PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Tuesday it had acquired United States Under-20 Men’s National Team defender Marcus Ferkranus on loan from Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy. Under the agreement, the Galaxy retain the right to recall Ferkranus at any point of the season, and the transaction is pending league and federation approval.

“We are very excited to add a player like Marcus,” said Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz. “His performance with the Under-20 U.S. National Team was very strong. He’s extremely athletic and very aggressive. It will be a good competition for our center backs. It will improve our team overall. I can’t wait to get them here in to see how he does with our group.”

The 19-year-old center back was recently part of the U.S. U-20 side that won the Concacaf 2022 U-20 Championship and qualified for both the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the Men’s Soccer tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Ferkranus played 384 minutes in the tournament in which the U.S. allowed only two goals.

Ferkranus has made four appearances in the Championship this season for the LA Galaxy II and 35 appearances in the league overall, logging 1,904 minutes of action, since making his debut for the club in the 2020 season. Signed to a Homegrown Player contract prior to the 2021 Major League Soccer season, Ferkranus has yet to make his First Team debut.