YNT-Eligible MLS Players, 2025 In-Season Thread

Also look at McGuire’s actions, not just Brady. Has no clear control of the ball at the point of collision. He’s looking for it in the sky. Cupps is a foot away and has way more forward momentum.

Does not seem at all to me like if you take Brady’s action out of the play (hypothetically if they were playing without a keeper) that McGuire is just walking that into the net.

 

I'm not sure "walking into the net" is the threshold for obvious goal scoring opportunity. Cupps was in a decent position all things considered - Brady didn't need to clean out McGuire, but he did. He took out Cupps too! If he had hypothetically missed McGuire but still took out Cupps, then it was a open net with no other defender in a position to make a play.

 

Anyone has the inside scoop on why Julian Hall isn’t starting vs freaking Colorado switchbacks?

 

Presumably because Red Bulls wanted to give their brand new 2 million dollar striker a start

 

16yr old Caraballo started and notched 2 goals last night for Orlando. Although, I think he chooses Venezuela over the US since he’s from Venezuela and his father played for the Venezuela NT.

Christiano Olivera also scored for NE.

 

Caraballo is coming off scoring 2 goals in the title game and winning the MVP award at the Generation Adidas Cup. He's already made his MLS debut, and looked dangerous when he did so. Yes, it's unlikely that he will play for the USMNT but not totally out of the question - who knows how he'll feel when he's 19 or 20.

Shore started for NYCFC again, but in a strange midfield that struggled to take hold of the match against Pittsburgh. I think Jansen made a mistake by not starting Carrizo, as the team lacked a playmaker in the middle and couldn't create much despite dominating possession.

After a red card to a center back Seymour Reid came on. Not technically US eligible but I don't think I've seen a better hold up striker at his age. He was holding off two or three USLC defenders at times. He helped create a couple big chances even being down a man.

Drew Baiera came in at the end, but had little time to do anything. Pittsburgh scored in injury time and was the only USL team to advance.

 

It’s unfortunate they were knocked out early for Baiera and Carrizo, but like you mentioned one didn’t play at all and the other got very limited minutes. If they had advanced they may not have gotten additional minutes.

I’m surprised Maxi has started just about every regular season game. During congestion and towards the end of the season I would expect his minutes to shrink, but that probably won’t mean minutes for the younger guys if NYCFC is playing 2 teenagers in the midfield.

 

Worth referencing that with the relations between USA and Venezuela at the moment, it may simply be easier for his pro career to choose the USA.

He also sounds like someone who you’d be shocked to learn does not currently have US citizenship. Not that there’s one sound to an American, but the kid has clearly lived here for a while, not just 2-3 years.

See you Saturday 🤩

🎟️ https://t.co/DraeMCLAuH pic.twitter.com/VJVgPhfes6

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 8, 2025

 

He was running hard. Factoid is the coach of AV Alta is none other than Brian Kleiban. He seems to have changed philosophy some as there was a lot of long switches and balls trying to get in behind.

 

And also while we are chasing foreign kids of dubious American ties and abilities all over Europe we shouldn't assume that the kid that grew up here and probably the top 2008 in the country doesn't want to play for us.

 

Maybe he divorced his brother?

 

I have no idea if he agreed and was implicit with what his brother did but if not he basically wrecked his career. The brother ruined some player's careers also IMHO. Most went too soon and to the wrong places for very low money. I also think Germany is a very tough place for S Cali kids to go at very young ages. If Donovan struggled with home sickness it's a real thing.

 

I like Frankie Westfield a lot..

He got exposed by Arfsten for a Columbus goal

Then minutes later Frankie comes back and rips a goalazo

 

Think it was @willydonc who said he's like a right-footed Tolkin. I definitely see that, and don't think it's too unreasonable for him to eventually reach that level.

 

Do you guys expect anyone to get sold in the summer? Quinn Sullivan feels the most likely to me. Perhaps a championship or Bundesliga side. He looks too good for MLS and has more upside but so was Morris.

