When Alex Freeman walked onto the field for his U.S. men’s national team debut against Turkiye on June 7, his father admitted to having tears in his eyes.
“It just gives me chills,” former All-Pro wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman said. “He has on a USA jersey. He’s representing his country. That’s probably the top level of recognition you could possibly get.”
With Sergiño Dest still regaining fitness after a torn ACL, the 20-year-old started at right back Sunday in the Americans’ opening win over Trinidad and Tobago at the Concacaf Gold Cup. He is among the young players hoping to impress coach Mauricio Pochettino as he considers next year’s World Cup roster.
Freeman’s ascent has been unexpected. He played just 11 minutes of first-team league soccer before this season.
“Alex, to be honest, I had no idea who you were before you got called up,” American midfielder Luca de la Torre said Tuesday, turning toward Freeman and smiling during a news conference.
Now 53, Antonio played nine seasons in the NFL, making the All-Pro team in 1998 and winning the 1997 Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
“Growing up I always got asked if football was the path, but when I was younger I always had a secret love for soccer,” Alex said.
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He also played basketball as a kid. Alex’s mom rejects the notion she directed him away from American football.
“The real story is Alex didn’t want to play football and he didn’t want to tell his dad that,” Rochelle Hinkle said. “They all use me as an excuse. He just wanted to make his own lane and his own path. He didn’t have, I guess, the words to say it then.”
Alex played for youth teams at Weston FC, near his home in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Plantation. He wanted to play for Inter Miami’s youth academy but was turned down. Freeman was then recruited for Orlando City’s academy by Javier Carrillo, his former Weston coach.
“Without him taking me in, maybe I might not be where I am today,” Alex said. “Obviously moving at the age of 15 was something that was hard for me, being away from my family and everything, but I feel like it made me grow up fast and I feel that that’s something that I needed to do.”
He moved to Orlando in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I still have PTSD from that ’cause I wasn’t done raising him,” his mother said.
Freeman debuted for Orlando City B in the third-tier MLS Next Pro on March 26, 2022, and played his first match for the senior team in Major League Soccer on April 29, 2023, entering in second-half stoppage time. He had two more substitute MLS appearances last year, totaling 10 minutes, then took over as starting right back this season from Dagur Dan Thórhallsson.
“Alex is player with little experience, but in soccer the desire, the capacity and the talent usually rise above experience,” Pochettino said. “The reports we got on him were really good.”
Freeman is competing for likely two right back roster spots with Dest, Joe Scally, Nathan Harriel, Bryan Reynolds, Shaq Moore and Marlon Fossey. Pochettino envisions narrowing his focus from a current group of 60 players when he makes roster selections for autumn friendlies.
“These camps, these games, I feel like it’s just motivation for me to earn Pochettino’s trust,” Freeman said.
Alex credits his dad for teaching him training, eating and lifestyle habits. Years ago, they used to kick around a ball together. Not anymore.
“At that point I realized: You’re going to hurt yourself out here,” Antonio said. “We might shoot around some basketballs in the backyard, shoot some three-pointers or something, but nothing soccer related.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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