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Mykhi Joyner has been training for this moment his entire life: to play in a Major League Soccer game.
The 18-year-old soccer star risked a lot leaving his home town of Bloomington, Illinois to play MLS soccer.
“Even though I risked a lot leaving my home, moving to St. Louis to play in the MLSNext league knowing that this would get me closer to achieving my dream, I had to do it,” Joyner said.
At the age of 5 years old, Joyner touched his first soccer ball and immediately fell in love with the sport. Joyner practiced all day every day, all while fighting weather, injuries and moving away from his hometown and family. He knew that all he wanted to do in life was play soccer all day, every day, and eventually make it to the big leagues.
“I played for Midwest Reign for a couple years, and from that little age I knew I wanted to become a professional soccer player and play with the best players in the world,” Joyner said.
Joyner left Reign Soccer Club and joined Central Illinois United (CIU) where he continued his training. Joyner was pushed to his limits to get better and better each day. In his first year of playing for CIU, the team went all the way and won the Illinois State Cup, where he scored three goals and got a hat trick in the championship game.
A couple years after the State Cup victory, Joyner got a call to come play for Scott Gallagher at MLSNext in St. Louis.
Joyner had a big decision to make, stay in his home town of Bloomington, Illinois and keep playing for CIU, or leave his family and friends and move to St. Louis to keep chasing his dream. Joyner eventually decided on leaving his hometown and moved to St. Louis.
Living with a host family, Joyner was planning to attend Liberty, where he thought he was going to play for the high school soccer team. That thought soon vanished after he got a call from St. Louis City to come play for them, which prohibited him from playing high school soccer. Though he couldn’t play high school soccer, Joyner still helped out the Liberty team by managing the team.
Boys soccer head coach, Tony Luedecke, was disappointed that he wasn’t able to coach Joyner throughout high school, but was still excited for him and how he has grown as a soccer player.
“Mykhi has an unbelievable ability, and starting at Scott Gallagher, and then got picked up by CITY and made it up to the second team where he had an incredible season,” Luedecke said. “He was second in the golden boot award and led the team in goals, then got called up to the US Men’s National Team where he played in Spain. It was fun seeing him get these opportunities and work towards his dream.”
Joyner ended up getting called up to the first team for St. Louis City where he made his debut on July. 17, 2024. His MLS season ended in October but it wasn’t the end for his soccer career this year.
Joyner was one of two players from St. Louis City to get called up to the US Men’s National Team, where he played in Spain and scored two goals.
Though he achieved his dream of playing in the MLS, Joyner isn’t done yet. He soon hopes to go on and play for a team in Europe where he can compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the world.
This story was originally published on LHStoday on November 19, 2024.
