The Columbus Crew have signed Sebastian Berhalter, the son of U.S. boss Gregg Berhalter, to a Homegrown Player deal on Friday, the club announced.
- When does the 2020 MLS season begin? All you need to know
- Stream MLS games LIVE on ESPN+
"We are excited to welcome Sebastian to the Crew SC First Team," said general manager Tim Bezbatchenko in team a statement. "As a longtime member of the Crew SC Academy, Sebastian is someone who understands the values and ideology of our club.
"We are happy to see him join the professional ranks after a successful year at the college level and look forward to his continued development with the Crew."
Columbus is 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.#Crew96 signs @sebaberhalter!
— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) January 17, 2020
Berhalter, a central midfielder, has been a member of the Crew academy since 2014, making 103 appearances and scoring 11 goals for the club. In 2017-18, he was key in helping them finish third at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy U19 Tournament.
A United States Under-16 youth international, Berhalter spent 2019 at the University of North Carolina where he made 16 appearances as a freshman.