US Under-23 goalkeeper Cody Cropper hints at Minnesota, Atlanta interest

US U-23 national team goalkeeper Cody Cropper applauds US fans

US Under-23 national team goalkeeper Cody Cropper has been playing in England for years, but the Milton Keynes Dons backstop doesn’t see himself spending his whole career on the other side of the Atlantic.


Cropper, who was born in Atlanta but moved to Minnesota at age 12, recently caught up with Minnesota soccer blog Northern Pitch ahead of the US U-23s upcoming Olympic qualifying playoff series against Colombia, which begins on Friday (5 pm ET, FS1, UDN). He told the outlet that he’d like to one day play in MLS, though he’d only be interested in coming back to the States to play for one of two teams.


“There are really only two teams I have a desire to play for – Minnesota United and Atlanta United,” he said. “I have personal ties to both cities, and I would love to end up there. I know [Minnesota United president] Nick [Rogers]. We’ve had a few conversations about them buying my rights in MLS or bringing me in down the road. At this point, though, time will tell what ends up happening.”


Head to Northern Pitch for the full interview with Cropper, as well as a Q&A with another Minnesotan member of the US U-23s, Colorado Rapids defender Eric Miller