2021 Breakout Youngster

Discussion in 'USA Men' started by Patrick167, Dec 11, 2020.

  1. Shaster

    Shaster Member+

    Apr 13, 1999
    El Cerrito, CA, USA
    My 2 cents here:

    1. US outside backs are under-rated for too long. Even in old time, we had JOB who play left OB in Ajax and rumored go to Barca/Real Madrid. We have Beasley, Cherundolo, Ed Lewis, Yedlin, etc. Now with the catch up of technical skill and tactical awareness, go alone with speed, physical, work rate, etc., we will produce bunch of good outside backs. MLS’s Davies made world best 11, our Dest was a fight between Bayern/Barca. So I can see about 4-5 US outside backs emerging in the future. A. Robinson almost went to AC Milan.

    2. Our box-to-box or d-mid are under-rated. One word—McKennie. He is the key reason that Juve’s current resurgent. His non-inclusion was the reason US didn’t qualify for last WC. I can see about 5-6 good players here.

    3. We didn’t create enough good attackers. Just one Gio will not cut it. Outside winger are catching up even though still thin.

    4. We sucked big time at producing great center backs and great goal scorers. Period.
     
  2. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Here's a player that has the capability to rise up and really break out. He's so young that he's eligible for the U20WC in 2021.
    1341062137347776523 is not a valid tweet id
     
    IndividualEleven repped this.
  3. iad_22201

    iad_22201 Member+

    Jan 2, 2009
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Tough outing for the kid. Having watched both of his appearances I can see why folks are intrigued, but think he REALLY could use a season (or at least half a season) of regular playing time at a lower level (though I realize with injuries/fixture congestion that may not be possible in 2021). Wolves really need to get healthy or they might be headed for a rough stretch of games.
     
    IndividualEleven repped this.
  4. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He has been training with the first team and playing U23 games if he didn't make the bench.
     
  5. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    He's definitely raw, but has a lot of tools. He was playing in a lot more advanced position than he normally does. I was surprised. Hell, he's played as a centerback with their U23s.

    But anyway, the kid is really young. This summer I expect him to be with the USYNTs and not the USMNT. He's eligible for the U20WC and the Olympics (should we qualify for those events)
     
  6. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He may be eligible, but do you really think his club will let him go if they don't have to?
     
  7. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Seeing in twitter that many are remembering that a few years ago pundit Andrew Wiebe mixed up Reynolds for Richards in his 22u22 picks and it was a big laugh. How things are moving for our youth!

     
  8. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Here's the original tweet.

     
  9. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    The bigger mistakes, of course, were Horta and Medina being on there, the former at all. (And I never got the Extra Time obsession with Savarino.)
     
  10. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For reference...

    -1999
    -less than 10 caps - rules out Sargent, Weah, Adams
    +Already broken out: Dest, Reyna, Aaronson
    *Age listed is age at World Cup
    *underlined players have been capped.
    *italics players are dual-nationals that need to be recruited.

