USSoccer97531's USL C/L1 2020 Player Reviews

Here are my reviews of how young players in USL Championship/League One played this season, some thoughts on their potential, and their skillsets. I have listed 128 players. I didn't try to list any certain number, but arrived at this number due to the number of players I watched this season who I thought were relevant prospects. I have listed some players who internationally play for other countries, but are still eligible for the USA. There needs to be an accounting for that some of these players are 23 years old and others are 14. You can't assess a 23 year old and a 14 year old the same. This list spans players born in early 1997, and players born in late 2005. I believe I watched all the main YNT-eligible prospects in USL this season, but as the reviews reflect, there's not always something clear to take away from the evaluations. Some players I saw play a lot and others I only saw play once or twice. The reviews are listed by team.

Any comments, questions or any other feedback is welcome.

 

USL League One:

Fort Lauderdale: Edison Azcona (‘03) has been one of the top young Americans in USLC/L1 this season. He’s a very skilled player with very good playmaking and soccer IQ. He’s a deceptive athlete, as well. I think he’s a #10, but he’s shown that he can play wide left. Felipe Valencia (‘05) has looked extremely good for a player his age. You’d have no clue he’s only 15 years old. He’s a left footed RW with very good dribbling ability. He has a lot of flair, and is always looking to score, but he shows a good ability to combine with teammates, shows a good understanding of the game, and is a pretty good athlete. He compares favorably to Kevin Paredes. Dairon Reyes (‘03) has very good offensive talent. He’s either a left footed RW or CAM. His minutes went down as the season went along, but his most recent appearances have been good. He can run with the ball, combine, has good size and athleticism, good foot skills, creativity, and the ability to score or assist. I believe he has underrated potential.

Blaine Ferri (‘00) is a top player at a low level like this. He pulls the strings from midfield in a #8 position. He has a tremendous left foot, sees a lot of passes and has a high soccer IQ. He doesn’t have much of a right foot and while he does work hard defensively, he’s very sluggish getting around the field. Jason Bucknor (‘02) shows some potential in wide positions. He’s a very good athlete, tall and very fast. I like his ability to run with the ball, he can combine with teammates, and makes good decisions. I don’t see the offensive skills to be a top level winger. He looks like a RWB/RB type of player, but I’ve never seen him play there, so he’ll need to prove he can play those positions. Noah Allen (‘04) is a very generic LB. Not a bad athlete, can get forward and combine a little, makes safe decisions, doesn’t get beat defensively that often. The bar to be a pro at LB is lower, which works to his advantage.

Madison: Chris Brady (‘04) hasn’t had that much work. His team doesn’t allow very many attacking chances, but he looked good when called on, much better than you’d usually see from a young keeper in USL. In particular, I love his ability to make difficult saves for a tall keeper. He does it with ease. Over the course of multiple games, there was only one or two instances that I thought he could’ve done better on, and nothing that egregious. He’s bad playing out of the back, but outside of that, he has top level potential to be a very high level goalkeeper in Europe. I don’t think there are many better players in the ‘04 age group.

New England II: Colby Quinones (‘03) looks to have improved his speed a lot. He’s gone from slightly below-average pace to above-average or better. Really interesting development how much faster he looks. You rarely see that. He reads the game extremely well, can pass the ball, cross the ball, shows a very reliable defensive game, and he will battle in challenges. There’s a lack of dynamic offensive ability to his game, and he’s not the biggest either, but he does project as a very good RB, and I think he’s going to be the next HGP signing for New England. Meny Silva (‘02) is really fast and has some dribbling coordination from LW, but I don’t know if he’s particularly skilled or the best decision maker.

Hikaru Fujiwara (‘03) has a nice pace to how he plays. Everything is quick. He’s never looking to hold onto the ball. His game is about progressing the ball up the field from the #8 position. He makes good decisions, and combines well. I don’t know if there’s anything dynamic about his game on either side of the ball. He can pass a little, isn’t bad defensively, isn’t a bad athlete, but the only element that stands out is the pace he plays at. Damian Rivera (‘02), Nicolas Firmino (‘01), and Isaac Angking (‘00) all show a pretty similar game, so I thought I’d combine this section. I think the three of these guys show some ball skills, okay athleticism, can combine, and the occasional offensive flash with a nice goal or assist, but there’s nothing too exciting. I think all three are all positional tweeners. Somewhere between an 8, 10 and winger. In my opinion, if one of them is to make it as a higher level player, it would be Angking. I think he’s the most talented of the three.

North Texas: Justin Che (‘03) is a little bit of an overrated player, as far as I’m concerned. I like what I see out of him at CB, but I never come away overly impressed. He’s pretty good defensively but not elite and is a good athlete, but his ability to pass the ball is really only average or slightly below that. There’s not a huge weakness, but I don’t see him as a real top level CB. Doesn’t have any calling card for that. At RB, I see higher potential. He runs with the ball really well, which I think is a product of being a former forward. He’s a good athlete ad aggressive going forward. I think his technical strengths are better suited to RB than CB, and he’s a stout 1v1 defender. David Rodriguez (‘02) hasn’t shown much this season. He hasn’t always gotten great opportunities or been played in his best position, but I’ve been disappointed in what I’ve seen from one of the better playmakers in the youth pool.

