Brian Saramago played for the Red Bulls Academy team. (Photo courtesy of the  Red Bulls)

Former U.S. international youth forward Brian Saramago has signed a contract with NK Rudar Velenje in Slovenia for the 2021-22 season.

He has scored three goals in as many games for the club while preparing for the regular sesason.

Saramago, 22, played for the U.S. Under-17 and U-19 national teams and played for the Red Bulls Academy, competing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in 2015. He scored 31 goals in 31 matches for the RBA. The New Hyde Park High School graduate earned USDA Best XI Eastern Conference honors that year.

He also made five appearances for Red Bulls II.

Saramago attended Loyola University Maryland for four years, earning United Soccer Coaches All-American third team honors in 2018. He recorded 34 goals and 23 assists in 68 matches.

He became the first player in Patriot League history to be named first-team All-Patriot League four times.

The 5-10, 171-lb. Saramago will join the team along with Zef Kabashi, who coached several teams in the New York area, including the New York Irish Rovers of the Long Island Soccer Football League.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.