Mataeo Chandler Razario Bunbury (born June 13, 2005) is a professional soccer player who currently plays for MLS Next Pro side Portland Timbers 2. Born in the United States, he represents Canada at youth international level.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mataeo Chandler Razario Bunbury[1] | ||
| Date of birth | June 13, 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Northfield, Minnesota, United States | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Portland Timbers 2 | ||
| Number | 47 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2016 | Lakeville SC | ||
| 2016–2019 | Sporting CP | ||
| 2019 | Minneapolis United SC | ||
| 2019–2020 | Minnesota United FC | ||
| 2020–2021 | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Sporting Kansas City II | 17 | (4) |
| 2022–2023 | Birmingham Legion | 13 | (1) |
| 2023 | → Columbus Crew 2 (loan) | 18 | (4) |
| 2024– | Portland Timbers 2 | 20 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2024 | Canada U20 | 4 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 18, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 26, 2024 | |||
Early life
editBunbury began playing soccer at age three with Lakeville SC.[2] In 2016, he joined the Sporting CP Youth Academy in Portugal.[3] Later, he played for Minneapolis United SC,[4] before joining the Minnesota United academy, leaving the club in 2020 when the academy ceased operating.[5] Afterwards, he joined the Sporting Kansas City academy, playing for the club's Under-17 and Under-19 age groups.[6] He became the third member of his family to join the organization, after his father Alex and older brother Teal previously played for the MLS side.[7]
Club career
editOn September 22, 2021, Bunbury signed a USL academy contract with USL Championship side Sporting Kansas City II, allowing him to retain his NCAA eligibility.[6] He made his professional debut on September 24, 2021, appearing as an 85th-minute substitute during a 1–1 draw with FC Tulsa.[8] After SKC II's move to MLS Next Pro for 2022, he signed another non-professional academy contract,[7] Bunbury scored his first professional goal on April 3, 2022, against Minnesota United 2.[9][10] In July 2022, Bunbury had departed Sporting Kansas City, after requesting a first-team contract, but being deemed unready by senior team coach Peter Vermes.[11][12]
Bunbury signed with USL Championship club Birmingham Legion FC on July 8, 2022.[13] He made his debut the next day in a substitute appearance against the Charleston Battery.[14] He scored his first goal on July 27, scoring a penalty kick against Loudoun United.[15] Bunbury would make a return to MLS Next Pro on April 7, 2023, joining Columbus Crew 2 on loan.[16]
Bunbry joined MLS Next Pro side Portland Timbers 2 on March 14, 2024.[17] In November 2024, Bunbury signed a new one-year contract with Portland.[18]
International career
editBunbury is eligible for both the United States and Canada.
In March 2019, he attended a camp with the United States U14 team.[4]
In April 2022, Bunbury accepted a call-up to the Canadian Under-20 side for two friendly matches against Costa Rica.[19] In July 2024, he was named to the 21-man squad for the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[20]
Personal
editMataeo is the son of former professional soccer player Alex Bunbury and the younger brother of fellow professional soccer player Teal Bunbury and actress Kylie Bunbury.[21]
References
edit- ^ "2022 CONCACAF U20 Championship Preliminary Squads" (PDF). CONCACAF.
- ^ Mataeo Bunbury at the Canadian Soccer Association
- ^ "Mataeo Bunbury age 10 has been accepted into the Sporting Lisbon 2005 Academy team". 442 Sports Management. Facebook. May 25, 2016.
- ^ a b "MU's Mataeo Bunbury named to the U14 US National Team camp roster". Minneapolis United. March 13, 2019.
- ^ McDowell, Bridget (July 9, 2020). "The True Peril of Cutting Costs at Minnesota United FC". Switch the Pitch.
- ^ a b Bergabo, Patrik (September 22, 2021). "Sporting Kansas City II signs 16-year-old Academy forward Mataeo Bunbury to Academy contract". Sporting Kansas City.
- ^ a b Kovzan, Sam (March 25, 2022). "Sporting KC II signs seven Academy products to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contracts ahead of 2022 season". Sporting Kansas City.
- ^ Bergabo, Patrik (September 24, 2021). "Recap: Kayden Pierre scores first professional goal as Sporting II draws 1-1 with FC Tulsa". Sporting Kansas City.
- ^ Belzer, Jared (April 3, 2022). "Recap: Sporting Kansas City II claims 2-0 victory over MNUFC 2 at Allianz Field". Sporting Kansas City.
- ^ "MNUFC2 loses its home opener to Sporting Kansas City II 2-0 at snowy Allianz Field". Star Tribune. April 3, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Chad (July 4, 2022). "Mataeo Bunbury Parts Ways with Sporting Kansas City". The Blue Testament.
- ^ Jacques, John (July 4, 2022). "Could The CPL Be A Good Fit For Mataeo Bunbury?". Northern Tribune.
- ^ Humphries, Clayton. "Legion FC Signs Forward Mataeo Bunbury". Birmingham Legion FC. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ Fuller, John (July 11, 2022). "Player Ratings: Charleston Battery 0-3 Birmingham Legion". The Football Forge.
- ^ "Match Recap: Three for Lapa, Six for Legion in Resounding Win". Birmingham Legion.
- ^ Humphries, Clayton. "Mataeo Bunbury Joins Columbus Crew 2 on Season-Long Loan". Birmingham Legion.
- ^ "Timbers2 sign five players ahead of 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season". Timbers.com. Portland Timbers. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Timbers2 announce roster status updates ahead of 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season". Timbers.com. Portland Timbers. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Belzer, Jared (April 5, 2022). "Sporting KC II forward Mataeo Bunbury to join Canada U-20s for first Youth National Team Camp in over two years". Sporting Kansas City.
- ^ "CANM20 squad announced for 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship". Canadian Soccer Association. July 11, 2024.
- ^ Fanfair, Ron (November 7, 2018). "Bunbury gets wish to contribute to soccer in Canada". RonFanfair.
External links
edit- Mataeo Bunbury at Soccerway