Kevin Bonilla (‘01) and Jorge Almaguer (‘00) are similar players, in my opinion. They are RB’s who get by on a lot of guille. It’s mostly effort, smarts, and will power. The skillset is very average, okay with the ball, okay defensively, deceptive athlete. There might not be a calling card for either to be more than an MLS back up/low level MLS starter. Almaguer has shown the ability to play as a #8 and a LB, as well, so that helps. Bonilla showing positional versatility would also help. Thomas Roberts (‘01) is one of the most inconsistent players you’ll see. Some games he’s invisible and you wonder if he’s ever more than a low level MLS’er. Other games he runs the game with his playmaking, dribbling, skill, and IQ, and you think he looks like a guy who can play for a good team in Europe and the NT. It’s good that he has the talent, but at this point, he needs to become consistent. If he doesn’t, he will not maximize his potential.

Carlos Avilez (‘99) is an okay keeper. I see some athleticism, and he has good height, but nothing really stands out about his game. Maybe he becomes an MLS keeper, and GK development can be hard to predict so his ceiling may be even higher, but I don’t see anything overly impressive or disappointing in what he shows. Beni Redzic (‘02) has some of the best close control and pure 1v1 dribbling ability in the youth pool, but I question the rest of his game. He can also combine pretty well, but he’s not a great scorer, not a great playmaker, and not the best decision maker. His ability to beat players with ease will probably get him to MLS. If he can improve his end product and make better decisions, maybe his ceiling is higher. I appreciate the work rate, athleticism, combination play, and soccer IQ of Collin Smith (‘03) as a winger, but I just don’t see the technical or creative ability to be more than an MLS back up. Maybe he’d be better off with a positional switch to play as a wing-back or fullback.

Orlando II: Michael Halliday (‘03) had some nice flashes of play and generally held his own, but you’d have liked to see a little better for a homegrown signing. I think he’s a quality RB, but he does need to clean up some of the smaller details in his game. He makes a few too many youth soccer errors to get minutes in MLS. I like his athleticism, defensive game, and deceptive offensive ability. He’s one of the better fullbacks in the ‘03 age group, and has high potential. As of right now, I’d consider him the only real high level prospect in the Orlando academy. Jahlane Forbes (‘02) is a generic LB. Can defend, good athlete, not a liability going forward. Maybe he carves out some type of pro career.

Julian Kennedy (‘01) is a dangerous CF with good athleticism and ball skills. He’s a real threat to a defense. He doesn’t have the best track record of scoring goals, but I usually come away thinking he’s a better goal scorer than the numbers indicate. Mason Stajduhar (‘97) looks like a good goalie at this level with good size, reliable play, and good athleticism. Lets see what he can do at the MLS level. Jordan Bender (‘01) has some potential as a #8 (can make some offensive plays, pass the ball, not a bad athlete), but I’m not overly convinced yet at his performance level or general effort. Moises Tablante (‘01) has some good dribbling ability with enough creativity and athleticism. Could get him a job in MLS eventually. He stands out to a degree in USL L1.

Thomas Williams (‘04) will be a big project to develop from the CB position. He’s big, a pretty good athlete, and can pass the ball out of the back, but does not read the game well defensively. He shows a lot of defensive errors. I don’t know that he’s presently all that good, but there’s obvious potential. Wilfredo Rivera (‘03) is probably the second best prospect in the higher levels of the academy after Halliday. He might not have the potential of Williams, but he’s a lot more consistent in what he brings. He’s a good playmaker, makes good decisions, has good foot skills, and is pretty quick and hard to knock off the ball. Is he a dynamic #10 type or the best athlete? Probably not, but I can see some type of MLS career out of him.

 

USL Championship East:

Atlanta II: Matthew Edwards (‘03) is a good CB prospect. I see pro potential between his ability to read plays defensively, pretty good athleticism, some positional versatlity, and good 1v1 defending. His ability with the ball is probably only around average, and I don’t know if he’s an exciting player, but he’s a newer name (first season with Atlanta) and he’s showed pretty well in USL. There’s potential to be an MLS or better CB. Caleb Wiley (‘04) is a well-rounded LB. I compare him to a player like Jaylin Lindsey, whose a RB. I think Lindsey without the injuries would be about what I’d expect out of Wiley. He’s a good athlete, can combine, is above-average defensively, and has a high soccer IQ. Nothing too exciting out of him, but no real weaknesses from LB is a good player. He struggled initially, but did look better in later games I saw this season in USL. Some of these kids need some time to adjust.

Efrain Morales (‘04) is another raw CB prospect. He’s similar to Thomas Williams. He’s big, a good athlete, can pass. Morales can also carry the ball and play in midfield. Like Williams, I don’t like his decision making and positioning. I find that his errors are more from trying to do too much on the ball or making a defensive play as opposed to Williams bad decisions are more from reacting too slow. Vicente Reyes (‘03) is a very average keeper. I haven’t seen much discernibly good or bad with his skillset. It looks pretty average across the board. I would say the issue is that his performances are inconsistent at any level you see him play.

