YNT-eligible lower division-pro players: 2022 IN-SEASON thread

Games from last week.

North Carolina FC: Nicholas Holliday ('06) had about an average game. Made an easier save or two, didn't do that much wrong, but let in a goal at his near post that wasn't great. It wasn't a must save goal, but if he respected the near post shot, he would've had it. He's also gotten slightly better with his feet IMO.

Atlanta United II: Efrain Morales ('04) was playing very well being subbed on at CB, and then in stoppage time he fell asleep on a run in-behind that led to the winning goal. Soccer can be a cruel game. I like his game a lot more at CB than DM, but I think right now his game is too dangerous for his own team to not be used as a #8. He's one of the most naturally talented young players in the YNT system, but the error potential is way too high IMO to use him in a key defensive position.

Las Vegas: Antonio Leone ('04) had another reliable game. I find it funny that he's become a very boring player, but he's been pretty consistent at CB this season carrying over the form we've seen for most of last season.

Louisville: Joshua Wynder ('05) struggled early in the game with his positioning. He was getting beat in behind with well placed passes, but he adjusted his positioning well and played a good game after a rough start. This guy is majorly stock up this season IMO. He's a very dependable CB.

Loudoun United: Tyler Freeman ('03) had another very good game at LW. He's been excellent this season. I've previously mentioned that I questioned his soccer IQ because his decision making was a big problem, but the last three seasons he's improved his decision-making a lot. It's no longer a problem. He's a winger with no weaknesses anymore IMO. Matai Akinmboni ('06) was subbed on for his first extended USL appearance. He did well, all things considered. He was beat for a goal later on because he was too indecisive about how to defend a guy running at him with speed and he had some trouble with his positioning, but he fit into the game pretty well. I think with a few more regular appearances he'll be able to adjust to the USL level.

Abdellatif Aboukoura ('04) is very skilled. He scored an excellent goal using his quickness, skill, and nice combination ability. My main question in the past has been if there's going to be enough end product in his game. I've yet to see reason to believe it's a big problem, but I think he's earned a regular role in this Loudoun team, so we can see if it is. I think he's talented enough to be the next HG signing for DC United. Mathias Yohannes ('04) was also subbed on later on. He had a few nice plays in midfield. He's a two way midfielder, can play as a #6 or #8, but I prefer his game as a #8.

LA Galaxy II: First appearance of the season for an academy player that isn't on a HG contract, and that goes to Felipe Cobian ('04). I hadn't seen this guy play previously. I thought he did pretty well. He was playing at LB. His weakness is that he's slow, but I liked what I saw, aside from that. He reads the game well defensively, has a pretty good soccer IQ, has some ability on the ball, and has some grit to his game. The lack of dynamic ability for a 5'7 LB lacking pace could be an issue, but I'd like to see another few games before making a bigger judgment.

Jalen Neal ('03) was excellent. Barely put a foot wrong. This was the type of vintage performances we saw from him last season in this team.

 

Has he grown up a bit or still that nice 5'7" keeper with plenty of call ups?

 

He’s probably about 6’0. Last season in this league he wasn’t 5’7 either. You may be thinking of someone else. He has about average size for his age.

 

Is that Fischer kid 6'7" or something?

 

I believe he is under 6 ft still, I saw him up close recently and size is definitely not on his side not that it matters so much right now.

 

I could be wrong. My assessment was 6’0. If he’s 5’10 or 5’11, I could believe that. He’s a few inches taller than 5’7 though, at the very least.

USL lists him at 6’1 and transfermarkt says 5’11.

 

Nikki Rimando was listed something like 3 inches above his real height. Happens with American keepers.

 

Orange County SC has a player on the bench today named Jonathan Gomez (December ‘05).

 

A quieter week for Americans in USL last week.

NYRB II: Daniel Edelman ('03) has been brought down to the reserves for some minutes recently. This game he played 45 minutes. I thought he struggled significantly. He looked completely off his normal game. He was a step behind the play, he was inaccurate from his passing, losing the ball. I don't know if he was injured and thats why he came off at halftime as opposed to it being a planned sub, but if he was, I wouldn't be surprised. He got a little better as the half went along, but an uncharacteristically bad performance for a good (and consistent) player. I don't know if I saw a performance this weak from him all of last season.

