YNT-eligible lower division-pro players: 2021 IN-SEASON thread

An intra-USL loan!

There's a youth movement underway in RVA 👀

The @RichmondKickers have acquired highly-touted prospect Ethan Bryant on loan from @SanAntonioFC. Details ⤵️https://t.co/b3V7pj9OYj

— USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) August 12, 2021

Also Pittsburgh Riverhounds trying to do the work.

It was great to see 2004 Wyatt Borso make his competitive debut last night for the pro team!

From competing in the @ECNLBoys to the @USL_Academy, Wyatt is our first active RDA player to play in a @USLChampionship game! #whosnext #pathway2pro pic.twitter.com/9YWzlF23BX

— The Riverhounds Academy (@HoundsAcademy) August 12, 2021

 

Games from last week.

Austin: Casey Walls ('03) had two late sub appearances. Better than nothing, but he should be starting. The first game he didn't have much involvement. The second game he didn't have much involvement either, but he was subbed in to play as a #8. He had no clue what he was doing because he's not a #8, and has probably never played the position before.

Colorado: Abraham Rodriguez ('02) has been a little more reliable in goal the last few games I've seen him play. Maybe he could turn into a capable MLS goalie in the Nick Rimando mold. Dantouma Toure ('04) and Darren Yapi ('04) both had quiet weeks for Colorado. They each played two games, one start and one sub appearance. Yapi scored on a nice back-heel flick. That was the extent of the highlights from either.

Hartford: Two appearances for Kenan Hot (‘04). He also started one game and came off the bench in one game. It was a lot of the same for what you usually see from Hot. He has adapted his game to the USL level though. Sometimes younger players need more time to do so, and he wasn’t that great in USL last season, but he’s playing at a pretty high level. He’s just not going to do much flashy in what he brings to a box to box role.

Louisville: Jonathan Gomez (‘03) had another pretty good game. The best player on the field for almost the entire game. He made one small error. He tried to win the ball too high, and it went the other way for a goal, but you can’t place too much blame on him because there were numerous other players who played the situation worse for Louisville. What he did was the third or fourth biggest error on the goal, although he did make a bad decision trying to win a ball he wasn’t going to be able to get to.

SKC II: Kayden Pierre (‘03) was hit or miss with his defending, but he was going against Gomez and Gomez tilts the field against any defense. He has gotten better this season, but still needs another season in USL to play more consistently.

Atlanta II: Tyler Wolff (‘03) scored a hat-trick, and he deserves praise for that, but this was the worst goalkeeping performance I’ve seen so far this season in USL. You can’t put too much stock on goals when the goalie is playing that bad. Caleb Wiley (‘04) had one of his better games. He looked better defensively than he usually has. He’s still a great athlete, and gets forward because of his athleticism. The defensive component is where he needs work, mostly in recognizing danger. Brendan Lambe (‘04) had a late appearance, and brought some energy to the midfield.

Las Vegas: Erik Duenas (‘04) played his first game of the season at RB. He wasn’t bad, but he made a few too many errors losing the ball in his own half. He was subbed off with what looked like a pretty bad ankle sprain, so I don’t know if he’ll return this season. Alex Rando (‘01) was a little weak. He could’ve done better on a few of the goals, although I wouldn’t blame them on him or say he had a bad game. He usually plays better though. Antonio Leone (‘04) once again played a very good game. This has become a theme. It’s every game the last two months where he’s one of the best players on the field. He’s been as good as any young American in the league the last two months. His ability to read plays defensively has improved a lot since the start of the season.

Tacoma: Danny Leyva (‘03) should be playing more for the Sounders. There’s no way RBW should be seeing the field for the Sounders before Leyva, and I’m a RBW fan. Leyva would be up there for USL MVP, if he played in this league weekly. He dominates these USL games he’s given. He’s everywhere on both sides of the ball, and is playing a few steps ahead of everyone. Reed Baker-Whiting (‘05) had one of his better games in this LAM position. He was finding more central positions, which helped him have more involvement than he has if he stands out on the left wing. I also think that Seattle needs to do a better job with this team and the first team of playing him in position. He’s played half or more of his minutes out of position this season, and it hurts his effectiveness.