Will Reilly (‘02) is a very commendable #8 prospect. Does a lot well. Maybe nothing great, but he usually does put in pretty consistent performances. I could see him being signed to a first team contract. I think he’s earned it, and I think he could develop into a good MLS’er. He’s developed extremely well over the past few years. A few years ago, he was a non-prospect, in my opinion, but he’s really rounded out his game well. Brendan Lambe (‘04) showed well, I thought. I think there’s a pretty similar type of skillset as Reilly. It’s a lot of hard work, smarts, good positioning, above-average passing, lack of holes in his game from midfield. Jackson Conway (‘01) is another kid, like Reilly, I could see getting a first team contract for next season. Hard working target forward, good in the air, can score some goals. Nothing too exciting. Don’t know if his ceiling is even a good MLS starter, but I could see him having a long career in MLS as a back up #9 or a starter for lesser teams.

Hartford: Justin Haak (‘01) looked about as good as you could’ve expected in his late season loan. He stepped in right away, and looked like a reliable #6 for a good USL team. It’s not an exciting skillset, but he plays with defensive bite, he’s a capable passer, he’s usually well positioned, and he’s a good enough athlete. There’s not a lot exciting about what he does, but it all adds up to good performances. There are similarities with how Sands plays. Alfonso Vazquez (‘02) hasn’t impressed me. He’s a hard working player, he has some good foot skills and movement in the final third, but I don’t know what his position is. I don’t see much creative ability for teammates to play as an attacking mid or the hold up game to play as a striker. He’s more of a secondary striker, but I don’t know that he has such high potential there either. I wouldn’t doubt he carves out a pro career, but I wouldn’t say he’s a particularly exciting talent.

Indy: Andrew Carleton (‘00) had a good season, but its not much different than what you saw in previous seasons. I would not buy into the narrative that he was so improved. The story arc is just a little different. He makes a lot of really creative plays and is the best passer in the youth player pool, in my opinion. He was a difference maker offensively almost every game. I think he’s also a lot better defensively than he gets credit for. About as good defensively as a player with his size and below-average athleticism can be from the #10 position. Let’s now see him get a chance in MLS.

Cam Lindley (‘97) played a utility role this season. He got some time as a #8, some as a LB, some as a #10. He played where there was a hole. I don’t think any of these positions suit him well. He’s a deep-lying #6 with below average defensive ability, in my opinion. He has a great passing range from that position, not much else. He’s not helped playing elsewhere. Jeremy Rafanello (‘00) has okay size and athleticism, and is always looking to score goals. I don’t know if his potential is much higher than a good USL’er/bad MLS’er. There’s not much he brings. I don’t even find him to be clinical with scoring.

Loudoun: Jacob Greene (‘03) is a reliable LB. Not many holes in his game, consistent performances. Nothing too exciting. He’ll be some level of pro.

Louisville: Jonathan Gomez (‘03) had a pretty good season, in my opinion. He wasn’t the starting LB because Louisville has a veteran LB they didn’t want to upset, but I thought Gomez had earned the starting job by the end of the season. There were a few young player errors at LB, but nothing that is particularly concerning. He almost always played well, and you see a very complete skillset where he’s good or better in every part of the game. He’s one of the top prospects in the youth pool. Akil Watts (‘00) showed some versatility to play a number of roles this season at RB, LB, central midfield. I don’t know if he has a particularly high ceiling, but he belongs at this level because he’s good defensively, a good athlete, can make some basic plays with the ball, and makes good decisions. Maybe he reaches MLS, but I wouldn’t say it’s a certainty.

NYRB II: Caden Clark (‘03) is a newer name. I hadn’t seen him prior to USL. His game came with some hype, but I think he’s lived up to it. I would say he’s similar to Brenden Aaronson, but a more talented offensive player. He has the final passes and shooting ability that Aaronson doesn’t possess. He also works very hard off the ball, like Aaronson, and I think he’s very crafty. He doesn’t dominate games and he’s not a top tier talent, but I think he’s very good. No real weaknesses, but very productive and talented. Luca Lewis (‘01) is an average goalkeeper prospect. I find him a little shaky. The decision making off his line isn’t great and he sometimes runs himself into trouble with it. The skillset is pretty average, as well.

Joe Fala (‘97) is a project CB, but has shown well this season and could be a late bloomer. Former striker. He’s 6’7, but moves extremely well for a player his size. Good passer out of the back, as well. He’s great in the air, which is not a surprise. His defensive reads need some further work, but he looks like a player who could be really good in five years.

Dantouma Toure (‘04) has had an excellent season. He’s been the best ‘04 in USLC/USL L1, in my opinion. There are things he needs to work on. He plays too fast for his own good, and trips over the ball, outruns the ball, hits passes way too hard to the point teammates cannot control the ball because of this style of play, but these are the types of things I expect to improve with more games against professional players. He’s an extremely dynamic attacking threat. I don’t know if he’s going to be a CF either. He’s only about 5’6/5’7 with no hold up game, but he has time to grow and improve his hold up game. Even if he doesn’t, he’s going to be effective enough on the wing due to his dynamic speed, good ball skills, good offensive instincts, and goal scoring ability. One other part of his game that I really like is his defensive ability. He might be raw offensively, but he closes the ball down extremely well, and tactically is very good with his positioning and reads of the game defensively.