Orange County SC: Alex Villanueva ('02) had a pretty average performance. Defended well, but little involvement going forward. He's really improved his defending the last year or two to about average. The offensive potential is high, but we didn't see it in this game.

Kobi Henry ('04) struggled in this game. He was almost completely at fault for a goal. Had another few errors defensively, and the passing accuracy continues to be a big issue. He can have some short stretches during a game where he makes some defensive plays. I don't think his defending ability is that bad. It'll probably be about average eventually once he's not one of the youngest players on the field. His short passing isn't bad either. He has some areas he really needs to work on because it's been causing some problems with his performance level the last two seasons.

Pittsburgh: Wyatt Borso ('04) was subbed on to play CF and added some energy. Very versatile player. Can probably play like 4 or 5 positions. Had a shot on goal that was well hit, but saved. Made some nice runs and added energy. His playing time hasn't been that consistent, but I think he should be earning some more minutes.

Atlanta II: Vicente Reyes ('04) had a nice save or two from what I saw. He also did well clearing balls in behind the defense. He's a little inconsistent with some of his reads and he did help contribute to one of the goals against with a poor pass out of the back (although it was far from the biggest issue on that goal), but he has some potential between size, athleticism, and some ability to play out of the back. I also only saw the second half, so I can't say how he did in the first half. I think I've compared him before to a slightly worse version of Antonio Carrera, and I stick by that comparison.

Luke Brennan ('05) was subbed on to play RB. I was surprised they had him playing RB, but I see the thinking. He's probably not a high upside guy at winger/CF, so try him out at RB, and maybe his upside there is higher. I don't know how much he's been working on it in training or lower levels, but I had never seen him play RB. He held his own though at a new position, so that was encouraging to see. It could've went a lot worse.

Jonantan Villal ('05) really struggled. A lot of turnovers. He's so skilled and you see some of the skill he can show in a game like this where he doesn't even play well, but not a good game for him.

Alan Carleton ('05) was subbed on and was playing as a #8. He did well. His combination ability helped create some positive moments for Atlanta. He also had a nice defensive play or two. I like him a lot more as a #8 than a #6. I don't know that he has the defensive contributions to be a #6 in the pro game. As a #8, his defensive contributions play better. He needs to get stronger and more physical. He's very slight in statute, although he's about 5'8. He has the offensive game though for the position, and showed some of that in this game.

Las Vegas: I am going to sound repetitive, but another very boring and nondescript performance from Antonio Leone ('04). He's really settled into a steady player at CB for this team, but the ceiling maybe isn't developing too much. I think he was probably an early developer physically and it's a fair question if his ceiling is actually what we initially thought it was. It's also possible his very nondescript performances are due to coaching, but he's not doing much positive or negative in these performances.

LA Galaxy II: This was a better game for Cameron Dunbar ('02). He had the assist on the only goal for his team. He was also very active offensively, like usual, but the end product he contributed is crucial for his development as a winger.

Felipe Cobian ('04) had another respectable showing. I thought this one was better than the last one. This appearance he had an above-average performance. He was playing some sort of hybrid LCB in a back 3 where he was actually playing more of a LB. He didn't get forward that much, but his defending was pretty good. When he gets beat though defensively, he struggles to recover because he's not very quick. Usually, he won't get beat. He's a reliable defensive player. I don't know that he has big offensive skills, but he's technically adequate and showed a nice pass or two over the top of the defense. His performances also beg the question. If this mostly unknown academy player can step into the reserves and immediately perform well, why don't we see more academy products?

Jalen Neal ('03) had another very good performance. Barely put a good wrong. Erased numerous attacking chances. Had some very good passes. One thing Neal does extremely well that I think can get overlooked is that his passing on the ground over distances is very effective and accurate. A lot of players try these long aerial switches that are more noticeable. Neal will fire it in 20 yards through a few players on the ground. It gets there faster and has a higher chance of completion.

 

Nathan Ordaz, welcome to Lights FC! He has joined us on loan from @LAFC.