    GOALKEEPERS
    • Carlos dos Santos, 2000* (21) Benfica
    • Chituri Odunze, 2002*(19) Leicester City
    • David Ochoa, 2001*(20) Real Salt Lake
    • Brady Scott, 1999*(22) Austin FC
    • Damian Las, 2002*(20) Fulham
    • Victor Vidal, 1999*(22) Lleida Esportiu {Spain dual}
    • Roccos Rios Novos, 2002*(20) Lanus {Argentina dual}
    • Chris Brady, 2004* (18) Chicago Fire
    • Gabriel Slonina, 2004* (18) Chicago Fire
    • Ethan Wady, 2002* (20) Chelsea > Dartford
    • Trey Muse, 1999*(22) Seattle Sounders
    • Nicholas Ammeter, 2000* (23) FC Aarau {Switzerland}
    • Nicolas defreitas-Hansen, 2001* (22) Everton {Denmark}
    • Brooks Thompson, 2002* (19) Sporting Kansas City
    • Eric Lopez, 1999* (22) LA Galaxy
    • Phillip Ejimadu, 1999*(22) Los Angeles FC
    • John Pulskamp, 2001*(21) Sporting Kansas City
    • Hunter Sulte, 2002*(20) Portland Timbers
    • Abraham Rodriguez, 2002*(19) Colorado Rapids
    • Luca Lewis, 2001*(21) New York Red Bulls
    • Beckham Sunderland, 2003*(18) FC Cincinnati
    RIGHT BACKS
    • Julian Araujo 2001*(20) LA Galaxy
    • Bryan Reynolds, 2001*(20) FC Dallas
    • Joseph Scally, 2002*(19) Borussia Moenchengladbach > New York City FC
    • Jaylin Lindsey, 2000*(22) Sporting Kansas City
    • Sebastian Anderson, 2002*(19) Colorado Rapids
    • Manny Perez, 1999*(23) Celtic FC > North Carolina FC
    • Nathan Harriel, 2001*(21) Philadelphia Union
    • Jose Kevin Bonilla, 2001*(20) FC Dallas
    • Mauricio Cuevas, 2003*(19) LA Galaxy
    • Tajon Buchanan, 2000*(23) New England Revolution
    • Zico Bailey, 2000*(22) FC Cincinnati
    • Erik Duenas, 2004*(17) Los Angeles FC
    • Michael Halliday, 2003*(19) Orlando City SC
    • Cameron Duke, 2001*(21) Sporting Kansas City
    CENTER BACKS
    • Chris Richards, 2000*(22) Bayern Munich
    • Mark McKenzie, 1999*(23) Philadelphia Union
    • Kik Pierie, 2000*(21) Ajax Amsterdam > FC Twente [Prefers Netherlands]
    • Aboubacar Keita, 2000*(22) Columbus Crew
    • Michael Edwards, 2000*(21) Wolfsburg
    • George Campbell, 2001*(20) Atlanta United
    • Lennard Maloney, 1999*(22) Union Berlin
    • Kwabena Boateng, 2001*(20) unattached
    • Sam Rogers, 1999*(23) Seattle Sounders
    • Jacob Akanyirige, 2001*(20) San Jose Earthquakes
    • Axel Alejandre, 2002*(19) Chicago Fire
    • Efrain Morales, 2004*(18) Atlanta United
    • Tony Leone, 2004*(18) Los Angeles FC
    • Justin Che, 2003*(18) FC Dallas
    • Tayvon Gray, 2002*(19) New York City FC
    • Brandan Craig, 2004*(18) Philadelphia Union
    • Nicholas Slonina, 2001*(21) Chicago Fire
    • Erik McCue, 2001(21) Houston Dynamo
    • Casey Walls, 2003*(18) San Jose Earthquakes
    LEFT BACKS
    • Sam Vines, 1999*(23) Colorado Rapids
    • George Bello, 2002*(20), Atlanta United
    • Chris Gloster, 2000*(21) PSV Eindhoven
    • Kobe Hernandez-Foster, 2002*(19) Wolfsburg
    • Travian Sousa, 2001*(20) Hamburg
    • Matthew Real, 1999*(22),Philadelphia Union
    • Jonathan Gomez, 2003*(18) FC Dallas
    • Leonardo Sepulveda, 2001*(20) Salamanca
    • Stuart Ritchie, 2001*(20), Hannover 96
    • John Tolkin, 2002*(19) New York Red Bulls
    • Leon Flach, 2001*(20) St Pauli
    • Andre Reynolds, 2001*(21) Chicago Fire
    • Jacob Greene, 2003*(19) DC United
    MIDFIELDERS
    • Johnny Cardoso, 2001*(20) Internacional
    • Owen Otasowie, 2001*(21) Wolverhampton Wanderers
    • James Sands, 2000*(21) New York City FC
    • Chris Durkin, 2000*(22) DC United > Saint Truiden
    • Bryang Kayo, 2002*(19) Wolfsburg
    • Frankie Amaya, 2000*(21) FC Cincinnati
    • Andres Perea, 2000*(21) Orlando City {Colombia dual}
    • Taylor Booth, 2001*(21) Bayern Munich
    • Tanner Tessman, 2001*(20) FC Dallas
    • Christian Cappis, 1999*(22) Hobro IK
    • Brandon Servania, 1999*(23) FC Dallas {Puerto Rico}
    • Aiden Morris, 2001*(20) Columbus Crew
    • Edwin Cerrillo, 2000*(21) FC Dallas
    • Sebastian Berhalter, 2001*(21) Columbus Crew
    • Danny Leyva, 2003*(19) Seattle Sounders
    • Justin Haak, 2001*(20) New York City FC
    • Josh Atencio, 2002*(20) Seattle Sounders
    • Jack Maher, 1999*(22) Nashville SC
    • Ian Hoffman, 2001*(20) Houston Dynamo
    • Bryce Duke, 2001*(21) Los Angeles FC
    • Jordan Bender, 2001*(20) Orlando City SC
    • Juan Torres, 1999*(22) New York City FC
    • Moses Nyeman, 2003*(18) DC United
    • Adam Saldana, 2002*(20) LA Galaxy
    • Isaac Angking, 2000*(22) New England Revolution
    • Gilbert Fuentes, 2002*(20) San Jose Earthquakes
    • Matt Hundley, 2000*(22) Colorado Rapids
    • Cole Turner, 2001*(20) Philadelphia Union
    • Jack McGlynn, 2003*(18) Philadelphia Union
    • Allan Rodriguez, 2004*(18) Chicago Fire
    • Juan Castilla, 2004*(18) Houston Dynamo
    • Javier Casas, 2003*(19)Chicago Fire
    • Will Vint, 2001*(20) Colorado Rapids
    PLAYMAKERS
    • Yunus Musah, 2002*(19) Valencia {England dual}
    • Richard Ledezma, 2000*(21) PSV Eindhoven {INJURED - July 2021 time frame}
    • Jesus Ferreira, 2000*(21), FC Dallas
    • Paxton Pomykal, 1999*(22), FC Dallas {INJURED}
    • Cole Bassett, 2001*(20) Colorado Rapids
    • Alex Mendez, 2000*(21) Ajax Amsterdam
    • Gianluca Busio, 2002*(20), Sporting Kansas City
    • Malik Tillman, 2002*(20) Bayern Munich {Germany dual}
    • Anthony Fontana, 1999*(22) Philadelphia Union
    • Matko Miljevic, 2001*(21) unattached
    • Omir Fernandez, 1999*(23) New York Red Bull
    • Ben Mines, 2000*(22) FC Cincinnati
    • Andrew Carleton, 2000*(21) Atlanta United
    • Marcelo Palomino, 2001*(21) Houston Dynamo
    • Damien Rivera, 2002*(19) New England Revolution
    • Paxten Aaronson, 2003*(18) Philadelphia Union
    • Quinn Sullivan, 2004*(18) Philadelphia Union
    • Brian Gutierrez, 2003*(18) Chicago Fire
    • Luis Arriaga, 2001*(21) Real Salt Lake
    • Daniel Rios, 2003*(19) Houston Dynamo
    WINGERS
    • Konrad De La Fuente, 2001*(20), FC Barcelona
    • Ulysses Llanez, 2001*(21) Wolfsburg > Heerenveen
    • Efrain Alvarez, 2002*(19) LA Galaxy {Mexico dual}
    • Caden Clark, 2003*(19) New York Red Bulls
    • Indiana Vassiliev, 2001*(21) Aston Villa > Burton Albion
    • Alex Mighten, 2002*(20) Nottingham Forest {England dual}
    • Nick Taitague, 1999*(23) Schalke
    • Cade Cowell, 2003*(18) San Jose Earthquakes
    • Cameron Harper, 2001*(20) Celtic FC
    • Jonathan Amon, 1999*(23) FC Nordsjaelland {INJURED}
    • Timothy Tillman, 1999*(23) Greuther Firth
    • Griffin Yow, 2002*(20) DC United
    • Thomas Roberts, 2001*(21) FC Dallas
    • Matteo Ritaccio, 2001*(20) Liverpool FC
    • Tyler Wolff, 2003*(19) Atlanta United
    • Zyen Jones, 2000*(21) Schalke
    • Alex Monis, 2003*(19) Chicago Fire
    • Jacobo Reyes, 2000*(21) Monterrey
    • Griffin Dorsey, 1999*(23) Toronto FC
    • Felipe Valencia, 2005*(17) Inter Miami
    • Ethan Dobbelaere, 2002*(19) Seattle Sounders
    • Christopher Garcia, 2003*(19) Real Salt Lake
    • Cameron Dunbar, 2002*(19) LA Galaxy
    • Nico Lemoine, 2000*(22) Houston Dynamo
    • Bode Davis, 2002*(20) Real Salt Lake
    • Kevin Paredes, 2003*(19) DC United
    FORWARDS
    • Niko Gioacchini, 2000*(21) SM Caen
    • Sebastian Soto, 2000*(22) Norwich City > Telstar 96
    • Ayo Akinola, 2000*(22), Toronto FC {Canada, Nigeria}
    • Daryl Dike, 2000*(21) Orlando City SC
    • Matthew Hoppe, 2001*(21) Schalke
    • Folarin Balogun, 2001*(20) Arsenal {England dual}
    • Ricardo Pepi, 2003*(18) FC Dallas
    • Charlie Kelman, 2001*(20) Queens Park Rangers
    • Patrick Koffi, 2001*(20) Paris FC
    • Malick Sanogo, 2004*(18) Union Berlin {Germany dual}
    • Justin Butler, 2001*(21) FC Ingolstadt
    • Alfonso Ocampo-Cavez, 2002*(20) Seattle Sounders
    • Christian Torres, 2004*(18) Los Angeles FC
    • Johan Gomez, 2001*(20) FC Porto
    • Jalen Hawkins, 2001*(21) FC Ingolstadt
    • Maurice Malone, 2000*(21) FC Augsburg {Germany dual}
    • Jack de Vries, 2002*(20), Philadelphia Union
    • Justin Rennicks, 1999*(23) New England Revolution
    • Josh Pynadath, 2002*(20) unattached
    • Dante Sealy, 2003(19) FC Dallas
    • Tyler Freeman, 2003*(19) Sporting Kansas City
    • George Acosta, 2000*(22) Inter Miami
    • Nebiyou Perry, 1999*(22) FC Koln
    • Shaft Brewer, 1999*(22) Los Angeles FC
    • Siad Haji, 1999*(22) San Jose Earthquakes
    • Jackson Conway, 2001*(20) Atlanta United
    • Stefan Stojanovic, 2001*(21) unattached
    • Noah Jones, 2002*(20) RB Leipzig
    • Wilson Harris, 1999*(22) Sporting Kansas City
     
