Wil
Trapp

While a midfield fixture with the Columbus Crew for years, as of 2017 his involvement with the U.S. Men's National Team was limited to two caps across two different January Camps. That changed during the MNT's transitional campaign the following year when the program's focus shifted towards bringing along the next generation of National Team talent. The philosophy was reflected with 20 players, mostly under age 23, making their debuts and looking for leadership along the way.

A club captain with Columbus and the previous cycle's U-23 MNT side, Trapp filled the role admirably, wearing the armband in eight of his team-leading nine appearances during the year while guiding a relatively inexperienced group through a rigorous schedule including a memorable 1-1 draw with soon-to-be World Cup champions France in June and a spirit-building 1-0 victory against Mexico in September. Commended for his leadership, Trapp's play was also recognized, as he finished 2018 as a finalist for U.S. Soccer's Male Athlete of the Year award.

Though well-regarded throughout his youth and collegiate career, a milestone moment for Trapp came during his second season with Columbus in 2014. Having become a full-time starter that year, he put an exclamation point on the campaign with a dominant display in a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls towards the end of the season. After the game, legendary French striker and then-Red Bulls attacker Thierry Henry was asked what the difference was in the match. His answer was simple: "Wil Trapp is the key of that team...he has, hopefully for him, a good future. He's American - you guys should be happy. Today I thought he was the difference."

Trapp is the son of John and Liz Trapp and is married to his wife Beth. His grandfather emigrated from Greece where he played semi-professional soccer, and the Crew midfielder now holds a Greek passport. Outside of MLS, Trapp supports Dortmund as his favorite club and is a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals outside of soccer. In his spare time, Trapp likes playing euchre, reading fiction books and watching movies, specifically sci-fi and fantasy flicks. His favorite soccer memory is when he served as the captain of the U.S. Under-20 team in 2013. Trapp's favorite vacation spot is Lake Charlevoix, Michigan and he'd love to travel to New Zealand someday. His role model is his father, John. Growing up, Trapp looked up to former Spanish international Xabi Alonso.