17-year-old former Sporting Kansas City Academy player has four goals and one assist in MLS Next Pro league this season
BIRMINGHAM, AL (July 8, 2022) – Birmingham Legion FC announced today the signing of forward Mataeo Bunbury, pending the finalization of a P1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
“We are excited to bring in Mataeo and add a talent like him to our attacking group,” said Jay Heaps, Legion FC President & General Manager. “He is a young player with great potential who has also already shown that he has the skills and ability to perform and score goals at the professional level.”
Bunbury joins Birmingham from Sporting Kansas City II, where he has four goals and one assist to his name this season in ten appearances in the MLS Next Pro league, playing primarily as a right winger. He also made seven appearances, including one against Legion FC, last season in the USL Championship.
He joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2020 after two years with the Minnesota United FC Academy and a year with Minneapolis United SC. Bunbury has also registered one appearance with the Canadian National Team’s Under-20 side and spent time with the Under-14 United States Youth Team.
Upon joining SKC, Bunbury became the third member of his family to play for the organization, following his father Alex’s stint with the Kansas City Wizards from 1999-2000, and his older brother Teal, who was drafted by SKC in 2010 and then won the 2021 US Open Cup and 2013 MLS Cup.
Transaction: Birmingham Legion FC signed forward Mataeo Bunbury to a professional contract on July 8, 2022.
Player Profile:
Name: Mataeo Chandler Razario Bunbury
Position: Forward
Number: 47
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 170 lbs.
Birthdate: June 13, 2005 (age: 17)
Hometown: Prior Lake, MN
Citizenship: Canadian, American
Previous Club: Sporting Kansas City II (MLS Next Pro)
Instagram: @mataeobunbury
Twitter: @MataeoBunbury
Bunbury travelled with Legion FC to this past Wednesday night’s game in Atlanta and will now be available for selection for tomorrow’s contest at the Charleston Battery. His first opportunity to play in Birmingham at Protective Stadium will be on Saturday, July 23 on Salute to Service Night, presented by Vulcan Materials Company, versus Eastern Conference foe FC Tulsa at 6:30pm, and fans can grab your tickets today!
Legion FC also just released Half Season Ticket Plans, that include tickets for each of the nine remaining home games in 2022, starting at just $54! More information is available HERE.
For team updates, news and more, follow @bhmlegion on social media, sign up for Legion FC’s Newsletter, or visit bhmlegion.com. The Legion FC app is also available for download via Apple or Android. For gameday reminders, sync the Legion FC 2022 schedule to your calendar HERE.