    Clint Eastwood and Orioles Magic repped this.
  11. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My prediction...

    Winner: Chris Richards
    Biggest Suprise/Riser: David Ochoa
     
  12. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    FYI.....................see below regarding Taitague.
    Travian Sousa has also apparently left Hamburg.
    Manchester United & Liverpool Among Sides Tracking USA Starlet Travian Sousa (90min.com)

    My 2 cents:

    Winner: Owen Otasowie
    Biggest Surprise: Kobe Hernandez Foster debuts and plays well at Wolfsburg

     
    LouisZ and Eleven Bravo repped this.
  13. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Oh..........one other update for your list.
    Andrew Carleton has left Atlanta.
    He also cleared the waivers draft, so all of MLS passed on picking him up.
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  14. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    I gotta say..............Matthew Hoppe has been a hell of a surprise.
    1345408247881207809 is not a valid tweet id
     
  15. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Taitague is in the same camp as Ledezma, crafty little player that easily gets injured.
     
  16. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Dwindling this list down of players worth watching closely in 2021...

    GOALKEEPERS
    Carlos dos Santos, 2000* (21) Benfica - He looks to be a long ways away from the first team and light years away from a starting position.

    Chituri Odunze, 2002*(19) Leicester City - Like Santos, don’t expect Odunze to come close to getting a sniff of first team action in 2021.

