ORLANDO, Fla. — It's been a meteoric rise for Orlando City's young defender.
Just two years ago, Alex Freeman was getting his first start with Orlando City B, after signing a Homegrown contract in 2022. Fast forward to now, the 20-year-old fullback has locked down a starting spot for the MLS Lions, and two weeks ago, he secured his first full call-up to the U.S. Men's National Team.
"Was I expecting it? No. Is it a very unexpected surprise? Yes. It's the hard work I've been putting out the past 3-4 years, and it's all working out," Freeman told OrlandoCitySC.com. "It's me being consistent and continuing to put in that work, even if I made it to where I want to be, it's just continuing to be better."
That work the young fullback has put in has been noticeable since he first joined the Orlando City Academy. In 2021, he helped the U17s win the MLS Next Cup Championship, which helped get him on the radar nationally. After playing his first season with OCB in 2023, he became the team's leading scorer and assist provider in 2024, despite playing as a defender.
"It's just being able to get different ways of playing. I feel like, even though I'm in the first team now, there's still different ways I could improve my game, and I feel like getting minutes also in that league is exactly what I needed, especially getting minutes, getting 90 minutes, being able to work and being able to dominate that league," Freeman said. "I feel like at that point, it was me dominating the league last year that got me to the point I am now. And I saw me just doing that, me just striving to be the best. I feel like that's what got me a chance to be here. I gotta be consistent and still show everyone that I belong on the first team."
With his profile as a 6-foot-2 fullback that is fast, strong and has a knack for scoring goals — one that he's now showing at the MLS level — it's no suprise that Freeman is now getting his first call-up with the Stars and Stripes.
"It's something I was hoping for," said Freeman. "I was in the preliminary roster, and I was just grateful for that in the moment, and being in the final roster, it's a good start to my first-team season with Orlando, and it's something I'm very grateful for to be able to represent the badge, my country."
Freeman will spend the next few days with the USMNT in Chicago as the team prepares for their upcoming international friendlies and the Gold Cup later this month. The training camp will give him the opportunity to train with some of the top American talent, an experience he says is something he is most excited for.
"It's going to be the best feeling in the world," he said. "I feel like even just walking into Chicago and just meeting everyone. It's just going to be so good. I'm meeting people from all around the country, all around the world, who are top players and athletes that have similar journeys to me, or even more complicated ones. It's good to see from everyone's perspective, and just be able to talk to everyone.
"The most important thing is not making your head big," said Freeman. "Me being humble is just me having the support, especially from my father. If anyone knows about big news, it's him. He's just telling me to keep my head down. It's big news, but he's just like, you got to keep working. More news is to come, and if I keep working, this will be something that happens regularly, and I feel like that's the goal, being able to be called up to the national team regularly."
Despite only being 20 years old, Freeman is now one of the biggest role models for all the players in the Orlando City Academy. He's just the second American player to be called up to the USMNT to have played at every level for the Lions: youth, MLS Next Pro and MLS. It's a title that the fullback appreciates and honors, knowing that those young kids with professional aspirations are watching his career with great interest.
"Everyone has their own journey, and I feel like that was my journey," Freeman said. "Going up through the ranks of Orlando, through the Academy, OCB, First Team, and now representing my national team. I'm proud to represent this club, to be able to go there and say, 'I play for Orlando City.' It's good that I could be seen by other Academy players, other young players who want to follow the same path; that they can take that path and make their way to train with the best of the best. It's good that I'm able to not only carve the path, but let young players see that you just gotta chase your dreams and be able to keep working to get what you want."
