Soccer <\/p>\n
Patrick Agyemang<\/a> tends to make an impression on those he spends time with.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n When the Charlotte FC<\/a> star made his US men\u2019s national team<\/a> debut \u2013 and scored<\/a> \u2013 in a January camp win over Venezuela, his childhood youth club in Hartford, Connecticut, extended their congratulations in an online post, saluting his “inspirational story.”<\/a> So did the state association of which they are a member, the CJSA, hailing his \u201cresilience and determination,\u201d<\/a> as well as both of the college programs he played for, Eastern Connecticut State<\/a> and the University of Rhode Island<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Many of the coaches and families who knew him back in those younger days were on hand at Rentschler Field on Saturday as Agyemang made an emotional return to his hometown, this time as the USMNT\u2019s starting No. 9 in a friendly vs. T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n \u201cPat’s addition to the team has been great,\u201d midfield leader and New York Red Bulls<\/a> product Tyler Adams said in the lead-up to the match. \u201cHis skill set speaks for itself on the field. You can see just in front of goal how dangerous he is and the attributes that he has.<\/p>\n “But I think it’s important, as we continue to build this roster and bring new guys in, that we have good people in our squad as well, so that continues to build a culture, and he’s going to be important for us moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n