One of Liverpool's bright young stars of the future will have a shot at glory this evening on the international stage.
When the United States Under-17 national team takes on Mexico in the CONCACAF U-17 Championships final, 16-year-old Keyrol Figueroa will be looking to clinch the title for the US after a stand-out tournament.
A member of Liverpool’s Under-18 set-up, the teenager arrives in the final as the joint-top goal scorer in the competition with seven goals. The US can also boast a perfect record in the tournament, with six-straight wins and forward Figueroa has been at the heart of their journey into the final match.
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Speaking to American Soccer Now in Guatemala, he said: “I am just enjoying every moment, and it's been a very good experience so far. I mean, this team has people from all over. So the fact that we've adapted and played as a team, as a unit, we should be proud of ourselves for that. We are a very special group. It's something that people should be looking forward to in the future.”
In order to reach Sunday's final, Figueroa and his teammates had to run the gauntlet against Guatemala in the semi-final amid extremely hostile conditions, in front of a 15,000-strong crowd in Guatemala City, competing on a poor playing surface.
But Figueroa was up to the task, scoring twice for the US in a gritty 5-3 victory that was only eventually put beyond doubt in the 86th minute.
“Before the game we knew what we should expect, but we didn't think there was going to be that many people coming,” said Figueroa.
“We adapted well obviously and Guatemala gave us a new experience. It was really different. Maybe some players have never experienced something like that before and maybe some have. I know I haven't - for sure. But I was prepared for all occasions and I scored two goals. I wanted to mentally prepare myself, but the captain Tyler [Hall] prepared us too - mentally and physically because he knew that it was going to be a battle. I think it all goes down to our captain.”
Figueroa has been with Liverpool for four years, even scoring 90 goals in one season for the Reds Under-13s and Under-14s, and insists that the club have been supportive in his exploits with the US national team, even though he has only recently returned from an injury.
He added: “People in Liverpool just wanted the best for me. They expected me to always put on a performance, and to always represent the badge. But after all, Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I feel like I am representing them. Everyone there always loved the idea of me playing for the national team, so it was just great.”
Despite representing the US, Figueroa was born in Honduras and comes from parents with a sporting pedigree in the country of his birth. His mother, Sandra Norales, was an international handball player and father Maynor Figueroa is one the most famous footballers in the history of the South American country, playing in the Premier League with Wigan Athletic and Hull City.
But the opportunity to represent the United States came to pass when the teenager was able to acquire his American citizenship around 2020, having lived in both the USA and England during his father's career.
Figueroa said: “I was obviously proud to have it. Being a U.S. citizen is not something everyone can have. I know from the experiences that I've been through or my family's been through. Me being an American, I feel proud wear that badge on the shirt. Every time I play, I always play for the people that are behind me - the team, my family, my friends, whoever is there with me through the journey. Getting citizenship was a very proud day for me.
“A lot of people who know me know that my dad played for Honduras. He captained the country. A lot of people knew that. The fact that people didn't judge - this is what USA is all about. I feel like I'm wearing the right colours.”
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