Sporting KC prospect ready to represent United States at U-17 World Cup
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sporting KC goalkeeper Jack Kortkamp earned a U.S. U-17 World Cup roster spot.
- He featured 12 matches with Sporting KC II, recorded one clean sheet and a penalty save.
- U.S. U-17s begin group play in Qatar vs Burkina Faso, Tajikistan and Czechia.
Jack Kortkamp is just 17 years old, having completed his first season on a first-team contract with Sporting Kansas City.
The young goalkeeper is now 7,500 miles away, preparing for one of the biggest stages of his budding career.
The United States Youth National Team will kick off its campaign at the U-17 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday. Kortkamp is one of three goalkeepers on the roster.
When he got the call that he was officially on the squad, it was a relief.
“Something about this group is that you’re never safe,” Kortkamp said. “There are a lot of guys that have been in and out of camp, especially goalkeepers.”
The U-17 squad features a couple of heralded prospects, the most notable being Cavan Sullivan, a 16-year-old midfielder with the Philadelphia Union. Sullivan has made 15 appearances in all competitions with the Supporters Shield-winning Union, and played roughly 450 minutes. He is expected to join Manchester City when he turns 18.
Sullivan received the bulk of his minutes and success at the MLS Next Pro level this year, similar to Kortkamp. The young goalkeeper played 12 games for Sporting KC II this season, keeping one clean sheet and stopping the only penalty kick he faced all season. He went 2-2 in game-deciding shootouts (an MLS Next Pro rule for tied games).
Kortkamp said he wasn’t necessarily thinking about whether his performances with SKC II would help him make the U-17 World Cup squad.
“I’m thinking about getting the win with SKC, and then whenever I go into camp, my mentality switches to playing for my nation,” Kortkamp said.
Some players on the U-17 roster have already made their MLS debuts and scored goals. That hasn’t happened yet for Kortkamp (although it is unlikely that he will score a goal). However, he has learned to be patient.
“I’ve learned my time will come,” Kortkamp said. “Everybody has a different pathway.”
The flight to Qatar is 15 hours, according to Kortkamp. Now that games are getting underway, the U-17s turn their focus to group play. There they’ve been drawn with Burkina Faso, Tajikistan and Czechia.
Their match on Wednesday morning kicks off at 10:15 a.m. Central. The other two group-stage matches, played on November 8 and 11, kick off at 9:45 a.m. Central. All group stage matches will be broadcast on FS2 and Peacock.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com