Kai Koreniuk at AZ Alkmaar

Based on these reports, we have three young Yanks at Vitesse Arnhem. (Hat tip to @Clint Eastwood.)

Throughout the course of the past year, 15- year-old Kai Koreniuk has gone from playing Development Academy matches for Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) to joining the Vitesse Arnherm Academy, which is tied to one of the biggest professional clubs in the Dutch Eredivisie division.
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http://www.orlandocityyouth.org/home/743418.html

This newspaper interviewed him from the Netherlands:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130811/SPORTS/130819883

And:

Vitesse, which is French for “speed,” fits Koreniuk, who, at 6 feet, 165 pounds, uses his size and speed to power past defenders as a promising goal-scorer.
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http://www.ormondbeachobserver.com/soccer-stud-ormond-beach-resident-to-join-dutch-youth-club/

May highlights:

 

TDS adds some detail -- he is a '98, and seems to be doing well:

“I was the leading goal scorer at the whole academy at one point,” Koreniuk told TopDrawerSoccer.com about his stellar level this season. “Now, I am the second leading goal scorer at the Academy. I have scored 11 goals in competition so far this season.”

Eleven goals puts him in the lead for top scoring honors with his team, the U17 side.​

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club...prospects:-florida-teen-strikes-rich_aid32282

 

Here's an update from the hometown paper:

After thriving with the under-16s at Vitesse, Koreniuk was moved up to the under-17 team, where he has scored 13 goals in competition this season. His standout play earned him an invitation to tryout for Holland’s under-16 squad.

It is a tremendous opportunity for the American-born player in a soccer-rich country with a reputation for developing talent. Koreniuk learned this week he made the first cut to play for the Dutch squad in an upcoming tournament in Portugal, one of 30 players to make it to the next round.

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Surprisingly, Koreniuk has not yet heard from the U.S. Soccer Federation. Though he has played on regional teams, he has yet to be identified as an under-16 or under-17 possibility for the Americans.

“I have put on a Holland shirt in seven months and in 15 years never an American shirt,” he said. “It was kind of weird.”

Koreniuk’s Orlando City affiliation makes him a homegrown possibility, but the 6-foot, 170-pound striker said he hopes to sign a professional contract with Vitesse soon after his 16th birthday on March 1, if the club offers one.

And while Koreniuk said he is delighted by his opportunity with Holland, he acknowledged he would be very open to an invitation from the U.S.​

“I think for sure [I would accept,]” he said. “I was born and raised in the country."
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...eniuk-vitesse-holland-20140210,0,4607993.post

The author, Paul Tenorio, is a former Post colleague who is himself a big soccer fan from what I understand, though I don't know him personally.

 

Snip:

Koreniuk hopes he showed enough to the U.S. under-17 team and head coach Richie Williams to earn a roster spot for the upcoming Nordic Open Cup Tournament in Kolding, Denmark. The tournament runs from July 24-Aug. 3.

Williams has yet to finalize the roster, a spokesman for the U.S. Soccer Federation said.

Koreniuk is also slated to return to Vitesse and play again for the under-17 team. He hopes the overseas experience could give him a leg up on the competition.

Whatever it takes, Koreniuk just hopes to fit into the national team's plans someday.

“I think I would try pretty hard for 2018,” he said. “I'll be 20, so the likelihood isn't that high.

“But, there's always a chance.”​

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20140716/SPORTS/140719594

 

Three-year contract w/Vitesse? https://twitter.com/sevy_IPM/status/497718863786946560

 

Confirmation (via Instagram) from the man himself:

http://instagram.com/p/rcMM8TKBew/

 

Snip:

While Koreniuk's contract will allow him to play at the top level as a pro, he said he plans to start next season as an amateur on the under-17 squad.​

http://www.news-journalonline.com/a...gns-with-Dutch-pro-soccer-club-as-16-year-old

 

The loved, feared and always talked-about "making the bench in preseason" thing for Kai:

Selecties Vitesse en Asteras Tripolis. Wedstrijd start om 19.00 uur in Elst. pic.twitter.com/VHgDVMjZ0V

— SV Vitesse (@SVVitesse) July 22, 2015

Edit: Also, Marvelous Nakamba!

 

Some color and detail from his hometown paper:

Kai Koreniuk could hardly believe his ears.

He could have sworn he had heard the time had come to make his professional soccer debut for Vitesse Arnhem. He asked first-team assistant coach John Lammers again to be sure.

“He nodded, 'Yes, be at the club at 4:15 (p.m.) for the team meal,' ” Koreniuk said in a direct message on Twitter. “That's when it hit me.”

...

He expects to play the 2015-16 season with the Under-19 club. Depending on his performance, he may be able to crack the reserve lineup.
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http://www.news-journalonline.com/a...fessional-debut-for-Dutch-soccer-club-Vitesse