Eric Kinzner (‘03) had a great game. He was the second best player after Leyva IMO. He made so many good defensive reads, and his passing was also important for Tacoma’s buildup. I think he’s earned a first team contract for next season. He’s shown some of the best season to season improvement of any young American player in USL from last season to this season. Left footed CB’s with size that can pass the ball are also very valuable in the game. We don’t have more than about 5-10 of those guys in the system.

Loudoun United: Jackson Hopkins (‘04) got about 20 minutes off the bench in a SS/CAN role, and nearly scored again on a good shot from outside the 18. He’s getting unlucky with some pretty good goalkeeping denying him his first USL goal a few games in a row. He’s a little like Busio in what he does well (striking the ball, finishing, passing, technique, finding space), but he’s bigger and if he eventually plays deeper as a #6 or #8, he should be better able to deal with the physical and athletic requirements of those positions.

Real Monarchs: Jeff Dewsnup (‘04) had a good, not great, game in the first game of the week. He made a few good saves and had his usual good performance in all facets, except one of the goals he let in was at his near post. I don’t think he could’ve kept it out anyway, so I’m not saying he should’ve saved it, but those goals don’t ever look good for the goalie. In the second game of the week, he had nothing to do. Almost no involvement in any part of the game. That usually means a team plays well when the goalie can watch the action, and has no involvement.

 

Believe it or not the keeper from that Atlanta II Indy Eleven match is on an MLS contract; he's on loan from Columbus Crew. He's also 26 turning 27 in a few months...

Also

Get well soon, Erik!

Erik Dueñas suffered a tear of his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Medial Collateral Ligament. Dueñas will require surgery and miss the remainder of the MLS season.#LAFC

— LAFC (@LAFC) August 13, 2021

 

It looked terrible right away. Hopefully he’s able to return sometime in the spring.

 

I forgot to mention one USL League One game I watched.

New England II: Colby Quinones (‘03) was the MOTM. Best I’ve seen him play all season, and it’s a little strange that he’s not playing that much this season. He hasn’t had the best season, but there’s no way he shouldn’t be starting most games. His crossing in this game was excellent, and much improved. If he crosses the ball like this, it’s a real strength.

North Carolina FC: Nicholas Holliday (‘06) wasn’t bad, and considering his age and how he’s previously looked like a raw keeper prospect, I think he’s been surprisingly good so far this season in USL. He was bailed out by an offside call though on a weak shot that went through his legs. That would’ve been a bad goal to give up, and I don’t think it looked like the attacker in the offside position had much to do with him missing it. While it didn’t count, it still occurred and he needs to make sure he doesn’t allow goals like that.

 

Noel Buck channeling his inner Giovanni Van Bronckhorst with this magical strike!#NERevsII pic.twitter.com/4YJX5DaDqC

— New England Revolution II (@NERevolution2) August 15, 2021

At 16 years old @_ianmai makes his professional debut and becomes the youngest player to take the field in SD Loyal history.

Enjoy this moment Ian! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZVjkgNrLjv

— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) August 15, 2021

 

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Back to back USL Championship TOTW honors for #ATLUTD academy LB Caleb Wiley. Robbie Mertz and Phillip Goodrum also make this week's team #ATLUTD https://t.co/m2Y8K6eKI2

— ATLUTD Prospects (@ATLUTDprospects) August 17, 2021

 

Games from last week.

NYRB II: Samuel Williams ('05) has gotten some regular playing time with NYRB II in recent weeks. What I've observed is that he's a pretty average player in most regards. He can play as a holding midfielder or RB. Nothing stands out, good or bad. The positional versatility obviously helps.