 

Sullivan is a weird one - he's been excellent for Philly, but in a role that is becoming less popular in world soccer - the wide midfielder in a diamond. He's not a winger, but he's not a central midfielder. He doesn't invert from his position frequently or take a lot of players on.

The Philadelphia approach relies on simplicity and familiarity in its players to get the absolute best out of the system. I am not sure that you can take Sullivan out of that system and expect him to immediately adapt to a different system. For the same reason I'm not sure he would be very good with the USMNT. I just don't see a fit, and when he's been played in positions that aren't that wide shuttler he's been so-so.

 

Philly doesn't really play a diamond anymore, though, right?

Sullivan is such a clean player -- some of the best technique we've seen. He should be adaptable to plenty of systems as either an advanced central player or a narrower wing type of player. Most systems have players who play in those types of positions.

Overall, I'd describe Quinn as a modern two-way player that has the versatility to play at least a couple of different places on the field.

 

It's hard to say because MLS is starting to hold on to young players longer than they were a couple of years ago. There was a phase where every young player who had gotten a good half season was going to Europe ASAP. This newer trend is better for the league, and I think better for the players too.

There are probably at least a dozen guys who would be wanted by teams in a top league or by a team near the top of the table in a second tier league, but it's much harder to predict who will go when since there seems to be less jumping ship at the first opportunity now.

The other trend that we are seeing is that next age group of 22-24 is garnering interest from European teams. There is a myth that if a player doesn't move to Europe by 21, they will be stuck in MLS. I think the reason we had not seen many of those moves is because there just wasn't much talent in that next age bracket. There is plenty of interest from European teams in players between 22-24, which is still seen as "young" by most teams, and now that the league has been producing a decent amount of talent, there will be more and more players who have opportunities like Tolkin and Sands just got.

 

I’m not one that’s on the boat of “being stuck in MLS if they haven’t moved to Europe by 21”, but am in the boat of thinking that if they haven’t moved out of MLS by 21 their chances of being a USMNT starter in the future are small unless they’re dominating in MLS. Luna could become a good example of this last part.

 

You would think that being among the best in your position would be a minimum requirement for a USMNT callup in most leagues, not just MLS.

That said we’ve seen plenty of players get USMNT callups despite being mediocre to bad in MLS (Kellyn Acosta, for example) so what do I know

 

Max Carrizo

🚨 | NYCFC's Twitter account won't post their subs for some reason, but Máximo Carrizo ('08) subbed on in the 65th minute to make his 2nd first team appearance.#usmnt https://t.co/AoMFtrpUkW

— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) May 15, 2025

Justin Ellis debut

🚨 | Justin Ellis ('07) subs on for his Orlando City first team debut! https://t.co/2di7wCvzUh

— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) May 15, 2025

 

Gozo has been starting for RSL the last few games. He’s quite aggressive with lots of speed and endurance. His passing, crossing and finishing were lacking, but he’s one of the few teens we have who can create opportunities on their own.

He’s similar in a lot of ways to Cade Cowell without as much strength. If he can improve his technical skills a bit he has the potential to surpass Cowell whose also still young.

 

Not a great game from Carrizo, though he had a penalty shout that was unlucky to be denied. He needs to adapt to the speed of MLS. He wants to dribble a bit longer than he has any time to; he’s got to figure out how to release the ball in a timely manner. The widows are much smaller in MLS.

 

More on Justin Ellis... good to see Orlando starting to develop players

Justin Ellis has caught the eye of plenty European clubs with his performances with Orlando and USYNT.

Now he's 18, one to watch this summer.

Ellis is signed to 2nd team contract thru 2026, so would be a transfer. Orlando want to sign homegrown deal too

Won GA Cup Golden Boot https://t.co/WUfANBuDNw

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) May 15, 2025

I like what Justin and his representation did here. They signed a short term MLSNP deal because they were skeptical about Orlando's ability to integrate academy players. This contract created some leverage.

Orlando is showing him that they have a plan and he is valued, but he… https://t.co/Znahwt3bGg

— Marcus Chairez | US/SC (@USSoccerColl) May 15, 2025