    David Ochoa, 2001*(20) Real Salt Lake - Ochoa is the main man on this list, in my opinion. He’s the only one who should win a starting position for his respective side. And I know RSL is not much, but it’s something. That said, I predict him as my biggest surprise/riser in 2021.

    Brady Scott, 1999*(22) Austin FC - Signs point to Scott being a back up. But if he has any quality, he should beat out Andrew Tarbell. In fact, I would say that if Scott does not win that battle, then we should grow to forget about Brady Scott.

    Damian Las, 2002*(20) Fulham - Las is still on my watchlist because of his youth reputation. But like the other European based keepers, he is a long ways from first team action. And it seems that he’s even further behind Odunze and Santos.

    Trey Muse, 1999*(22) Seattle Sounders - Frei still has some wind in him left, but he is getting older, and I’m watching to see if they’ll give Muse some games to show his stuff.


    RIGHT BACK

    Julian Araujo 2001*(20) LA Galaxy - Araujo has already been capped, and although he’s fighting an uphill battle with how much recent depth we’ve added at right back, he still looks to be an important player.

    Bryan Reynolds, 2001*(20) FC Dallas - All eyes are on Reynolds and where he goes in this transfer window. If he becomes a Juventus man, and they rate him as a possible first team player, he could easily become a key figure for our senior team. That said, he’s already in the running as a strong contender to win in 2021.

    Joseph Scally, 2002*(19) Borussia Moenchengladbach - There’s been so much movement at right back, that Scally has been lost in the fold. But let’s not forget that Moenchengladbach are already mentioning that he’ll be a first team player. I wouldn’t forget about him.

    Jaylin Lindsey, 2000*(22) Sporting Kansas City - Lindsey has been around so long now that it’s easy to forget about him. 2020 was a resurgent year for him. And although he’s mostly a right back, he can play left back. For that reason alone, we need to keep an eye out on him. Also, Sporting Kansas City figures to rely much more heavily on youth this year as they rebuild from the Besler-Zusi era.

    Sebastian Anderson, 2002*(19) Colorado Rapids - 2020 was not a great year for Anderson, who looked like a bright prospect in 2019. But he’s still so young. And to Colorado’s credit, they seem to be okay with playing their youngsters. He’s worth watching.

    Manny Perez, 1999*(23) Celtic FC > North Carolina FC - I don’t know what’s going on with Perez and his Celtic deal. But I know he was one of our top youth prospects. My attention towards him is falling off, but I’ll keep an eye on him at least for 2021.

    Nathan Harriel, 2001*(21) Philadelphia Union - Philadelphia has had a good reputation of youth players. And right back is one position that seems wide open for Philadelphia - as Gaddis is beatable and getting older.

    Tajon Buchanan, 2000*(23) New England Revolution - Buchanan became a rotational starter for a decent New England side. There are questions if he might play for Canada though - and I wouldn’t blame him - he’s never going to beat out Dest, Yedlin, Reynolds, Cannon, Araujo, Duncan, etc.

    CENTER BACKS
    Chris Richards, 2000*(22) Bayern Munich - Question is - has he already broken out? I’m going to say he’s still eligible for this year as he has just starting playing for club. ​

    Mark McKenzie, 1999*(23) Philadelphia Union - I think it’s a bit wrong to say that Brenden Aaronson broke out in 2020 and we’re still waiting on McKenzie. But I think the verdict is that Aaronson is a can’t miss US player, and we’re still waiting on McKenzie. Let’s all hope that he earns at stating spot at Genk and does well there.

    Kik Pierie, 2000*(21) Ajax Amsterdam > FC Twente [Prefers Netherlands] - Pierie will be one of our most important recruitment battles in 2021. I don’t know if he’ll commit, but even though, he might be off from a starting spot yet for the US, signs point that he could be a key player for us for years. That said, 2020 started poorly for Pierie, but he’s showing the form again that earned him transfer to Ajax. I think signs point to that Pierie will be a very solid player.

    Aboubacar Keita, 2000*(22) Columbus Crew - I don’t know anyone who’s high on Keita, but the verdict is still out if he can become a solid player or not.

    Michael Edwards, 2000*(21) Wolfsburg - I don’t think Edwards is close to the first team, but rumor is that Wolfsburg still rates him. We’ll see if he can earn some playing time this year - for a team that has earned a reputation for hogging US prospects and never playing them.

    George Campbell, 2001*(20) Atlanta United - I doubt Campbell will breakthrough for Atlanta. Atlanta is not a ‘play your kids’ kind of club. But when he has shown, Campbell has shown promise.

    Lennard Maloney, 1999*(22) Union Berlin - Once considered a player who was a promising prospect for a rising club in the Bundesliga, has now fallen into the abyss. But sometimes that happens with YA youth prospects. Chances are low, but you never know.

    Justin Che, 2003*(18) FC Dallas - Dallas fans seem to be high on Che, and Dallas has earned a reputation that if they’re high on a prospect, chances are that he’s a good player.

    Tayvon Gray, 2002*(19) New York City FC - Gray was decent enough at the youth level, and I imagine he should be able to be at least the third best center back for NYCFC this year.

    LEFT BACKS
    Sam Vines, 1999*(23) Colorado Rapids - It’s easy to forget how young Vines still is. There’s not a lot of excitement around Vines, but he has already ‘broken out’ enough that he’s arguably our second best natural left back. We need to hope that he breaks out enough this year that we feel confident with him in that role.

