calm and called my parents to let them know.
That’s the day the finalists for the Chipotle 2022 US Soccer Young Men’s Finalists and finalists for the 2022 USL Championship Young Player of the Year Award have been hoping to come. Arriving so early certainly came as a surprise, but the quality of the young centre-back is in the eyes of current coaches as well as those who have seen him play at national and youth national team level. He was telling me something.
USMNT interim head coach Anthony Hudson offered the usual caveats players hear when talking about taking their first steps to the highest level. Although he was part of the senior team, he was also praised for the qualities that brought Winder to this point at such a young age.
“What we do know is that we believe he’s a very good player and has a lot of potential. [player]said Hudson. “He’s the person we see. If he does everything right and applies himself in the right way, he could be a serious senior team player in the future.”
But there is no doubt that Winder’s ascent has been remarkable.
