EAST HARTFORD, Connecticut — Neither the rain, nor the fact that his team had just lost, dampened Patrick Agyemang’s mood as he walked along the edge of the playing surface at Rentschler Field.
Still wearing his Team USA gear, the tall 24-year-old moved slowly. He signed posters, balls, Team USA kits, even a Christian Pulisic jersey and whatever else the kids handed down to him after the United States Men’s National Team’s 2-1 loss to Türkiye on Saturday. He chatted and patiently posed for pictures, even handling strangers’ phones to better frame the selfie for them.
Just over 15 years ago, Agyemang was in those same bleacher seats. He watched in awe as the American national team faced the Czech Republic on May 25, 2010. It didn’t matter that USA lost 4-2. Agyemang was enthralled.
“I was one of those kids. It’s amazing,” said Agyemang, smiling at the memory. “I just wanna continue being a figure to look up to, and I hope I can continue doing that.”
Agyemang’s soccer career began a couple of good kicks from the spot where he’s standing. He grew up across town in East Hartford and saw the excitement, not to mention the traffic, that came to town every time the Untied States men’s and women’s national teams hosted games at the region’s best grass field.
He had the same dream of being part of it that so many of his friends did. But reaching that level was more than a long shot. Major League Soccer teams identify the most promising kids, sometimes as young as 12. They invite them to enroll in their academies, which help cultivate talent and prepare players for professional careers.
But they were’t interested in Agyemang.
Today he’s among the top 25 goal scorers in the MLS. At East Hartford High School, he was ignored by all seven Division I schools in Connecticut and Agyemang ended up at Division III Eastern Connecticut State for two seasons before transferring to Rhode Island.
He shined for the Rams and the semi-pro Western Massachusetts Pioneers before being selected by Charlotte F.C. in the MLS Superdraft.
Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang (33) plays against FC Cincinnati during an MLS soccer match in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)AP
After scoring 10 goals for Charlotte last year, Agyemang was named to the national team roster in January and had goals in his first two career matches against Costa Rica and Venezuela.
On Saturday, he got the chance to play at home. He secured 25 tickets for friends and family, including his parents, who’d never seen him don red, white and blue before.
“It was nice just being here. This is my hometown, so to be back here it was amazing,” he said.
The American roster that faced the Turks didn’t feature many players who have locked up a spot on the Team USA roster for next year’s World Cup, which is almost exactly a year away. Like Agyemang, most of the players were trying to improve their chances to crack the roster.
It was an opportunity for the young striker to prove something against tougher competition.
“It was maybe his first time playing against two center backs with their experience and their quality, they are playing in the top in Europe,” Mauricio Pochettino said. “Today I saw Patrick fight with two players who are some of the toughest center backs in the world.”
United States forward Patrick Agyemang (24) leaps for the ball between Turkiye defenders during an international friendly Saturday, June 7, 2025, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)AP
While fighting against them is a good first step, Agyemang was focused on thriving.
“I want be able to to perform here consistently. That’s the next step for myself and obviously I know I could do it and that’s what I’m gonna work for,” he said. “I want to adjust and be able to perform here on a high level consistently.”
While he’s not ignoring the tantalizing prospect of making Team USA’s World Cup roster, he’s more focused on improving than auditioning at this point.
“I just want to continue getting better, I’m still relatively new to this environment and obviously the level of it is different. I want to be able to continue learning and adjusting.”
He hopes the kids he met will draw inspiration from his attempt.
“It was a journey. It was ups and downs. It was not straightforward at all. I struggled in each step,” he said. “I just want everyone to know if you’re really committed, you can’t worry about the noise because I heard it all. I still hear it all. But at the end of the day, as long as you keep going anything can happen.”