    George Bello, 2002*(20), Atlanta United - Injuries have stalled Bello’s ascendency, but 2020 was his year where he finally became a starter. 2021 should be the year that he reaches his potential. Of all the left back options we have - Antonee Robinson included - Bello has the highest ceiling. If he reaches his potential, I believe he could become a UCL level talent. Let’s hope that happens. If he could do well enough to earn a good transfer abroad and he can perform at that level - a la Adams to RB Leipzig level, then he could be a strong contender for the winner.

    Chris Gloster, 2000*(21) PSV Eindhoven - Unfortunately, Gloster seems to have not made it at PSV, as other options seems to have surpassed him and injuries have derailed his career. It’s unfortunate because he was showing signs of being a solid player. But we can hope that he catches on to a decent Eredivise side that will need him at left back.

    Kobe Hernandez-Foster, 2002*(19) Wolfsburg - I don’t know how close Kobe is to the first team, and I know Wolfsburg doesn’t seem earnest to play our youth prospects. Still, he is one of left back prospects with the highest ceiling.

    Travian Sousa, 2001*(20) Unattached - Just realized that Sousa was released by Hamburg. I don’t know much about him, but fans seem high on him. I’ll keep an eye on him. If Man Utd and Liverpool are chasing him, he must have some ceiling. Although, their academies are littered with failed prospects.

    Matthew Real, 1999*(22),Philadelphia Union - Real has already started earning minutes at left back for Philadelphia. He seems to be a solid enough defender and we seem desperate enough for left backs to continue to watch him.

    Jonathan Gomez, 2003*(18) FC Dallas - Olympic eligible defender John Nelson is primed for left back, but with Reynolds transferring abroad, Hollingshead getting older, Dallas’ reputation of youth development, and their fans opinion of Gomez, although 2021 is probably too early, keep an eye on him.

    Leonardo Sepulveda, 2001*(20) Salamanca - At the youth level, Sepulveda was highly respected. But some of that came from the center back position. I don’t know how close he is to earning a move to a higher level, but I’ll watch him.

    John Tolkin, 2002*(19) New York Red Bull - He doesn’t project to immediately figure for NYRB, but if he’s a quality prospect, he should be able to beat out his competition this year.

    Leon Flach, 2001*(20) St Pauli - St. Pauli are not a great side and Flach has yet to really break out for them. But signs are promising enough... he’s still buried down the depth chart, but he’s worth watching.

    MIDFIELDERS
    Johnny Cardoso, 2001*(20) Internacional - Already broken out? It’s debatable. I’m going with not yet. Although, signs are very promising. He needs to prove in 2021 that he can be a consistent performer. If he can build off of 2020, he will be a very nice addition to the USMNT and a contender to win in 2021.

    Owen Otasowie, 2001*(21) Wolverhampton Wanderers - Similar story to Johnny, has he broken out already or not? I still think it’s too early to say he’s broken out. But he is in the running to be the winner for 2021.

    James Sands, 2000*(21) New York City FC - It’s very unfortunate about Sands’ injury, because he should be able to compete against Yuiell as our best young American CDM. On this point, has he already broken out? I’m saying that he hasn’t yet because he hasn’t proven it consistently. That said, I don’t know if Sands has the athleticism to be a top performer at the international level, even though he has a very high soccer IQ.

    Chris Durkin, 2000*(22) DC United > Saint Truiden - Durkin has become a regular first team player in Europe and I think we forget how young Durkin is. If he can put together a solid and consistent year in 2021, he’ll be considered a break out player. That said, I worry he’s not athletic enough to be a contributor.

    Bryang Kayo, 2002*(19) Wolfsburg - Unlike Sands and Durkin, Kayo does have the athleticism. But he has not yet broken out in the first team. I don’t know how close he is to that, but we could really use another good midfield prospect. If he could become a first team player for Wolfsburg, he might be a dark horse contender, or at least be a winner for biggest riser.

    Frankie Amaya, 2000*(21) FC Cincinnati - Amaya had a good enough 2020 season that you could argue that he’s already broken out, but he hasn’t shown he can be a USMNT player yet. That’s what he needs to prove in 2021.

    Andres Perea, 2000*(21) Orlando City {Colombia dual} - Like Amaya, he may have already broken out. But we need to see if he can take it to that next level in 2021.

    Taylor Booth, 2001*(21) Bayern Munich - Booth has an uphill battle, because there have been no recent signs that show he’s close to the first team. But he’s a good enough prospect that he could be a surprise in 2021. Still, I’m not counting on it.

    Tanner Tessman, 2001*(20) FC Dallas - There were a lot of factors that I think hampered Tessman in 2020, but Tessman has all the tools to be a big factor in 2021. He’s smooth, good soccer IQ, and his physical presence stands out on the field. I think it’s too early for him to earn a move abroad this year, but I could see him becoming a regular first team player for Dallas and making a case to be an MLS all-star this year. He’s a dark horse candidate for the winner.

    Christian Cappis, 1999*(22) Hobro IK - Has he already broken out? Probably so. But he’s so young that he still has a lot of room to grow. I don’t think he’s a strong contender but he’s someone to watch in 2021.