Joe Zalinsky (‘03) has played almost entirely at CB this season, but is more of a RB. I don’t know about the overall skillset. Gets by on a lot of guille, effort, decision making. Okay on both sides of the ball, but nothing much better than that. Not the most talented kid. Maybe he makes it as a low level pro. John Tolkin (‘02) has been a big disappointment. He’s a pro footballer at LB, but I don’t even think he’s good for this level. Almost no impact. About the best thing you can say is that he hasn’t been bad this season, but he also hasn’t been good. Omar Sowe (‘00) has some athleticism, dribbling ability, and scoring ability. Also can play a few positions in attack. I don’t know if the overall combination of talents is all too good to be more than a low level MLS’er. Tapiwa Shumba (‘03) is a good dribbler with some speed. He’s a winger, can combine a little. Nothing that stands out too much.

Kenan Hot (‘04) showed about what he always does. He’s a very reliable CM option. Does almost everything well. Big, physical, okay athleticism, can pass the ball well, good tackler, well positioned. He’s not a huge number producer in midfield, but there are no weaknesses in his game. Boima Cummins (‘03) is a fullback who can play both fullback positions very well. You wouldn’t even know which his strong foot is. His offensive game is predicated more on his ability to dribble forward, and combine. Defensively, he gets by. The decisions and positional play isn’t great, but his great athleticism helps him out. He’s one of the more talented fullbacks in the ‘03 age group. Jake LaCava (‘01) is about as underrated of a winger as it gets. He doesn’t stand out, but if you watch enough, his play adds up to a good product. He’s a good dribbler, deceptively athletic, very good in the final third, and makes good decisions. He finds a way to make decisive plays, even though he’s not flashy, hugely athletic or hugely talented.

Union II: Ben Martino (‘02) is a big keeper (I believe 6’6). He’s pretty reliable in the air. I find that he’s not the most athletic keeper, although quicker reflexes than I initially thought. Not great with his feet either. His size will give him a chance to be a pro. I don’t see a high ceiling and don’t think he’s done all too well in USL. Still needs further development. Mitch Budler (‘03) is average across the board with his skill-set. Not many huge strengths, not many huge weaknesses. The problem with his game is that he’s not all too good right now at this level. He makes a lot of errors, and needs another season or two, or three, to refine his skills before he’s considered to move up to a higher level. Matt Freese (‘98) was utterly dominant in the games he played. Great reflexes, very reliable in the air, rarely makes any errors, and also has good size. I view him as the top option for the Olympic team.

Nathan Harriel (‘01) would appear like a defensive style RB, but I’ve started to believe he’s not very good defensively, but is above-average offensively. He’s pretty athletic, as well, which helps his ability to get forward. But he does get beat a lot defensively for an athletic player. I don’t know that he’s hugely technical or creative, but he has a deceptive ability in the attack. For a player on an MLS contract, I wasn’t impressed, but there is some ability there. He needs to improve his defense if he’s going to be an MLS starter level player eventually. Issa Rayyan (‘00) is more of a wingback than winger or fullback. Doesn’t have the attacking skills to be a winger, doesn’t have the defensive skills to be a fullback. Pretty athletic, can combine well, aggressive getting forward. Definite positional questions because WB is a niche position, although I think he could play either side of the field at WB.

Ben Ofeimu (‘00) was another dominant player, like Freese. The first half of the season Ofeimu saved them so many goals, he then got injured, and Freese did the same from a different position for the defense in the second half. Ofeimu is a tower of a CB. He’s big, well built, and pretty quick. He’s impossible to get around 1v1, unless you are a dynamic athlete. He’s great in the air, reads the game very well, usually well positioned, very good as an emergency defender, and he’s average or better building from the back. I don’t know why he’s not yet signed to a homegrown contract. There has to be a good explanation for it.

Brandan Craig (‘04) struggled early in the season with the speed of play. He was out of position too often and a slep slow to react to attackers, but he adjusted really well at the end of the season. At the end of the season, he was average or better the last number of games. He had picked up the speed of the game by the end of the season. He’s a very good passer, and he has positional versatility (DM or CB). He’s a little slow right now. I feel like he’s an average athlete that looks right now more of an awkward athlete than a bad athlete. I think he needs to grow into his body a little more to get quicker, similar to Danny Leyva. He also needs to get a lot stronger. He gets outmuscled way too easily, and struggles to put in defensive challenges due to his lack of strength. He’s pretty tall (around 6’2), so I see it as something he will improve on eventually.

Cole Turner (‘01) is a pretty basic #6. Can do a little of everything. No huge strengths or weaknesses. Not the most talented player, but will play in MLS. Paxten Aaronson (‘03) had a good season. He’s a little like Caden Clark and a little like his brother. I would say he has a little bit of the offensive talent that Clark does with his crafty game as a #10, but he also looks like his brother’s game in trying to solve problems on the field, dribbling, athletic profile. I don’t see the work rate defensively that Brenden or Caden have. He’s a good player. I’m not sure the skillset or production level is much better than that, but I’ve been more impressed this season than I was previously. He also grew this season. He looks taller and stronger. He’s no longer physically smaller and weaker than everyone else.

Anton Sorenson (‘03) has good offensive skills at LB and pretty good athleticism. He’s a little like what you would see out of George Bello until his recent defensive improvements. I would call Sorenson’s defending naive. He’s capable 1v1, but he’s often a step late, and out of position too often. He has good defensive potential, but needs another year in USL to refine his defensive game.

