(AP)

The Philadelphia Union issued the following statement Sunday from team manager John Hackworth, regarding the passing of Columbus Crew rookie Kirk Urso.  Hackworth coached Urso at U-17 Residency and in the 2007 U-17 World Cup.

Urso, 22, died Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch reports that police were called to a bar in the city around 12:50 a.m., and Urso was pronounced dead an hour later. Urso played collegiate soccer at North Carolina from 2008 to 2011, where he was a teammate of the Union's Michael Farfan, who played with the Tar Heels in 2008-09.

Here's Hackworth's statement regarding Urso:

“Kirk was one of the best kids that I have ever had the pleasure of working with (and I am not only talking about his soccer skills). He was just a great person. I truly respected the way Kirk went about his life. I was so proud of what he accomplished after he left Residency. He will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”