    Brandon Servania, 1999*(23) FC Dallas {Puerto Rico} - Servania was showing signs of breaking out in 2019, but in 2020, he seems to be replaced by Tessman. And he seems to have jumped ship for Puerto Rico. At this point, I imagine that would be in his best interest. He seems to be buried in the depth chart. Still, I’d keep an eye on him if he has a resurgent year.

    Aiden Morris, 2001*(20) Columbus Crew - Morris came out of nowhere, and replaced Nagbe - a very difficult thing to do - and was very good in the MLS Cup. For that reason, we need to see what he can do in 2021. I seriously doubt he can replace Nagbe, but he could be a strong player in the rotation.

    Edwin Cerrillo, 2000*(21) FC Dallas - Cerrillo was a bright youth prospect, although he hasn’t panned out yet. But he’s so young. I think he’ll need to secure a transfer to break out.

    Sebastian Berhalter, 2001*(21) Columbus Crew - Berhalter’s boy showed some promising signs early in the season. He’s probably not good enough, but if he broke out, could his dad refuse him?

    Danny Leyva, 2003*(19) Seattle Sounders - Although Leyva is incredibly young, he has not shown signs of improvement. Still, it’s hard to crack into Seattle’s first team. But he needs to show he’s good enough. Considering his age, he needs to prove he can at least be a regular in the rotation.

    Justin Haak, 2001*(20) New York City FC - With Sands’ injury history, there’s an opportunity for him to break into the rotation. It would be a big leap for him but keep an eye out on him.

    Josh Atencio, 2002*(20) Seattle Sounders - If Leyva cannot breakthrough, Atencio needs to show that he can be a performer at this level. Like Leyva, he’s still very young and he has a very long way to go to be a contender at this level.

    Jack Maher, 1999*(22) Nashville SC - I was surprised that Maher was not more of a player in 2020, but we’ve seen this rodeo before where an expansion team sits on a promising prospect in their first year. Still, he has a very long ways to go.

    Ian Hoffman, 2001*(20) Houston Dynamo - Like Maher, I was expecting more out of Hoffman in 2020, but we’ll look in 2021 if he can be a player. Houston is such a mess that they need all the help they can get.

    Moses Nyeman, 2003*(18) DC United - He’s still a baby, but he has a lot of potential. He earned enough of a look in 2020 that we could hold our breath in 2021.

    PLAYMAKERS
    Yunus Musah, 2002*(19) Valencia {England dual} - I was on the fence about including Musah as it’s debatable that he’s already broken out. But it’s not been long since he’s locked down a starting spot. For that reason, he and Richards are probably the runaway favorites for 2021 - although again, it’s questionable if you say they haven’t already broken out. Let’s pray he stays committed.

    Richard Ledezma, 2000*(21) PSV Eindhoven {INJURED - July 2021 time frame} - Man, it’s so unfortunate about his injury. He was breaking out, and now he’ll have to do it all over again. Nonetheless, he’s a strong contender to win in 2021.

    Jesus Ferreira, 2000*(21), FC Dallas - Ferreira really took a step back in 2020. He needs to step it up but he has the talent to win in 2021. Or he could be just another promising player who fizzled out. That said, I think he needs to bulk up if he’s going to play CF.

    Paxton Pomykal, 1999*(22), FC Dallas {INJURED}
    - put a fork in him. Even if he could perform well in 2021, I don’t trust him to stay healthy. For that reason, even if he had an all-star year - something I think he’s very capable of - I don’t think I’d call him into a USMNT camp, unless there was no one else. He’s just too injury prone.

    Cole Bassett, 2001*(20) Colorado Rapids - While Pomykal has taken a step back, Bassett is primed to be one of the breakout players in 2021. I don’t think he’ll transfer to Europe until next year, but he needs to be the next Brenden Aaronson this year - I think that’s a feat, he can accomplish.

    Alex Mendez, 2000*(21) Ajax Amsterdam - I don’t think it’s going to happen at Ajax. He’s not getting it done at Jong Ajax enough to warrant being a first team player. Besides he’s so limited athletically and he is a bit of a one trick pony. Still, we haven’t seen a left foot like his in the USMNT since Eddie Lewis.

    Gianluca Busio, 2002*(20), Sporting Kansas City - Busio had a good year in 2020, but not good enough that I’ll say he’s broken out yet. Busio is a very good prospect but he’s got to become an impact player in 2021. Otherwise, he runs the risk of being just another youth phenom who couldn’t take his game to the next level. Still, he’s an outside contender for 2021.

    Malik Tillman, 2002*(20) Bayern Munich {Germany dual} - Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen for him at Bayern. But you never know. But if that does happen - wouldn’t he just stick it out for Germany? Probably so. Also, we have got to the point - not that I don’t think we’re as good as Germany, but I think we are good enough - at least with our attackers - that we don’t have to go begging for scraps.

    Anthony Fontana, 1999*(22) Philadelphia Union - Fontana went from exciting youth prospect to forgotten man to exciting youth prospect again in 2020. With Aaronson’s transfer, Philadelphia are going to count on Fontana to carry the torch for them. He’s really on the fringe, but he could do well enough to contend for a call-up - or at least the Olympics.

    Matko Miljevic, 2001*(21) unattached - What happened to him? He was a very bright prospect. And now? Nothing. I think it’s too early to write him off completely. But it doesn’t look good.

    Omir Fernandez, 1999*(23) New York Red Bull - Fernandez is a long shot to ever earn a call-up, but he could force his way to be a regular for NYRB sooner rather than later. In fact, I’ll argue that NYRB success in 2021 depends on his development.

