Wyatt Borso

American soccer player (born 2004)

Wyatt Borso
Personal information
Date of birth March 8, 2004 (2004-03-08) (age 20)
Place of birth Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Number 19
Youth career
2018–2020 Chicago Fire
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 5 (0)
2022 → Pittsburgh Riverhounds (loan) 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 5th, 2021

Wyatt Borso (born March 8, 2004, in Chicago, Illinois), is an American professional soccer player who played two seasons as a winger / forward for the USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds[1] and currently with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in the ACC.

Borso is predominantly known for his speed, strength, and stamina, but also possesses good technique and ball control. His two footed skills, combined with his acceleration and physicality, allow him to get past defenders regularly and make runs into space, where he is able to score or create. In addition to his athletic and offensive capabilities, Borso has also drawn praise for his work-rate and defensive contribution off the ball. Soccerwire.com reports him right foot dominant.[2] ESPN.com states his height at 6'1" and weight at 181 lbs.[3]

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

On April 19, 2021, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC signed 17 years and 1 month old forward Wyatt Borso for the 2021 season. Borso's signing marked the first time the club has brought a player into its first team on a USL Academy contract.[4] The USL referenced it "a historic signing in Pittsburgh".[5]

He made his preseason pro debut on May 1, 2021, in the 75th minute against the Philadelphia Union II.[6] He made his regular season pro debut on August 11, 2021, in a 3–2 loss to Miami FC.[7] He made his first professional start on September 4, 2021, against San Antonio FC that ended in a 1–1 draw.[8] Borso, a native of Aurora, Ill. was included in TopDrawerSoccer.com USL Championship: 10 Amateurs To Know, in which he was called "one of the most interesting additions in the USL offseason."[9] After the end of the 2021 season, Borso was cited as one of the "Best 5 Moments of the Year".[10]

He returned to Pittsburgh for his second season in 2022. After scoring multiple times in preseason off starts,[11] Borso got an early regular season start on March 26, 2022, against Detroit City FC in 1-1 draw, where his shot required Save of the Week USL honors and setup corner for goal .[12] His next start came April 5, 2022, in the Second Round of the US Open Cup where he played 90 minutes and assisted the second goal in a 2–0 win against Maryland Bobcats where "17-year-old Wyatt Borso drilled a cross the width of the pitch," according to TheCup.US[13][14] "Wyatt Borso became the youngest player to record an assist for the Hounds (18 years, 28 days) when he hit a cross-field diagonal ball to Sims"[15] according to USL Championship.com.

Biography

Borso began his youth career with Chicago Sockers FC (Ill.) before moving to the Chicago Fire FC Academy in the 2018–19 season. He was also called up to U15 youth camps in Chula Vista, CA for the United States Men's National Soccer Team,[16] and in 2018 he was the top goal scorer in U.S. Soccer Development Academy play with 43 goals.[17]

At Chicago Fire, he won the Montreal International Academie Tournament Top Goal Scorer Award along with teammate Gabriel 'Gaga' Slonina who won "Goalkeeper of the Tournament" and was later sold to Chelsea.[18] In 2019 he made DA Playoffs Best XI,[19] as well as leading the attack in Bell Sport Cup International Tournament in Poland in goals/assist[20] and international friendlies in Mexico.[21] In 2020 he was a Generation Adidas Cup TDS Stand Out Player.[22]

The USL Academy contract in Pittsburgh allowed him to train daily with and play for the pro first team in the USL Championship while still maintaining amateur NCAA eligibility.[23] A Notre Dame recruit, Borso is rated as a four-star prospect and one of the top 10 forwards in the Class of 2022 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.[24]

References

  1. ^ "2021 Riverhounds Roster". Riverhounds.com.
  2. ^ "Wyatt Borso Pro Player". Soccerwire.com.
  3. ^ "Player stats". ESPN.
  4. ^ "Hounds Make 17-year-old Borso First USL Academy Signing". uslchampionship.com. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Hounds Notebook: 17-year-old Wyatt Borso signed to USL Academy contract". Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "BIG SECOND HALF SENDS HOUNDS PAST UNION II IN PRESEASON FINALE, 4-2". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  7. ^ "FIRST CAREER START LATEST MILESTONE IN WYATT BORSO'S DEVELOPMENT". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "LATE HEADER BY DIXON GRABS 1-1 DRAW FOR HOUNDS IN SAN ANTONIO". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "USL Championship: 10 amateurs to know". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  10. ^ "BEST OF 2021: NO. 5". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  11. ^ "Breaking down the 2022 roster". Riverhounds.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  12. ^ "Only 18, Borso shows he can hang with the pros". Riverhounds.com. Riverhounds.com. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  13. ^ "2022 US Open Cup round 2: Toby Sims' brace leads Pittsburgh Riverhounds over Maryland Bobcats". TheCup.US. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  14. ^ "FINAL: Riverhounds SC 2, Maryland Bobcats FC 0 (US Open Cup 2nd Round)". PGH Soccer Now. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "Open Cup Roundup: Sims scores twice as Riverhounds Advance". uslchampionship.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  16. ^ "USMNT Roster Announced". USSoccer.com.
  17. ^ "Leading Scorers in DA". BigSoccer.com.
  18. ^ "Chicago Fire Academy take third in the 2018 International Tournament". ChicagoFireFC.com.
  19. ^ "Playoff Best XI". TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  20. ^ "Chicago Fire Academy Under-16 team wins four games at international tournament in Poland". ChicagoFireFC.com.
  21. ^ "Chicago Fire Academy Produces Wins against Atlas and Chivas". ChicagoFireFC.com.
  22. ^ "GA Cup KC Regional". TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  23. ^ Staff, Riverhounds (April 19, 2021). "Hounds sign 17-year-old Wyatt Borso to USL Academy deal". Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC - USL.
  24. ^ "SIMA Recruiting Roundup: February 15–21". TopDrawerSoccer.com.