LAG II: Jalen Neal ('03) returned from an injury suffered in preseason. He was subbed on at halftime. His defending had no rust. Immediate impact on that side of the ball. His passing was mediocre in this game. He made a number of bad passes to the other team. He's a good passer, so there might've been some rust in his decision-making with the passing decisions he makes. Training can't replicate what it's like in games, and he had missed the whole season so far. He was subbed out of the game later on in the second half. I didn't notice an injury and while he made a few passing errors, there was no reason to bring him off for performance reasons. I think it must've been pre-planned by LAG for him to play less than a half.

Louisville: Jonathan Gomez (‘03) was on his way to his best performance of the season, which is saying a lot. Then he lost a header on a corner kick that was headed in. It didn’t matter for the score line, but how great can you play when you are a defender and are at fault for a goal? I would say though that stuff like that has been very infrequent this season, and if you look at the full performance it’s remarkable how the game runs through a 17 year old LB. Joshua Wynder (‘05) was subbed in late, and he also contributed to the goal given up. It was Gomez man to mark, but Wynder was in the area and could’ve headed it away. As a 6’3 CB, he’s mediocre in the air. That’s by far my biggest criticism of his game.

Colorado: Darren Yapi (‘04) scored a goal. Not much to mention about him, aside from that, but he’s had a credible USL season. Dantouma Toure (‘04) is the better and more talented of the two attackers. I thought he was excellent last season with NYRB II. This season he’s played less and is playing for more of a veteran team, so it’s a different role, but he’s not been that good IMO. I was looking to see if he could eliminate the sloppy errors and chaos in how he plays. I haven’t seen that. Some players make the game look simple and clean. Toure makes it look difficult and messy. That’s not to say he isn’t a top level ‘04, but the way he plays is conducive to not earning the trust of a coach, and I could see that being a problem as he tries to break into the first team.

Austin: Casey Walls (‘03) has started to play almost every game as a sub, which is better than not playing. This game he was subbed on at LB. Took a yellow for shouldering a player to the ground. Not much involvement, aside from that. What I noticed from this game that I didn’t notice before is how chippy he plays. Most of these young kids in USL mind to themselves. Walls does not. He trash talks with the USL veterans, which isn’t a bad thing. You need some players who are going to be willing to set the tone of a game.

Las Vegas: Antonio Leone (‘04) had another very strong performance. He made one error on a clearance early that nearly resulted in a goal, but barely put a foot wrong after that. Alex Rando (‘01) rebounded from one of his weaker performances the last game with a very strong performance in this game. He’s been one of the best goalies in USL this season IMO.

Sacramento: I’ve seen a few games from this team recently, including games that Hayden Sargis (‘02) and Mario Penagos (‘02) have played in, but I haven’t seen much I felt was worth mentioning. Sacramento plays a very defensive style, so Penagos rarely gets any touches as the #10. He hasn’t done great, but I also don’t think it’s a good team for a creative playmaker to be developing in. You see some good sequences of ball control, passing vision, or good work rate, but he’s not been very effective. It’s been a lot of the same for Sargis. He’s an above or good passer of the ball, but he’s not been particularly good defensively. I haven’t seen much improvement in that area from him this season. Maybe a little, but not enough.

North Texas: Hope Kodzo (‘02) has been really good in the games I’ve seen this season. He has dribbling ability, passing ability, a good soccer IQ, and some creativity. I think he’ll be getting regular minutes for the first team next season. Collin Smith (‘03) got a start in this game, which hasn’t happened often of late. I think he’s gotten a little better at defending from the RB position, but he still needs a lot of work. His biggest problem at the position is indecision. He often takes too long to react or loses track of his positioning. He needs to play more attentively, which might take time for a converted attacker. I also think that he’s one of the few young players that could benefit from losing some muscle to increase his flexibility. He’s already naturally very powerful, but his ability to change direction and get from point A to B takes a lot of effort, is a weakness, and often he can look lumbering. He has good speed and power, so he’s naturally not a bad athlete, but needs to work more on the smaller area parts of athleticism, which I think can be achieved by getting a little more flexible and shedding some muscle.