🇸🇻 Has played for @LaSelecta_SLV U-19 team.

🇲🇽 Participated in @miseleccionmxEN U-20 training camp.

🇺🇸 Invited to the upcoming @USMNT U-20 training camp in April.#VivaLights ⚽🎉 | @GreatClips pic.twitter.com/3ZKfp1Tuf1

— Las Vegas Lights FC (@lvlightsfc) April 26, 2022

 

Quieter week for young Americans in USL last week.

Loudoun: Tyler Freeman ('03) was subbed in around the 60th minute. He didn't have a good performance. One of his weaker games this season. He was ineffective.

Las Vegas: Antonio Leone ('04) had an above-average performance. Some nice passing. Not that much involvement, as usual. One thing I've noticed is that he needs to improve his positioning. It gets him into trouble sometimes. His positioning isn't terrible, but something that needs some improvement. He got a yellow card almost entirely due to bad positioning. Got himself out of position, got bypassed, and then had to make a big recovery run that resulted in him taking the player down. I thought his tackle wasn't that bad. It could've been called as play on, but that he needs to go to ground there after making a long recovery run was due to bad positioning.

I think Christopher Jaime ('04) has passed Christian Torres ('04) in the rotation for Las Vegas. Neither brings that much offensively, which isn't good considering both are attackers, but Jaime has a little more energy to how he plays.

Sacramento: Rafael Jauregui ('04) was subbed on for about 25 minutes, and had a positive performance. He had a few nice offensive passages. I thought he struggled a lot in prior seasons in USL, but being a year or two older might've added a little extra confidence and improvement to his game.

LA Galaxy II: Johnny Perez ('03) absolutely dominated. He had 1G, 2A, and it could've been more. I thought the other team was terrible, but Perez was walking through their defense with ease. Really good left-foot. He was pinging incisive passes from RW over to the LW coming inside. He can walk the tight-rope with his dribbling. As I've mentioned previously, he's also quicker than you'd think. He should be playing regularly for LAG. He has little to gain from playing at this level.

Cameron Dunbar ('02) at LW had a goal after a great assist from Perez. He almost had another goal and an assist, but barely missed. Thats closer than he usually is to getting on the scoresheet. Usually it's beat a man or two, and then a bad decision. That wasn't what happened here. A little extra precision on the final shot or pass, and he would've had a 2G, 1A game. He also now has 1G, 2A in his last three games, so thats an improvement. If this continues, he will be a good player at higher levels.

Felipe Cobian ('04) had another positive performance at LB. His defense is pretty good. He sometimes gets a little lost with his positioning, and then he can't recover because he lacks quickness, but he usually can make the plays in front of him, makes good decisions with the ball, and is a steady presence at LB.

Jalen Neal ('03) wasn't much worse than Perez. If Perez was MOTM, Neal was the second best on the field in this game. He had one or two slight wobbles that resulted in nothing, but for the most part it was an overwhelmingly good performance with his passing, interceptions, and organizing the backline. He's another that has little to gain from playing much longer in USL.

 

Diego Luna('03), had a couple of nice moments on Saturday.

Diego Luna is just absolutely disgusting pic.twitter.com/eo9kHzgequ

— John Morrissey (@USLTactics) April 30, 2022

Ｄａｎｇｅｒｏｕｓ.
Diego Luna gives the Locos a lead!#VamosLocos #LDNvELP pic.twitter.com/bPTR7kEkQl

— El Paso Locomotive FC (@eplocomotivefc) April 30, 2022

 

Any North Texas watchers here? It seems like '02 Andre Costa has found a home in the midfield there after spending several years at Real Madrid and elsewhere in Spain. He apparently had some opportunities at somewhat-comparable levels in Europe but ended up coming here instead.

 

Remember that Goal of the Week run from Diego Luna? It's up for Goal of the Month😏

VOTE NOW! 🗳️➡️ https://t.co/bT57P1Zyga #VamosLocos pic.twitter.com/8RWvK9b4TW

— El Paso Locomotive FC (@eplocomotivefc) May 5, 2022

 

Diego Luna, had a goal and an assist tonight.

𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊!
3⃣GAMES. 7⃣DAYS. 9⃣POINTS#VamosLocos #ELPvLA pic.twitter.com/jq36VqwZNK

— El Paso Locomotive FC (@eplocomotivefc) May 8, 2022

 

Atlanta II: This is the worst team in USL IMO. Tough environment for these kids to develop in. Luke Brennan ('05) probably just isn't a USL regular. The kid works hard, good movement, some versatility, and athleticism, but I think they are asking too much of him to play regular minutes. Noah Cobb ('05) also has struggled. Jonantan Villal ('05) is the best of their '05 crop, but the performance level is so up and down in his first full pro season. He hasn't had a good game in probably about five games.

Efrain Morales ('04) was subbed in during the second half. I believe he's once again returning from injury. This has become a problem for him. It's hard for him to make progress with his development when he's very stop and start with playing games. I think he's maybe a little too physically slight, and needs to get stronger to better withstand the rigors of pro soccer. Very talented player though. Vicente Reyes ('03) is giving up a lot of goals in net, but I actually think he's gotten better this season, and is a player they should sign to a HG contract. He's a player with some good potential.

Louisville: Joshua Wynder ('05) put in another good performance. He's been a big standout this season among the young players in USL. Part of it is that he's playing for a veteran team where there's a lot of stability around him (unlike say Atlanta), but he's also a good passer who defends well for his age against pros, and has size/athleticism. He'd probably do well for any USL team.

Sacramento: I think Rafael Jauregui ('04) is a little better than I credited him for being in prior seasons, but I don't know that he shows anything dynamic or high ceiling. He's a versatile attacker that can probably play anywhere in the attack and can do a little of everything, but doesn't have any real calling card to his game.

New Mexico: This is the first time I've Cristian Nava ('03). He's a small attacking mid, potentially a winger. Plays quick, good ball control, likes to dribble and combine with teammates. Not sure he's dynamic or how good his quickness is yet, but I will try to watch more to assess in upcoming weeks.

Las Vegas: I might be the one missing something, but I don't see much from Nathan Ordaz ('04). At this point, I don't view him as a prospect. Christian Torres ('04) really isn't that much higher up the list for me. He's a little better because he's positionally versatile and can dribble well with the ball occasionally, but very little impact.

El Paso: Diego Luna ('03) had a good game. I wouldn't say Luna was great because he wasn't that involved in the game, but he picked his spots well, and had an assist. I think with him not being in great shape and not the most athletic, it's a little easier to accept that out of him, if you want to get the best out of him.

Los Dos: Awful game. They were destroyed. Felipe Cobian ('04) had a game to forget. It happens. He's played a bunch of good games to start his pro career, but he's not some elite level prospect that isn't going to have ups and downs in his first pro season. There was a lot he did wrong in this game, but I don't want to be too critical. Hopefully he can do better next game.

Jalen Neal ('03) was the best of a terrible bunch. Neal was good. I wouldn't say he was great. You could say he had very slight blame on two of the four goals, but one play was a pinball play that I don't think you can properly expect a CB to defend and the other was an unfortunate play where a bounce goes against the other CB and Neal doesn't recognize quick enough that he's the one who has to defend the player at the back post (Cobian probably also should've done better on this than Neal). Aside from that, very good. The passing is really good, but without the flashy 50 yard switches in the air. He denied his U-20 teammate Luna 3-4 times, including one time for a sure goal. You think he's defended him in practice before? He almost had an incredible recovery on one of the goals (that he had no blame on), but the player pivoted well at the last moment.

 

Luna had a goal and an assist. As for him not being very involved, I think it was just from exhaustion. He played the full 90, 3 games in a row, in 1 week.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/diego-luna/leistungsdaten/spieler/880626

 

Sorry, you're correct. I forgot that he scored the third goal. As I've mentioned before, I sometimes forget about the bottom line score elements to these games, and focus too much on assessing how they played.

Luna has done very well this season. Just thought he was a little quiet, but you obviously cannot complain about 1G, 1A from a game.

 

Take a minute and re-watch Illia Tyrkus' first professional goal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/IiakF8NHWR

— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) May 15, 2022