Jack McGlynn (‘03) was one of the best young Americans this season in USL. I liked his game prior to this season, but I see a lot of improvement. His ability to process plays is at such a high level. He’s not the best athlete, pretty sluggish actually, but he’s able to make so many plays in the third quartile of the field because of his general craftiness and soccer IQ. His passing ability is among the best you’ll see among midfielders in the youth pool. I also like his effort off the ball. I don’t know that he’s good defensively, but his effort helps him out. Some of the things he tries are things you wouldn’t even see others think of. He manipulates angles so well. You see this in so very few youth players, and I think it’s the mark of an extremely high soccer IQ to manipulate angles to make plays under pressure. Is he a 6, 8, or 10? I don’t know. I could see arguments for all three positions, but he will play at a good level, and could be a NT level player eventually.

Luis Danny Flores (‘02) is a little bit of a tweener between a #8 and #10. He can dribble, is comfortable on the ball, an okay athlete. I don’t see many standout offensive skills to be a #10, and he’s not really an energy guy that makes tons of plays defensively or is particularly athletic. He’ll probably have a pro career. I think he’ll get to MLS. I’m not sure his ceiling is all too high. Quinn Sullivan (‘04) struggled more than I would’ve thought. I didn’t like how he was used. They were using him as the CF most of the time and a few times as a winger. He couldn’t keep up physically. He’s a #10, and this team plays an odd formation that I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like. He was also away from the team for a few weeks, so his rhythm was disrupted. The 04’s also struggled more this season collectively than you would’ve thought they would. I still expected better. He had very little impact. Couldn’t find good pockets of space, struggled to combine with teammates, and struggled physically.

Jack De Vries (‘02) shows a good ability to combine, he has pretty good ball control, can dribble pretty well, and is a deceptively good athlete. He makes good, quick decisions. He’s probably a left-footed RW. Not the most talented player, but can be an effective MLS’er. Selmir Miscic (‘03) is just there. He’s an attacker with a very basic playing style and doesn’t add much. He could carve out a career in USL. Patrick Bohui (‘03) played a few effective games towards the end of the season. I thought his biggest issue was his soccer IQ, but watching this season in USL, I think it’s less of a problem than I would’ve thought. I think his overall creativity is more of the problem, which I wouldn’t have initially thought. He’s probably a left footed RW long term. Pretty good athlete, can dribble a little. Probably an MLS’er at some point, but lacks standout qualities, even though he’s flashy.

Caden Stafford (‘03) was really impressive this season. He didn’t play much until late in the season, but made a big impact with his hold up play, movement, and combination play. He’s quicker than you’d think, can assist goals, score them. He’s a #9. Can do some of everything. Axel Picazo (‘01) is a direct, fast winger who is good 1v1 with his dribbling. He’s good at this level and should be an MLS player next season. The stats aren’t great, but this whole team struggled offensively. He’s a lot better than the numbers. Dante Huckaby (‘03) has some athletic ability at CB. He’s tall, lanky, and pretty quick. The issue is almost everything else. He’s a bad passer, struggles with reading the game at this level, and has positional problems. I’ve seen the occasional game where he holds his own and he’s played at nearly any position in defense or even as a DM, but he’s really only a CB and the performance level is not good. He needs another year, two, or three in this team.

SKC II: Brooks Thompson (‘02) is a well-rounded keeper. Has some athleticism, good size, pretty good off his line. A little inconsistent. I’ve seen some great performances, and some mediocre ones. He’s not particularly good with his feet. Not a bad prospect, but there are so many good ‘02 keepers that being average isn’t going to get much discussion. I thought I’d add Danny Barbir (‘98) because he was a big name in his U-17 cycle. I think he’s okay at this level. He can be a starting CB in USL with some further improvement, but there’s not much talent in his game. Big, good in the air, not the slowest player for a big CB, doesn’t make that many defensive errors. Doesn’t add a whole lot. Probably not an eventual MLS’er. Kaveh Rad (‘01) is okay at the USL level as a CB. He’s pretty good with positioning, reads, and has some size. I don’t know if he’s the most talented with the ball or most athletic. I could see him having an MLS career, but it’s questionable given his overall talent level.

Kayden Pierre (‘03) is a basic RB prospect. Not a bad prospect, but not very exciting. Good athlete, can defend. Has the ability to combine going forward, but not much offensive skill. There’s an MLS ceiling, but it’s not a high one. Jake Davis (‘02) is a really hard working kid in CM, but I don’t see much talent with the ball. He’s not a bad athlete either. He runs a lot. I can see his role in MLS, but it’s not a glorious role. Isaiah LeFlore (‘02) has good athleticism and some dribbling ability. Nothing too exciting. A chance for a pro career.

Wilson Harris (‘99) had a very good season. He was the standout player for SKC II. He’s a very direct #9. He’s always looking for the quickest route towards goal. I think he’s pretty athletic, makes good, quick decisions, and he’s developed good finishing ability. Nothing too exciting in his skillset, but he’s figured out how to score goals at this level, and I think his performance level has been high. Tyler Freeman (‘03) made some better decisions this season, which is what you are looking for. His soccer IQ had looked really bad prior to this season. It’s a good development for him because he has a lot of offensive talent. Great shooting technique, underrated passing ability, can run with the ball, good athlete, has some creativity. His stock has went down in recent years, but I like what I saw this season. I still don’t know his best position, but I think he’s probably a winger.