Fort Lauderdale: I don’t have a lot to add about Noah Allen(‘04). It was an adequate, but unspectacular performance. He has some things he still needs to work on, as all players do, but I think he should be getting a first team contract soon, and should get some first team minutes next season.

 

First touch, first professional goal for @CJFodrey ✅#SDvLV | @SanDiegoLoyal pic.twitter.com/0Vrn9o4nBf

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) August 19, 2021

 

Not sure where to put this, but I suspect that reserve team games probably would count as lower-division.

Chicago Fire U-23:

Chris Brady ('04) had a good performance. He was a little over-aggressive with his positioning on a few attacks, which might cost a keeper against Manchester City, but won't at this level. I don't think it was anything egregious. He made a few really good saves, and had a credible showing. I've mentioned before is that he's weak with his feet, but I think it's slightly more complicated than that. I think he struggles with his feet under pressure from pressing attackers. If they press him, he will kick it long or give it away. When he has time, he's able to play some good switches. He clearly is working on his passing, which is why he's able to play some of these switches, but he shows the difference between doing that with no pressure and doing that with a player running right at you. A player who isn't naturally comfortable with the ball might panic, and kick it long.

I thought Justin Reynolds ('04) didn't look bad either. He looked like he got tired in the second half, and wasn't tracking back as much as he should, but I thought he held his own against probably the highest competition he's faced in a game. Ryan Quintos ('04) at CB wasn't bad. The team was largely outplayed, but he was one of the few that wasn't one of the problems within the team. Bowen McCloud ('04) is one of my favorite under the radar 04's. He was playing as a holding midfielder, although I think he's more of a #8. I like his motor. He covers a lot of ground, and plays with a lot of energy, but also has good technique, and can play some very good passes. Alex Monis ('03) was the other MLS-contracted Fire player, but I was a little disappointed in what I saw. I don't think he's great, so I didn't expect him to dominate, but he added almost nothing.

 

https://www.oaklandrootssc.com/news...-roots-sign-two-players-to-academy-contracts-

 

An '03

Cristian Nava: New Mexican, State Champion, and now, professional soccer player 🖤💛.

Cristian becomes the first New Mexican to complete the #pathtopro from our Academy to signing his first professional contract! ¡FELICIDADES CRISTIAN! #SomosUnidos

— New Mexico United (@NewMexicoUTD) August 21, 2021

 

Both are 04’s.

 

Another superb guest article! 🔥

"Jonathan Gómez: Another Europe-bound Texan Prodigy"

🖋️made by @Futbology__ - one of the best scouts on Twitter!

👇👇👇https://t.co/VSA3ZSiwR9

— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) August 20, 2021

90+2: GOOOOOAAAALLL!!!

Serge Ngoma scores his first professional goal!

2-3 | #NYvCHS | #NYRBII

— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) August 21, 2021

.@marcelopalo with a BANG to level it! 💥#CLTvCOS | @Independence pic.twitter.com/ff6Zhwxbrx

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) August 22, 2021

.@marcelopalo with a BANG to level it! 💥#CLTvCOS | @Independence pic.twitter.com/ff6Zhwxbrx

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) August 22, 2021

 

From the inbox:

Cary, N.C. (August 24, 2021) - Youth standout Aziel Jackson will join North Carolina FC on loan from Minnesota United FC pending league and federation approval, the club announced today.​

 

First professional deal ✅#ATLUTD2 signs @AcademyATLUTD product Ajani Fortune 🔴⚫️

— ATL UTD 2 (@atlutd2) August 27, 2021

 

Games from last week.

Ft. Lauderdale: I only watched the end of this game because Felipe Valencia ('05) was subbed on late. He played less than 10 minutes, and didn't have many touches. Why has he played so little this season? If its injury, it's understandable. If it's not, what sense does it make to have a player on a first team deal you don't think is even ready for USL L1?

Austin: Casey Walls ('03) got another appearance late on. He was subbed on to play LB. He had almost no involvement. Counting a game played the following week, he's played 7 games in a row. He's starting to get regular playing time, but not that many minutes and most of them playing out of position.

