While a breakthrough will sometimes appear to have happened overnight, the actual journey occurs over several seasons in relative obscurity with a lengthy development process. Players rise through multiple youth clubs and reserve sides while receiving a gradual introduction into the professional level with a few appearances per annum as managers judge their readiness. After a steady elevation, Alex Freeman is making an impact in Major League Soccer with what is looking to be a standout campaign. The 20-year-old Orlando City right fullback has impressed with his play on the wing and, in time, could provide an additional attacking dimension for the United States Men’s National Team.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland and the son of former First-Team All-Pro wide receiver Antonio, Freeman relocated to Florida and attended American Heritage School. At the club level, he spent three seasons with Weston FC before joining the Orlando City SC academy. His eight goals and 15 assists helped the Under-17 team claim the MLS Next Cup, while the burgeoning prospect also suited up for the Under-23 side in the United Premier Soccer League. Eschewing a commitment to the University of Louisville, the Lions signed the “exciting young player” to a four-year contract with a one-year option.
Freeman began with the reserves in March of 2022, starting in a 2-0 win over Chicago Fire II. That season, he made 19 MLS Next Pro appearances and contributed three assists while also being included on the first-team bench for four fixtures. The following year included four goals, four assists, and a 79.1% passing accuracy in 25 matches along with his senior debut, a cameo substitution to close out an early 2-0 victory over the LA Galaxy after performing well in training.
Splitting time between the senior and reserve levels helped him to develop in higher level training and gain match experience, respectively. “I just want to get better,” Freeman told the club’s official website. “I’ll come down here and I just try my hardest to make an impact. I feel like every day I’m training with MLS players that have been in the league for so long. I feel like I want to learn from them every time I get a chance. I feel like I’m still kind of new to this, but I feel like I’m getting the hang of it and I’m trying to learn from so many people and put it in my game.”
Last year, Freeman increased his production with eight goals and nine assists in 27 reserve matches, becoming “more clinical” and improving his passing accuracy and defensive contributions. The “strong, fast fullback provided energy going forward” for the B team and earned the MLS Next Pro’s Player of the Month award for September. He also featured in three first-team fixtures, adding an assist to close out a 5-0 rout of D.C. United; however, there were some concerns as to whether his development was being held back.
This season, Freeman is fully incorporated into the MLS squad, substituting into the opener and starting the nine successive matches. He picked up a goal in the 4-2 victory over Toronto FC, a finish and an assist in a 4-1 win over D.C. United, and another in the 3-0 rivalry romp topping Atlanta United; the first conversion involved “slipping behind the defense, running onto a long ball, and blasting a low shot from just inside of the box,” the second a header at the far post on a free kick, and the third a slotted conversion after ghosting past the back line. His manager, Oscar Pareja, believes that his player has the potential to “become one of the best fullbacks in the country,” having demonstrated his “readiness” for the level and a lack of timidity.
“I played a lot in preseason, which was very good,” Freeman shared with local media. “It’s just about taking the best out of your chances at the end of the day. In the first game, that’s one of the things I did. I came in 40 minutes. I just gave him all and Oscar saw that. Now he’s just trying to give me a chance, and I’m just continuing to prove to myself that I want this… I feel like for me is just gaining confidence and just perfecting my skills because when I first came here, I wasn’t the best, and that’s what I want to be. I want to be the best I can be, and I’m still not the best.”
At the international level, Freeman received his first United States call-up to the Under-19 team in April of 2022 and was in the squad that won the Slovenia Nations Cup. He was on the roster for the 2023 Pan American Games, led by Michael Nsien. The defender started in all five matches at the competition on the way to a fourth-place finish.
Standing at a rangy six-foot-three, Freeman is an athletic right fullback who can also line up at winger, looking to push the tempo, displaying excellent “recovery speed,” completing a high percentage of his passes, and registering several blocks, clearances, and successful aerial duels per 90 minutes. Scouts praise him as an “amazing athlete” and “technical,” “doing things going forward at [his position that] no other American can.” His manager describes the young defender as “mature,” with the ability to “understand the moment” and “his place,” using his size and strength to dominate duels while also creating for himself and his teammates.
“We’re very happy to see the development on Alex,” Pareja said recently. “Kids play when they deserve to play. They know that when they play, they have to match the level and keep it, and that’s what he’s doing. Alex is growing. The opportunity that came to him, he has been taking it… I’m excited with him, and the competition that he has behind him is not easy… He’s growing at the point that I think he needs to be seen by the national team.”
Many players have enjoyed a breakout season and failed to build, but Freeman appears primed for long-term success with multiple years of experience and an appealing skill set. He has time to continue developing and could be on the receiving end of European transfer interest in the very near future, particularly if his goal-scoring production continues at a similar rate. With the fullback position often valued for form and dynamism, his name could also soon end up in the USMNT rotation, either during this World Cup cycle or more likely the next.
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