 

USL Championship West:

LAG II: Adam Saldana (‘02) had a good season, but I don’t see a high ceiling. He gets by on a lot of guille. It’s mostly effort and decision making. He’s also a deceptive player. He maximizes his athleticism and technical ability really well. I don’t see any big strengths or weaknesses, but there’s no carrying skill. He’ll be an MLS’er, but I don’t know if any better than an MLS back up. Eric Lopez (‘99) is a very talented goalkeeper. He has good size, good reflexes, and doesn’t make many errors. I don’t know why he has yet to get a chance with the first team. I’ve been impressed every time I’ve seen him play. Carson Klein (‘03) is big and mobile. He played as a #9 this season, and I believe I have previously seen him play as a CM. I don’t know that he has all that much talent, but he has the physical and athletic tools to build off of. His game is not too dissimilar to what Tessmann looked like at 16, although I am not comparing his potential to Tessmann.

Mauricio Cuevas (‘03) had a good season. He split time between LB and RB. He played more LB. He’s definitely a RB. He was only used at LB out of necessity. He’s a talented player. I think he’s pretty good defensively. The athleticism isn’t bad either. What I do find he needs to improve on is staying on his feet. He goes to ground way too much. He’s a very good tackler, but he needs to be less aggressive, make better reads, and position himself better. I think he has the capability to do it, but will need to show it to make sure he doesn’t become prone to picking up cards at higher levels. Offensively, he’s good with combining, a good dribbler, and has some creativity. He’s a weapon either from set pieces or crossing the ball. There probably isn’t anyone better than him in either area in the youth player pool. I only saw Sebastian Hernandez (‘03) briefly, but he’s a RB who defends at a good level, can combine, good athleticism. Need to see more to give a more in-depth review. Looks like an okay player.

Abraham Romero (‘98) is a very talented keeper. I think he was one of the best keepers in USL this season. He has good height and excellent reflexes. He made so many really difficult saves this season to save goals. He’s reliable in the air, but I do find his decision making isn’t the best. He makes a lot of decisions that are uncalled for. Not good with his feet. He has talent to be a good keeper in MLS. Maybe higher than MLS. Marcus Ferkranus (‘03) is a very reliable CB. Makes so few errors, has a great read of the game, he’s a good athlete, good passer of the ball, adequate size. He’s average or better at every part of the game. He’s very productive and consistent without being flashy. He reminds me a lot of Justin Glad. He may not be the best ‘03 CB on his own team, but there aren’t many better CB’s in his age group around the country.

The best ‘03 CB in the Galaxy academy is Jalen Neal (‘03). Neal has been one of the best young prospects in USLC/USL L1. Neal is the closest thing you’ll find in the youth player pool to the next Chris Richards, and it doesn’t hurt the comparison that they look nearly identical. Neal, like Richards, is tall, rangy, and pretty skinny, but very fast, and hard to get around. 1v1 very few can beat him. He excels when isolated against attackers. He has an advanced read of the game, only rarely displaying errors. He also does show a pretty good ability to build from the back. I wouldn’t call him an excellent passer, but he has some really good passes almost every game, and he’s clearly comfortable on the ball and a good passer. He remains well positioned, isn’t over-aggressive, and doesn’t make that many errors. Neal is also very good in the air. There’s an occasional error on the ball or reading a play a little too slow, but these are not long-term concerns, in my estimation.

The player who has raised their stock the most in my estimation is Neal’s teammate, Alejandro Alvarado (‘03). Alvarado is a combination of Weston McKennie’s midfield game with Julian Araujo’s athletic profile. He also shares a lot of the grit, and antics that both players seem to have. He excels on both sides of the ball. He’s able to beat players off the dribble, with quick combination play, he’s able to progress the ball playing very good passes, or beat them with deception. In the defensive game, he covers a lot of ground and wins the ball back very well. He gets box to box as much as any midfielder, and can make an impact on the score sheet. He’s also rather creative for a #8. Between his passing, soccer IQ, skill on the ball, combination play, athleticism, and defensive impact, I would say he has good or better skills in every part of the game. Earlier in the USL season, he made some errors with being too aggressive in challenges or switching off in covering a run, but later in the season there was less of this. He needs to sustain this level of play, but he has a very high ceiling if he can.

Johnny Perez (‘03) is a very creative and impactful #10. He combines a lot of talent with a big impact already in USL. He’s a much better athlete than he looks. He hides the ball really well when he’s dribbling, and is actually pretty effective off the dribble. He has an excellent left foot, capable of playing incisive passes or going for goal. His decisions are very good, and he sees the game a step ahead. I also see a good effort defensively from him. Augustine Williams (‘97) has really improved in recent seasons. He was a non-prospect a few years ago, but now I see a pretty big impact in USL as a #9. He’s a classic target striker with a good hold up game, but he’s also a good goal scorer, rather athletic, and he’s shown on a consistent basis that he can impact USL games. I don’t know if he’s ever going to be good enough to play for the NT, but I think he’d be able to be an effective #9 in MLS right now.

Sebastian Nava (‘03) has really good foot skills, is a good dribbler, has some creativity, can combine, and isn’t a bad athlete. There is just no end product in his game as a winger. I don’t know what the solution is, but you’d think LAG has to try to work with him to improve this part of his game or move his position. There’s too much talent in his game to not figure out a solution. Victor Valdez (‘04) held his own this season in USL. He wasn’t very goal dangerous, either himself or creating chances for teammates, but he was able to complete the occasional dribble, make the occasional nice pass, combine with teammates, didn’t turn the ball over too often, and brought a good effort. I don’t know that his skillset is at the top level, but I do like his game and see very few weaknesses from the #10 position. Jorge Hernandez (‘00) has good foot skills, thinks the game well, and can strike the ball, but he’s not much of a chance creator and lacks athleticism.

