Philadelphia Union homegrown goalkeeper Matt Freese and the rest of Next Gen United have been voted to the U.S. Soccer Federation Athlete's Council.
Next Gen United consisted of Freese, along with U-20 WNT defender Smith Hunter; current Birmingham Legion (USL) / former USYNT midfielder Mikey López; Para 7-a-Side National Team standout Nick Mayhugh; and USWNT midfielder Brianna Pinto. The groups platform stated that they "believe that US Soccer should look more like the people that play soccer in our country, and that includes having youth and minority voices at the highest levels. We are running for the US Soccer Athlete Council to bring a fresh perspective and champion a unified message."
The Athletes’ Council, is a group of 20 U.S. Soccer athletes who are elected by their peers to provide a broader means of communication between athletes and the Federation. Holding significant direct power in U.S. Soccer’s overall structure, the Athletes’ Council is responsible for electing three members to the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.
Traditionally, athletes elected to the Council are veterans or recently-retired USMNT and USWNT players with the most experience and name recognition.
