RBNY Academy to play US U17 MNT
Academy product John Agudelo now a member of the US U17s
John Agudelo, who is member of the Red Bull Academy on the U16 side, helped the US U17s qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup recently, as the US U17s posted a perfect 3-0-0 record in Group A to earn a berth in the CONCACAF U17 Championship semifinals and one of the regions four automatic berths.
Agudelo, who was among the 18, did not appear off the bench in the team's 5-0 win over Cuba in the first game of group play, but came off the bench in the 65th minute in the US' 4-2 win over Canada. Making the start against Honduras in the final match of group play, Agudelo played the full 90 in the 3-0 win.
The tournament, held in Mexico, was halted before a regional champion could be decided, but the US' semifinal appearance earned them the slot in the U17 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Nigeria from Oct. 24-Nov. 15. Agudelo is currently in the U17 Men's National Team Residency Program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL.
The Red Bull U16 and U18 teams participate in the prestigious US Soccer Developmental Academy League in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the East Conference. The U16s are currently 15-2-5 overall (7-1-2 Division) and began the season with a 16 match unbeaten streak (13-0-3), which at it height left them as the only unbeaten team in the 148 team Academy. The U18s have posted a 10-9-3 record to date (3-5-2 Division), but have been very competitive despite playing with a depleted squad due to injuries and illnesses.
