Shae Cruijff-Beane called up to United States U18s

Seventeen-year-old Shae Cruijff-Beane has accepted a call-up to the United States U18s and will join the squad for a training camp in Portugal, the latest chapter for a family whose name is synonymous with world football.

Shae, who currently plays in the junior ranks of Gimnàstic de Tarragona in Spain, was included in the list by USA U18s manager Ben Cross for the Portugal camp where the youngsters are scheduled to play friendly matches against Portugal and Norway. Mauricio Pochettino and the senior national-team staff have not issued an official comment.

Family ties and multiple eligibilities

The midfielder is the son of Chantel Cruijff and American sports consultant Todd (listed in some reports as Todd Beane), founder of the TOVO academy in Barcelona, and therefore qualifies to represent the United States through his father. Having grown up in Catalonia, Shae is also eligible to play for the Netherlands and Spain.

The Cruijff family already has links to American soccer: Shae’s older half-brother, 33-year-old Yeshua Angoy-Cruijff, previously played in the United States. Yeshua, the son of Chantel’s first marriage to former Barcelona goalkeeper Jesús Angoy, featured for Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL during his senior career.

There are echoes of the family’s wider history in Shae’s path. Johan Cruyff — widely regarded as one of the game’s greatest — played in the United States for Los Angeles Aztecs and Washington Diplomats during a career that also included Ajax, Barcelona, Levante and Feyenoord. Johan won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974; his son Jordi Cruyff also represented the Dutch national team.

If Shae progresses through the U.S. youth system and continues to develop, he could one day contend for a place in the senior squad under Pochettino. For now, the focus is on the Portugal camp and the immediate opportunity to experience international youth fixtures with the USA U18s.

Photo: press material from the event