On Monday, former midfielder Emeka Eneli ’22 was called up to the United States men’s national team for January camp.
In his time with the Red, Eneli played in 61 games and started 51, logging 21 goals and 18 assists. The former Cornell captain racked up many awards during his time in Ithaca, including multiple All-Ivy First Team selections and an All-Northeast Region First Team selection.
Following the 2022 season, Eneli was taken 25th overall by Real Salt Lake in the MLS SuperDraft, the first-ever first-rounder from Cornell in the SuperDraft. In the MLS, Eneli has been slotted into a more defensive role but still contributed a goal and three assists in 33 games this past season.
Eneli has already proven to be a massive piece for Real Salt Lake, having been named the team MVP and accumulating 2,669 minutes of playing time in the 2024 season. In the same season, he was named the youngest captain in Real Salt Lake history at just 24 years old.
Now, Eneli will hope to prove himself on an even higher level — the international stage. Since the European clubs that control most of the U.S. first team are not obligated to release players for the January camp, MLS players typically get a chance to play for the national team.
Eneli will hope to get game time in the two games during the window — Saturday, Jan. 18 against Venezuela and Thursday, Jan. 23 against Costa Rica. If Eneli is able to step on the field for the national team, he will join Bruce Arena ’73 as Cornell soccer players to also play for the U.S. national team.
Arena played just one game for the national team but had a much more noticeable career as the coach for the U.S. Arena coached the U.S. during what many consider to be the all-time high of U.S. soccer — the 2002 World Cup — and what many consider to be the all-time low of U.S. soccer — the loss to Trinidad and Tobago that failed to qualify the U.S. for the 2018 World Cup.
Eneli began camp on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale. The camp will end following the match against Costa Rica.
In December, sophomore forward Alex Harris was announced as a semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which serves as the MVP for college soccer. Of the 15 semi-finalists, Harris was one of just two underclassmen.
Later in the month, Cornell had three players taken in the MLS SuperDraft. Harris went fourth overall to the Colorado Rapids (the highest-ever pick from Cornell), senior forward Alioune Ka was drafted 36th overall to Nashville SC and junior defender Andrew Johnson went 47th overall to Charlotte FC. With only three previous players taken in the MLS SuperDraft in the program’s history, Cornell doubled its total of draftees this year.
While drafted players can opt to return to college if they have remaining eligibility, Cornell’s draftees should not be expected to return. Harris, having signed a Generation Adidas contract awarded to standout players, is not eligible to return.
Junior goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg was also eligible for the draft but was not selected. Friedberg is allowed to return to Cornell if he chooses to do so.