Orange County: Aaron Cervantes (‘02) is a reliable goalkeeper. He has a very well-rounded game with the only thing really lacking is size. He’s only about 6’0, but I do think his game lacks errors that a lot of keepers his age have, he has good reflexes, can play out the back some, and generally is pretty good on set pieces, despite his lack of size. Kobi Henry (‘04) is a pretty basic CB, in my opinion. I see above-average ability to defend, good size, and athleticism, but I don’t like his ability on the ball, and I don’t see much he does at better than an above-average level. There’s no carrying tool in his skillset to be a top level CB, in my opinion, but I think he will have some level of MLS career. Francis Jacobs (‘05) shows a pretty good ability to pass the ball, good decision making, above-average defensive ability, and average or better athleticism. He held his own for an ‘05 in the one game he played this season, which I was impressed with. I’ve only seen Raymond Drai (‘03) play briefly, but he plays really hard, and runs at defenders. Looked impressive, but I’d need to see more to judge his skill-set more in depth.

Phoenix: Ansu Kanneh (‘05) physically belongs with pros, but I didn’t see much in the way of soccer skills. He’s a winger with good size, and above-average speed. He’s the youngest player to appear this season in USL, so I wouldn’t make too much of his unimpressive performance or how his skillset looked in USL. Maybe it looks a lot better against players his own age.

Portland II: Hunter Sulte (‘02) is well on his way to being the best pro footballer from Alaska. He’s a towering keeper at 6’7. I don’t see much that stands out, but for a 6’7 keeper, that’s a good thing at this point, considering you see some keepers his size who have bad reflexes or lack any semblance of positioning or decision making. He has great size, and no big weaknesses. With some further refinement, he can probably be an MLS or better keeper. Isaac Homer (‘03) can pass the ball a little from CB. I had previously seen him play LB, but I don’t see the athleticism for LB anymore. Defensively, he looked a little slow to react. Nothing terrible, but slightly off the pace. I could see him carving out a pro career at CB, but there’s nothing too exciting in his game. Dyson Clapier (‘02) has some trickery. He’s a winger with good foot skills, and an aggressive 1v1 approach, but I don’t see that much natural creativity, end product in his game, and I would say his athleticism is only around average.

Tega Ikoba (‘03) is 6’3 200+ and moves pretty well. He’s a target forward, but I don’t see much soccer skill in his game. He’ll probably have a pro career just because at age 17 he’s 6’3 200+ and an above-average athlete. He also has time to improve his game, like all his age. Gerardo Duran (‘03) is a #10 or winger with some technique, he makes good decisions, and isn’t a bad playmaker. I don’t see anything dynamic offensively, and athletically he lacks at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a pro career, but I wouldn’t expect that much. Cullen Wilkerson (‘04) is a #8 with good athleticism and some ability on the ball. He’s gotten a lot of late game appearances, but rarely touches the ball. I don’t say that in a negative way. I say that in a way of it’s hard to evaluate his game at this point outside of the athleticism and composure on the ball.

Real Monarchs: David Ochoa (‘01) hasn’t been as good as I would’ve expected. He holds his own or even looks above-average in the games I’ve seen, but he hasn’t been overly good in any of the games I saw. He even had an error or two. I think he’s a keeper with good size and pretty good athleticism, but he’s a little error prone, and I don’t think he’s good on the ball either. For a player that was talked about as a potential MLS starter this season, I expected more in his USL appearances, but it’s only been a few games and he’s working his way back from an injury. I’ve been disappointed in what I’ve seen from Luis Arriaga (‘01). He’s sometimes been used out of position as a winger and he’s really only a #10, but he’s had so little impact on games. I previously saw really good playmaking ability and a high soccer IQ. His biggest issue is that he struggles athletically. I didn’t see much impact offensively this season.

Bode Davis (‘02) is a winger with a good, direct approach. He’s pretty quick and fast. Capable of combining. Not the most skilled, but he’ll play in MLS due to the approach and pretty well-rounded game. Zackery Farnsworth (‘02) looks very good at LB. I really like his passing, he’s an average or better athlete, he looked good defensively, and he can get forward. This is a big improvement on what I had previously seen. I saw the athleticism beforehand and he wasn’t bad defensively, but technically he looks a lot better.

Sacramento Republic: Hayden Sargis (‘02) has struggled a lot this season. Almost every game I see, he’s making key defensive errors. He struggles with positioning, is too aggressive with his tackling, and isn’t the fastest or the tallest for a CB. I’m not sure he reads the play well either. I do like his passing. He builds from the back well with both feet. Defensively, I would also say that he’s a pretty tough CB. He goes hard into challenges, and battles well with bigger players, so if he can improve with how he reads plays and his positioning, he could have more defensive success.

Rafael Jauregui (‘04) is a very fringe level of prospect. He can probably play any attacking position, but he doesn’t do much to influence goals. At the pro level, it’s exacerbated, but even against players his own age, it’s a lot of the same. Mario Penagos (‘02) has played very little this season, and I don’t understand why. He’s the clear best prospect in their first team, in my opinion. He has a good amount of ability on the ball as a #8 style of playmaker who can pull the strings with passing, dribbling, and composure. He also has enough athleticism and defensive ability to not be a negative in that regard.