Las Vegas: Antonio Leone ('04) had a pretty weak two games during this week. The first game I thought he was about average. A little below that, and certainly not as good as he had played in most games in recent months. The second game of the week he was bad. He defended one of the goals very badly, and was sloppy with his passing and defending the whole game. One of his worst performances of the season. Including this game he played 11 games in a row over the course of less than 9 weeks, and didn't leave the pitch in any of them. He may be fatigued. The whole team was terrible in the second game of the week, so it wasn't only his fault.

Armando Avila ('04) was one of the few LAFC players during these two games that looked good. He played CB in the first game and LB (off the bench) in the second game. He held his own. Not much better, but for a guy who hasn't gotten that much playing time in USL this season and was playing in a team that struggled, he didn't do bad. I don't know that his ceiling is especially high at either position though. He's undersized, a tweener between CB and LB, and doesn't do anything that well.

New York Red Bulls: John Carlos Cortez ('04) had a rough game. He was playing CB, as opposed to LB (and one or two games at RB) that he has played earlier in the season. The versatility is good. I think he can play CB or LB at the pro level. He wasn't helped much by his teammates, although he has struggled to keep up in USL so far this season.

Daniel Edelman ('03) is a player that I think I've underrated, even though I think I've said this earlier this season. There has been some discussion about how big of a loss it was for NYRB when Kenan Hot left, but I don't know that Edelman is any worse. They play a little differently and Hot has been significantly more hyped, but Edelman is such a consistent player. He's a very good defensive player, absolutely fearless player (he created a goal in this game by contesting for a header that he knew he was going to get clattered on), he has a very good passing range, and his soccer IQ is very high. He can play as a #6 or #8, and I think he exhibits talent that stands out in a team like this. Some of the plays he makes are pure quality types of plays that translate to any league.

Louisville: Jonathan Gomez ('03) played a very good game. Not one of his most involved games, but he barely put a foot wrong, and was one of Louisville's best players in this game due to how effective he was in his involvement as opposed to being one of the best players due to being incredibly involved and making a lot of very important plays. He was subbed out in the second half. It didn't look like an extremely serious injury, but I haven't seen a media report yet on the injury. Joshua Wynder ('05) had a quiet game at CB. There wasn't much defending to do and he had little involvement with his passing.

 

Congrats to 15-yo keeper Blake Kelly on his pro debut.

Highly-rated Jeff Dewsnup usually starts for Real Monarchs, but is not in tonight's USL lineup, ahead of tomorrow's RSL at Whitecaps match in MLS. https://t.co/srnoLWjyBx

— ChuckMe92 Soccer (@ChuckMe92Soccer) August 28, 2021

 

A possible startup in the area of Rome, Ga.

https://www.northwestgeorgianews.co...cle_baee9a54-05ce-11ec-842a-3fbd4f6efc83.html

 

Its the day we've been talking about for years. It's Jonathan Gomez' 18th birthday!!!
Hopefully we hear soon that he's signed a precontract in Europe. Real Sociedad?

Big year ahead for this guy. 👊

HBD, @jonathang_42! pic.twitter.com/QeLvFYWLtD

— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) September 1, 2021

 

[NEWS] 15-Year-Old Goalkeeper Nicholas Holliday Signs Professional Contract with North Carolina FC

📰: https://t.co/5KAE1bn4G1#WeAreNC pic.twitter.com/pKQ7wOb3HC

— North Carolina FC 🏆 (@NorthCarolinaFC) September 2, 2021

 

He was playing as a guest player with Charlotte FC last season a few times. Would it not be better for his development had he signed with them? As I’ve said many times, there’s not a lot of upside to being a good young prospect at an independent USL team.

 

My personal thought is that this is so they can get some compensation when Charlotte comes calling at some point soon.

 

.@JoseGallegos_17 out here snatching ankles before putting it in the net!! 1-0 🥅 #Defend210 pic.twitter.com/Dl3sSDpmdo

— San Antonio FC (@SanAntonioFC) September 2, 2021

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