Houston Dynamo midfielder Brooklyn Raines eyes U-20 World Cup after forging a path through adversity

As the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup approaches, rising stars begin to step into the spotlight. One of the most heavily scouted tournaments in the world, it offers a glimpse into the journeys of young talents — where they came from, how they were developed, and the challenges they overcame to reach this stage.

Brooklyn Raines’ journey has been remarkable from the very start. Born in war-torn Liberia, he was adopted as a toddler by his mother, Susie, and raised in Chicago. And Raines encountered serious challenges from the very beginning.

“He was extremely malnourished when I adopted him,” Susie said. “He was 15 months old, and he weighed 12 pounds — like the average size of a two-month-old basically.”

Once healthy, soccer was immediately a passion. His older brother Arthur was a driving force behind this. Susie adopted Brooklyn and Arthur at the same time. She would then adopt her daughter a year after Brooklyn, followed by adopting two more children to complete the family. 

“My family has always made me feel loved and supported and my family means everything to me,” Brooklyn said. “They’ve always been my biggest support system. From coming to all my games when I was younger to traveling and moving to a new state with me, they’ve made a lot of sacrifices to help get to where I am today. I’m extremely grateful for everything they’ve done, and my goal is to make them proud and give back to them.”

Susie grew up playing soccer and would often play with Arthur because it was all he wanted to do. Almost from the time he could walk, Brooklyn wanted to play soccer and according to Susie, “he just never really lost the obsession.” 

“It was always fun, exciting,” Susie said. “You could always see he always was so super-focused. He is, I would call a perfectionist. He’s super competitive. But to watch him grow from this little kid that was just always super competitive, always playing up — into becoming a professional and to achieve all that — it’s just been incredible for us to see — it is obviously amazing.”

Raines joined FC Inter Chicago when he was 5. At age 13, he moved to the Barca Residency Academy in Arizona. Not wanting to send her child away at that age, Susie moved with him so that he could pursue his dream. 

But during the end of his time at the Barca Residency, in the fall of 2019, Susie was diagnosed with cancer. Halfway through her chemotherapy treatments, the Covid pandemic hit and halted all sports across the globe. This was especially difficult for young athletes who were looking to turn professional but now had no way to showcase themselves. 

For the family, it was an extremely difficult period on several levels and for long periods, neither could be physically present to offer support.

“I was halfway through chemo when Covid started and everything shut down,” Susie recalled. “Obviously Brooklyn was home at that point, and we were getting super close because until I was vaccinated a full year later, we really couldn’t interact with the outside.

“There were obviously guys doing group trainings and he couldn’t. My older son was home with us too. They would go to the fields and train. I would go out and watch. I didn’t have the energy to participate.”

“There were six months where it was just him home and just us,” she added. “And then there was the year he really couldn’t interact much with us. He was without a team for, it must have been six months. He went back to Barca in August. And he lived on campus at that point because he couldn’t come home. We would go and we’d see him – but from a far distance.”

For Brooklyn, it was one of his most difficult times but also one that made both him and his family stronger. He credits his religious faith as being crucial for him during the tough times, such as this. 

“When she was battling her illness, it was definitely a tough time for everyone, but we made sure to be there every step of the way,” Brooklyn said. “We all came together to be there for her. Our family and friends took turns checking in and visiting, staying for a few days, and just helping out however they could. I think that support system really helped us get through it. We’re all just extremely relieved and grateful that she’s doing well now.”

Susie is now cancer free and Brooklyn was able to turn professional shortly after the pandemic. At first, he signed an amateur USL deal to play for El Paso for a brief run at the end of the 2021 season, where he roomed with Diego Luna. It was here where he learned to live alone and adjust to the demands of the professional game. 

As Susie described it, “a stopgap because he needed a step up but wasn’t really sure what the next step was going to be… there was definitely a learning curve in terms of living alone. You’re a kid, but you have to look like a professional. I think on the soccer side, just the constant intensity was probably where the learning curve was — you can’t take an off day.”

In 2022, he signed a Homegrown contract with the Houston Dynamo. He made his first team debut in both the Open Cup and in MLS — becoming the youngest debutant in club history shortly after his 17^th birthday. 

Now, three years later, Raines is coming into his own. The Dynamo retooled its midfield in the offseason with Jack McGlynn and Coach Ben Olsen has been effectively deploying both players on the field together. Last weekend in a 2-0 win over Austin FC, Raines played the entire game and performed well.

But Raines also has another big priority this year and that is on the international level with the U.S. U-20 team. Since last year, Raines has played a big role with the team. He was part of the U-20 World Cup qualifying squad in July and August where he scored an 86th-minute winner in the semifinal 2-1 victory over Panama. 

“The goal that he scored against Panama was pretty overwhelming,” Susie recalled. “I can’t even put into words what it felt like to see that because of all the struggles and challenges he’s been through, like the family as a whole. And then a thing like that is just incredible.” 

When Marko Mitrovic took control of the team as head coach in the fall, Raines continued to be a key contributor against impressive opposition, which included wins over Chile, South Korea, France, Mexico and a draw with Japan. That success has only helped to build anticipation for the U-20 World Cup, which gets underway in late September in Chile. 

“Since fall, you can really see how we’ve been connecting as a team,” Brooklyn said. “The team has a strong chemistry on and off the field, and that shows in our performances. I’ve known coach Marko since the U-17’s, and he’s a really great coach. 

“All the guys really like him, and you can definitely see the positive impact he’s had … The results have been good, but we know there’s still more to accomplish, and we’re excited for what’s ahead, especially with the U-20 World Cup this year.”

As the U-20 World Cup brings young talent into focus, Brooklyn Raines stands out with a powerful story of resilience and the opportunities he found in the United States.

“For me to be at the U-20 World Cup would be a blessing,” Brooklyn said. “Any World Cup event is special whether it’s youth or with the first team, you get to play on the biggest stage internationally. I see it as a great opportunity to showcase my abilities, compete against the best, represent my country and also make memories with my teammates.”

Success in Chile will only add to what has been an incredible journey that has been 20 years in the making and has so much more to come. 

“I’m very optimistic about our chances,” Brooklyn said. “We have a strong player pool with a lot of talent and depth, and the chemistry within the squad is great. We all believe in each other, and I have full confidence that we can go all out and bring it home.”

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