    Ben Mines, 2000*(22) FC Cincinnati - Now at Cincinnati, he has a good shot to get more playing time for a club that has really struggled since entering MLS. But we’ve seen this before, clubs who struggle for their first few years and then become solid clubs. 2021 is the year that we see what Mines can do. Is he going to be a player, or just another failed prospect. That said, he’s light years away from a call up so he needs to really impress.

    Andrew Carleton, 2000*(21) Unattached - Brek Shea 2.0? That’s what it looks like. All signs point to that Carleton is a failed youth prospect, but he’s young enough to still keep an eye on.

    Paxten Aaronson, 2003*(18) Philadelphia Union - if he’s anywhere the level of his brother, he’s a candidate. On his brother, Brenden, I expect to be a core player for the USMNT. And I count 2020 as his break out year, as I rated him as the best American player in MLS last year - over Jordan Morris.


    WINGERS
    Konrad De La Fuente, 2001*(20), FC Barcelona - If he becomes a first team player for Barcelona, he’s going to runaway with this thing. Right now, that looks like an uphill battle, but he has exceeded expectations.

    Ulysses Llanez, 2001*(21) Wolfsburg > Heerenveen - I don’t know why Llanez cannot crack Heerenveen’s line up, but that’s why we’re still waiting on him to be a breakout player. Honestly, I’m reaching the stage of “I’m concerned” because signs point to ‘promising prospect who fizzled out.’ He has to work on the holes in his game. And if he can shore those up, he could re-emerge as a strong contender for 2021.

    Efrain Alvarez, 2002*(19) LA Galaxy {Mexico dual} - I don’t get what the fuss is about. Baby Fat Alvarez seems like one of the most limited players I’ve ever seen. But there is so much hype around him that it’s hard to ignore - will he break out or not? In this way, he’s one I predict will not break out, but we should all watch to see if he’ll prove me wrong and be a contender for 2021.

    Caden Clark, 2003*(19) New York Red Bull - wow, he came out of nowhere! And NYRB will be desperate for him to be their next Tyler Adams. He should be a dark horse contender to win.

    Indiana Vassiliev, 2001*(21) Aston Villa > Burton Albion - Jesus, he fell of a cliff quick. Primed to be a contender in 2020, he really needs a resurgence in 2021. I don’t think he’ll ever be good enough for the PL, but stranger things have happened.

    Alex Mighten, 2002*(20) Nottingham Forest {England dual} - England has so much talent that we should be easily able to recruit him. I don’t think he’s a contender to win in 2021, but he could emerge as a player good enough to earn a call up.

    Cade Cowell, 2003*(18) San Jose Earthquakes - Cowell is so young that 2021 is probably too soon for him, but his future looks bright. San Jose need all the help that they can get, and he has all the tools to be exactly what they need.

    Cameron Harper, 2001*(20) Celtic FC - if he’s so promising, why won’t Celtic give him a chance? I don’t know the answer to it, but there’s a chance he could come out as a dark horse contender if he could live up to the hype. Or, he could just be another not good enough prospect.

    Jonathan Amon, 1999*(23) FC Nordsjaelland {INJURED} - can you believe that Amon is this young? I’m including him for that reason. But I think injuries have ruined his career. He’s been too reliant on speed that I don’t think he can come back from so many injuries.

    Griffin Yow, 2002*(20) DC United - Listen, I don’t rate Yow. At this level, you have to be a physical beast, and Yow is not. But he still has enough hype around him to be included as someone to watch.

    Kevin Paredes, 2003*(19) DC United - Paredes seems to be the more promising prospect at DC than Yow. I don’t think he has much of a chance to be a contender to win, but we’ll keep an eye on him.

    Felipe Valencia, 2005*(17) Inter Miami - The baby of the player pool. He’s just someone to watch to see if he’ll even get on the field in 2021.


    FORWARDS

    Niko Gioacchini, 2000*(21) SM Caen - You can question if he’s broken out yet or not with 2 goals for the national team, but I argue that the verdict is still out. He needs to secure a move to a higher level and perform at that level. That’s still a big if - and I don’t know of any clubs that are knocking at the door yet.

    Sebastian Soto, 2000*(22) Norwich City > Telstar 96 - Like Gioacchini, you can debate if two goals equals a break out or not. But his club situation needs to improve. I thought I heard someone say that he’s not qualified for a WP to Norwich. If so - he needs to try and go back to the mother club. And he needs to be a force. So, there are a lot of ifs there. And probably way too many ifs to be a contender to win breakout player of the year in 2021.

    Ayo Akinola, 2000*(22), Toronto FC {Canada, Nigeria} - Well, it looks like Ayo has jumped ship. And it’s a shame because he would be competitive to earn a spot on the USMNT. 2020 was a strong year for him, but he still has work to do in 2021.

    Daryl Dike, 2000*(21) Orlando City SC - Like Akinola, Dike had a very good year in MLS, but there’s work to do to be a breakout player. Still, he’s probably the most primed to be a breakout player in 2021 of the bunch. Orlando City SC are counting on him to be that man. And he has all the physical tools to be a class striker at the international stage. I look forward to seeing CONCACAF defenders bouncing off him.

