New England Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez has been included in the Uruguay U-20 national team’s final 23-man roster for the upcoming South American Youth Championship.
Fagundez, who became the first Homegrown player in Revolution history when he signed with the club in November 2010, had been training with the U-20s since late December before officially being named to head coach Fabian Coito’s final squad.
“I am excited for the opportunity to represent Uruguay at the U-20 Championship and to have the tournament held in the country that I was born makes it that much more special,” Fagundez said in a team release. “I will give everything that I have to try and help my team win a championship at home in front of our fans.”
The South American Youth Championship will be played in Uruguay from Jan. 14 through Feb. 7. The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, while the competition will also serve as South American qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Originally born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Fagundez and his family moved to Massachusetts when he was a child. The 19-year-old, who is currently a permanent US resident, has never represented Uruguay in an official competition, though he was called into camp with the U-20s on three separate occasions before being officially named to the squad for the U-20 Championship. Fagundez first trained with Uruguay in October 2012 before appearing in two friendly games against Peru on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6 of last year.
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After being one of 27 players called up by Coito last month, Fagundez scored two goals and added two assists during a series of scrimmages against local clubs in Montevideo.
Since making his professional debut as a 16-year-old in Aug. 2011, Fagundez has scored 22 goals and added 14 assists in 88 regular-season appearances. In 2014, Fagundez finished tied for second on the club with five goals while adding four assists as the Revolution won the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since 2007.
Following the South American Youth Championship, Fagundez is expected back with New England for preseason camp in advance of the 2015 regular season.
