KC-born Nicholas Gioacchini named to USMNT, will play group-stage games in hometown
Welcome home, Nicholas Gioacchini.
The Kansas City-born forward was added to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 23-man roster for this month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup on Thursday, meaning the 20-year-old will be part of the active squad that will play three Group B matches at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Gioacchini grew up in Overland Park until he turned 8, when he and his parents moved to Italy.
Gioacchini, who plays at club level for French second-division team Caen, has three career appearances for the United States’ senior team, having made his debut Nov. 12 in a friendly against Wales. Four days later, he scored twice in a 6-2 thrashing of Panama, then had another cap March 25 in a friendly against Jamaica, assisting on the third goal in a 4-1 U.S. win.
U.S. national team coach Gregg Berhalter said in a news conference that he plans to play the right-footed Gioacchini out wide on the wing. He’ll be joined by five other forwards on the team, all but one of whom play in Major League Soccer: Orlando City’s Daryl Dike, D.C. United’s Paul Arriola, Colorado Rapids’ Jonathan Lewis and Columbus Crew’s Gyasi Zardes. Matthew Hoppe, who plays in Germany with recently relegated Schalke, was the other selection.
“It’s an exciting young group of players,” Berhalter said, referring to the group that includes Gioacchini, “and with a mix of some veteran players that participated in the Nations League. I don’t think we have true wingers in the group ... we have Paul Arriola and Nicholas Gioacchini slated for right winger. ... But overall, we don’t want to look at this as an experimental team. We want to look at this as a team that can compete to win the Gold Cup.”
Gioacchini’s family briefly returned to the U.S. after several years in Italy, living in Maryland before going abroad again to France when Gioacchini was 15. From there, he was picked up by the youth academy of second-division Paris FC before moving to Caen on a free transfer in 2018.
He made 32 appearances in all competitions for Caen last season, scoring five goals with one assist. The team struggled but was saved from having to compete in Ligue 2’s relegation playoffs on goal difference.
A Gioacchini appearance in a Gold Cup match — considered an official competition by FIFA — would mean he would be cap-tied to the U.S. and not eligible to represent another FIFA-affiliated nation. Gioacchini is also eligible to play for Italy because he previously lived there.
Though Gioacchini is the only Kansas City-born player on the U.S. roster, he’ll be joined by Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gianluca Busio. The 19-year-old earned his first call-up to the national team Thursday.