July 2, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. and NEW YORK – Minnesota United and MNUFC Academy, along with MLS NEXT, today announced today that U17 forward Darius Randell has been selected to play for the West Team during the third annual MLS NEXT All-Star Game, presented by Allstate. The game will showcase North America’s top young players in an East vs. West matchup at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m. ET and will be live streamed on MLSSoccer.com.
Darius Randell, a 16-year-old forward, was born in Monrovia, Liberia and has been raised in Minnesota. The young Loon joined the MNUFC Academy in the 2022-23 season at the U15 level, and most recently competed with the club’s U17 and U19 squads during this 2023-24 MLS NEXT season. Prior to his time with the MNUFC Academy, he played for Twin Cities-based Boreal Football Club. Randell is now the third Loon to represent the MNUFC Academy in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game. See below a list of young Loons to earn the academy-level All-Star honor, with their year and All-Star Game location:
U19 defender Carlos Leatherman (2022 in Blaine, Minnesota)
U19 midfielder Kage Romanshyn Jr. (2023 in Annapolis, Maryland)
U17 forward Darius Randell (2024 in Columbus, Ohio)
Additionally, Randell has consistently developed, trained and played with MNUFC2, the MLS NEXT Pro team for Minnesota United. With MNUFC2 in the 2024 season, the 16-year-old has made 12 game appearances (10 starts), mostly at the winger position, and has provided two assists, to-date.
Randell is among the 44 players across the academy-level league who will compete in the match, played at the former home of the Columbus Crew, which is notably the very-first soccer-specific stadium built in the United States and across MLS.
MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide Randell and his fellow All-Stars with unique opportunities during MLS All-Star Week, which will include a full slate of programming events and activities in advance of the match. The players will be fully immersed in MLS All-Star Week festivities, which include team training, the All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on July 23, and the MLS All-Star Game on July 24. Each MLS NEXT All-Star team will also conduct their own training sessions leading up to their match on Tuesday morning.
The 44 players were selected following the conclusion of the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. To be eligible for…
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