    Matthew Hoppe, 2001*(21) Schalke - Schalke is having a terrible year, but it’s still Schalke. No one can expect them to be down forever. So, Hoppe showing signs of being a rotational player for them is still a very promising sign. I don’t know if he’ll ever be better than Sargent, or if he’ll be good enough for the USMNT, but he has exceeded expectations thus far. We’ll need to watch him in 2021. He’ll be a dark horse candidate.

    Folarin Balogun, 2001*(20) Arsenal {England, Nigeria dual} - Outside of Konrad, Balogun is probably the most promising player who has yet to play for the first team in league play. I feel confident that we can recruit him - England is too stocked for him to be a figure for them. Meanwhile, the hype about Balogun should have everyone excited that maybe we have found a legit goal scorer on this team. And he’s poised as a serious contender for breakout player in 2021. That said, he hasn’t shown anything yet.

    Ricardo Pepi, 2003*(18) FC Dallas - He’s still incredibly young, but I’m going out on a limb to say this is Pepi’s year. I don’t think he’ll be a 10+ goal scorer yet. But I think he’ll do enough to secure a transfer abroad to a legit club that’ll consider him a first team player. In that regard, 2022 might be the year where Pepi is the frontrunner to win breakout player of the year. Still, he’s so raw and young. Anything can happen.

    Charlie Kelman, 2001*(20) Queens Park Rangers - I’m a little disappointed that Kelman has not got more of a look for QPR, but he’s still very young and they are getting him into the rotation. Depending on how he develops, if we were to split the winner into seasons, he could emerge as a candidate in time in the fall.

    Patrick Koffi, 2001*(20) Paris FC - If we’re entertaining the forwards that we are, Koffi might have more of a chance than we know. He might be one of my top surprise picks.

    Malick Sanogo, 2004*(18) Union Berlin {Germany dual} - There’s a lot of hype surrounding Sanogo right now, but he’s very young and raw, and he needs to show he can play at the next level. Plus, he needs to commit. Still the hype is so high that he could be a strong candidate for biggest riser to even winner.

    Alfonso Ocampo-Cavez, 2002*(20) Seattle Sounders - AOC’s hype really suffered in 2020, as in 2019, he was considered a can’t miss prospect. He’s still very young, so I don’t think we can write him off. So, we’ll see what he can do in 2021 - when he should finally be old enough to start getting into the regular rotation.

    Christian Torres, 2004*(18) Los Angeles FC - Torres is still a baby, but he’s done enough to start getting into the rotation for LAFC. I don’t think he’s ready for 2021 to be the breakout player, but we could start to see him be a player that we get excited about.

    Johan Gomez, 2001*(20) FC Porto - It’s been awhile since Gomez moved to Porto, and so far we haven’t heard anything. But at one point, Gomez was a very promising prospect. It should be time that we start expecting to hear some noise from him.

    Jackson Conway, 2001*(20) Atlanta United - There’s a bit of favoritism here, but I think Conway is a very promising striker. Atlanta United is very resistant to play their youth, but Conway has shown that he cannot be ignored. I think 2021 will be his year in MLS, and he will turn some heads. That said, I don’t think he’ll be good enough to win any awards any time soon, and probably not good enough to earn a call up.
     
    LouisZ, Anderson11, Patrick167 and 2 others repped this.
  17. JimLahey

    JimLahey Member

    Sheffield Wednesday
    United States
    Dec 25, 2020
    Nice list. Tajon Buchanan is not American. He’s Canadian
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  18. thedukeofsoccer

    thedukeofsoccer Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    Wussconsin
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The very distinct difference between them is that Ledezma was proving himself to a significant degree at higher levels.

    Conversely, Taitague never did anything above youth & lowest pro levels in Germany. So all we can do is speculate how good he is & may have been.

    I always had my concerns about Taitague's game between the lack of size, quick twitch, & passing vision. I'd draw more parallels to Mendez than Ledezma. Maybe a blend of Mendez & Rubin.
     
  19. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Otasowie is getting more PT than I expected...
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  20. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    It's great to see. I know he sees himself as a box to box, but we really need a capable backup CDM.
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  21. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Tanner Tessmann probably won't win the award in 2021, but he could make a Euro move this year. Most of FCD's higher profile youngsters have gone on these types of training sessions at Bayern. Bryan Reynolds went over three times. Bayern liked Chris Richards so much after this this type of training session, that they brought him in on loan for 6 months. That loan deal had a transfer clause that they then triggered.

    [If it weren't for COVID, I suspect Tanner would have gone over on this type of session last year.]
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  22. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    A player we don't really talk about a lot. Leon would have had a decent chance of making our U20 team. This was only his 4th appearance for St. Pauli. He can play as a midfielder or a fullback. (He's on the list above by @Eleven Bravo as a left back.)
    1345735755604365322 is not a valid tweet id

    1345736409295032326 is not a valid tweet id
     
    Eleven Bravo repped this.
  23. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From the games I watched of Tessman, I was very impressed. I don’t know if he can hit those long balls like Jackson Yuiell, but he’s such a better athlete, seems like a better tackler on the ball, and he’s so smooth in transition. I think he needs another year of polish and then he’ll be ready for a big transfer - like you say.
     
    USSoccerNova repped this.
  24. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nice. I also see another American in that video - Kevin Lankford.
     
  25. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    On Tessman, I think he’s a pretty comparable player to Owen Otasowie. Both are big, physical presences that make other teams adjust to them on the field. That said, Tessman seems a little smoother and calmer, and Owen a little more erratic and aggressive.
     

Share This Page