Blake Willey became the second youngest player to start for Sacramento Republic FC in a season opener on opening night and now lifts the championship trophy in the Union of European Football Associations Friendship Cup. Photo courtesy of Sacramento Republic FC

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - On opening night, homegrown player Blake Willey became the second youngest player to start for Republic FC in a season opener.

Now, he’s added another milestone to his breakout year. On the week of June 11, the 18-year-old lifted the championship trophy in the Union of European Football Associations Friendship Cup.

Willey appeared in every match, including two starts, and added an assist to help the U.S. U18 Men’s National Team go 4-0 against some of the top national squads in the world.

This was Blake’s most senior national team call up to date. He has been on U.S. Soccer’s radar since he was young, earning multiple Talent I.D. invitations, two stints with the U16s, and a training camp appearance with the U17s.

He first joined Republic FC as a part of its youth academy in 2017 and played at every age level before becoming the seventh homegrown player to sign a pro contract with the club ahead of the 2024 season. In 2022, he was named the U15 Team MVP after leading his team to become the only non-Major League Soccer club to reach the MLS NEXT Cup semifinals.

Now in his second pro season, Willey has emerged as one of the United Soccer League’s brightest young stars. Prior to his national team selection, Willey appeared in every game across all competitions. In league play, Willey is among the team leaders across several stats categories, including seven chances created, nine tackles won and an 84% passing accuracy.