From the moment Darius Randell started playing soccer in Liberia as a child, he was determined to become a professional player. Fast forward about 14 years and several thousand miles, and he’s making that dream a reality. After a standout season for Minnesota United Academy’s U17 team, Randell was recently called up to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, and it was the kind of experience that he’d always hoped for.
Since 2014, Major League Soccer has included an academy all-star game as part of the MLS All-Star Week celebrations, recognizing some of the most promising young talents from across the nation. This year’s roster featured 44 players born between 2007 and 2009, all of whom competed in the 2023-24 MLS NEXT regular season. Representatives from 34 different clubs met at Historic Crew Stadium on July 23 for this special occasion, and for Randell, it was another step toward his dream.
“We went to the hotel first, and I got to meet a lot of the other MLS NEXT kids that I'll hopefully be playing against in the future,” Randell said. “When we went to the All-Star Game, I was a little bit nervous. I didn’t want to play badly, and I was just scared a little bit. But then once I got in, I saw that it was just fine; it’s just soccer, so do whatever you can do. It was a fun experience. It’s funny that two, three years ago, I wasn’t really thinking about any of this; I was just playing for fun.”
Randell started the match, playing the first 45 minutes and making his mark in several moments. He saw similarities between his time in MLS NEXT Pro and the level on display in the All-Star Game, noting that the style and pace of play felt comfortable and familiar to him after getting several chances to play with MNUFC2.
Though he didn’t score during his time on the field, Randell showed flashes of his skill and potential. The young winger recalled one chance in particular, when he received the ball at the top of his opponent’s box. He cut inside to get past the oncoming defender, created a pocket of space, and fired a shot wide of the goal, right in front of his family watching in the stands. While he’d love to have that shot back, the chance to play in front of his folks at this event was special in its own right. Though he lives with family here in Minnesota, it was the influence of his older brother back in Liberia that got Randell into the sport to begin with.
“My big brother in Africa, he was playing soccer when I was younger,” he said. “I was just following in his footsteps, going wherever he would go. And then I started playing with all of the guys his age. I started as a defender and then gravitated more into the attacking side. Now I hope to become an MLS All-Star someday. That will be a big deal for me and my family, but this was a fun experience.”
Since joining MNUFC a few years ago, Randell has established himself as a talented attacking threat, excelling during his time with his own age group and earning time with MNUFC2, as well as training opportunities with the first team. It’s been a tremendous year for the young forward, and at the rate he’s going, it feels like things are only going to keep picking up from here. For someone that loves the game as much as he does, the sky's the limit.
“I love to compete,” Randell said. “I’m out there just to compete and have fun. It really just frees my mind. Once I get on the soccer field, whatever trouble that I have in real life, it just goes away. I'm just playing for fun at that moment, just really having fun.”
To catch MNUFC’s MLS NEXT All-Star in action, come on out to the next MNUFC2 match at Allianz Field tomorrow, August 8, at 7:00 p.m. against The Town FC.