San Antonio: Jose Gallegos (‘01) shows a lot of good things as an attacking midfielder. I like his dribbling ability, he combines well with teammates, he’s one of the more creative players in the youth player pool, he’s pretty quick and hard to knock off the ball, and I think he has good passing vision. There’s also some things he needs to work on. His end product is limited right now. His decisions in the final third are not the best. I don’t think it’s poor soccer IQ, I think it’s overcomplicating things. Quicker, simpler decisions near goal is what he needs. He’s a hard working player, as well. For now, I prefer him as a winger, but I can see him playing as a #10 eventually. If the end product doesn’t pick up, he might even be a capable full back.

Leo Torres (‘04) didn’t get many minutes in USL, but did well in what I saw. He’s a left-footed attacking midfielder with all the attacking capability. He can play as a LW, RW or CAM. I like the idea of him playing RW. He’s a very good dribbler, can pass the ball, combine, he’s decently athletic, has creativity, and I like his soccer IQ. There’s not much he doesn’t do well. He’s one of the better players in the ‘04 age group. Fabrizio Bernal (‘03) is probably the most talented of the three young American attacking midfielders that have played for San Antonio this season. Bernal is capable of playing LW, RW, or CAM. I also think he could be a CF due to his height, speed and physicality. Bernal is an athletic terror. When he starts running with the ball, he’s too fast and powerful for opposing defenders. He combines it with incredible technique to score goals, great passing vision, and creativity. The biggest problem so far has been decision making, but it looks improved, and I don’t think he’s a low IQ player. I think he’s a little raw at higher levels, but I’ve seen improvement in this area.

Tacoma: Ray Serrano (‘02), Danny Robles (‘02), Marlon Vargas, and Azriel Gonzalez (‘01) are all in a similar situation, in my opinion. I don’t think any of these guys have the game breaking attacking skills to be any more than low-level MLS’ers. Robles is a #10, Vargas and Serrano are wingers. Gonzalez doesn’t have a set position, you see him everywhere in the attacking four. Gonzalez’ skillset is a little too basic. Doesn’t have any carrying skills that stand out. Robles can really pass the ball, but is very lacking athletically. Vargas has the most creativity of these players, but it’s probably not dynamic creativity, and his decision making can let him down. Serrano has the best end product of the bunch, and I would say he probably has the best potential of the four, but I don’t know that he has any real calling card. He’s well rounded.

Trey Muse (‘99) is a little too inconsistent of a keeper for my liking. He has good size, good reflexes, and isn’t nervy when challenged physically, but fundamentally, he’s not the best. He struggles with positioning, lets shots through his body, and can give up softer goals. I don’t know what Ethan Dobbelaere’s (‘02) position is. He’s an okay athlete, can dribble a little, combine, doesn’t have a bad soccer IQ, and works hard, but he’s a little small for a central midfielder, and isn’t offensively talented enough to be a winger. He’s probably a LB, but he’s used all over for Seattle. He’s an MLS’er, but I’m not sure he has the talent to be more than a low level one. Sota Kitahara (‘03) is a defensive midfielder with okay size and passing. He’s defensively-inclined. He’ll make tackles, he’s well positioned, wins 50/50 duels, can win some headers. I don’t see much stand out talent. I could see how he gets to MLS to be a low level MLS’er, but I could also see him not having any real stand out talents, and only being a good USL’er.

Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (‘02) has looked very good in the USL games I’ve seen. AOC is a top level finisher who can finish in many ways, he has good speed, he’s about average height for a striker at 5’10. He combines well, and can dribble a little. Some have suggested that he be used as a winger, but he’s not much of a playmaker or creative player. I think he’s a lot more effective taking up central positions. He may not be a typical target forward or have the best hold up game yet, but I don’t think he should need to. I rate him as one of the best ‘02 players, but it is a little worrying how he’s been utilized this season. Alec Diaz (‘01) is another good #9 in the Seattle system. I don’t quite understand why he’s yet to be signed. He had a very good season. Diaz’s game is predicated on running in behind the defense. He’s rather fast, with good movement, and finishes well. The rest of his game is pretty average, but he’s consistently been able to score goals over the years with this approach. It works for him.

Alex Villanueva (‘02) has some good dribbling ability, can combine, and is decently quick. He still needs to work on his defensive game, but it looks slightly improved. He’s not a top talent, but I see some pro tools in his game, and could see him having a pro career at LB or LWB. Reed Baker-Whiting (‘05) has held his own in USL this season, which is good, considering his age. He’s about as pro ready of a player as you’ll find in youth soccer. He’s a central midfielder who has an incredible motor. He’s always running, and always challenging opposing players physically. He has good height, good mobility, and good physicality. He’s good in the air, good in challenges, and reads plays well defensively. Offensively, he’s a pretty good passer of the ball, combines well, and looks to get forward. I don’t know if he has the skills to be a #10, but offensively, he has a positive impact as a #8, and I could even see him playing as a #6 later on in his career. He remains one of the best 05’s in the youth player pool, and a player with potential to be a National Team player and to play for a top team in Europe.

 

I apologize for the paragraph lengths. I didn't type this on this website, and it came out as bigger paragraphs here.