By the end of last week, the well-groomed fields at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida had been worn down by a week of (mostly) non-stop action from the country’s top young talent in Generation Adidas Cup (GA).

Around every field can be a representative from a European club that appreciates the talent of the future; players like Manchester United, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and Sporting Lisbon had scouts on hand. There were also representatives of the youth national team for the United States, Mexico, Canada and Jamaica. There were also plenty of agents looking for new clients and college coaches available looking to promote their programs.

29 participated in the tournament MLS academy plus selected international teams which this year included Arsenal, Manchester United, River Plate, Flamengo, Jeonbuk Hyundai, PSV and others. In the end, Philadelphia Union came out on top of the U-17 division, defeating LA Galaxy in the final with penalties.

While the tournament may be in the news now for the many controversial incidents involving racist slurs, it will also be remembered for the many stars of the future who grabbed the spotlight.

Here, then, are some of those players – focusing on US-based talent. The scouts and top-level club executives who are quoted did so anonymously to freely discuss internal assessments.

Only players who feature for the U-17 teams are listed below. There was a lot of exciting U15 talent, but a lot can happen between that age and, hopefully, turning pro.

Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia Union | Born 2009

Manchester City linked wonderkid Kavan Sullivan is 14 years old and was playing with the Philadelphia Union U-17s – it would be a no-brainer for him to be with the U-15s given this stage of his development.

He had an up and down tour. The striker showed quality on the ball, excellent technique and IQ but struggled to make a big consistent impact. With the hype surrounding him, other teams will always step up for games against Sullivan and Philly to try and prove they are on his level as well. It is natural.

Sullivan has an advantage, as detailed in our article on it. That mentality is why those around him believe he will make it, but the downside came against Hajduk Split as he picked up a red card late in the game. He was suspended for the semi-finals, which Union exited, then returned for the final and scored as Union lifted the trophy.

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Mathis Albert, LA Galaxy | Born 2009

LA Galaxy academy winger Mathis Albert has exploded over the past year and earned a call-up to join the second team in pre-season this winter, with which he impressed in a friendly against FC Nordsjælland.

Albert’s talent is such that multiple scouts said he is seen in the same elite class as Sullivan, with one favoring Albert over Sullivan in terms of potential.

Another said simply: “He’s Cavan Sullivan without the fuss.”

The winger is known for his excellent dribbling and ability to turn those moments into goalscoring contributions.

Albert, 14, is unlikely to stay in the US much longer. He has a French passport, which allows him to move to Europe earlier than most Americans in MLS academies. There is no shortage of teams trying to poach him from France, the Netherlands and elsewhere, sources briefed on the situation say.

Neil Pierre, Philadelphia Union | Born 2007

US youth international quarterback Neil Pierre is a very interesting prospect. The Union defender stands at 6-foot-5 already at the age of 16 and has made nine appearances with Philly’s second team in MLS Next Pro. He trained with Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad last winter.

Pierre had a strong tournament and was named man of the match in the team’s round of 16 win over Jeonbuk. Pierre seemed to win every duel in that 1-0 win and was integral to the Union’s tournament win.

Jamir Johnson, Philadelphia Union | Born 2008

Midfielder Jamir Johnson, 15, is another top talent progressing within the Philadelphia Union’s academy.

Johnson scored the winning goal against Jeonbuk, and also scored a brace in a win against Vancouver in the group stage.

Much of the interest surrounding Johnson centers on his versatility and where he might project long-term. He might be a winger, but Union don’t play wingers, so he’s been developed elsewhere to great effect. He may be an attacking midfielder, but Sullivan has mostly played there for the Under-17s when they both start. Instead, Johnson has influenced the game as an attack-minded central midfielder in the Union diamond.

Johnson doesn’t have an in-house deal yet, but I would imagine that will be a priority once Sullivan’s deal is official.

Diego Rocío, Philadelphia Union | Born 2007

Diego Rocío was named the GA Cup U-17 Player of the Tournament after the Union won the trophy

Rocío scored both goals in Union’s 2-0 semi-final win over Flamengo, then scored in the final against the Galaxy. He is eligible for the United States and Mexico and made his professional debut with the Union’s second team this year already.

Maximo Carrizo became the youngest player in MLS history to sign a first-team deal two years ago, signing with NYCFC on his 14th birthday.

The talented attacking midfielder has played with the United States and Argentina youth national teams. Now 16, he is working to continue his progress with NYCFC. Carrizo already has 27 pro appearances, all with the club’s second team. He should be a mainstay in the second team this year as he hopes to push for his MLS debut.

Scouts show Athletics they strongly feel that Carrizo projects as a number 10 or perhaps a creative, inverted winger on the right where he can move into the centre. Their aim is that he cannot be a traditional winger at this point, but can develop as a free number 8 in a 4-3-3.

Carrizo’s technique is special. Like Sullivan, he also has an edge to him that can go a step too far. In NYCFC’s 4-2 loss to PSV, Carrizo was fouled setting up a goal. After the game when he was on the ground, he kicked the PSV defender out, but the referee didn’t see it. In a VAR contest, it is likely that the goal would have been disallowed and Carrizo sent off.

A scout said Athletics that New York Red Bulls defensive midfielder Adri Mehmeti, 15, is the club’s best incoming midfield prospect since the US mainstay. Tyler Adams.

RBNY has produced such as Daniel Edelman (USA U-20 World Cup captain, first team starter), Peter Stroud (Duke standout) and Bento Estrella (US and Portugal youth international) in the time since Adams, so that’s high praise.

Mehmeti, who just turned 15 this weekend, trained with RB Salzburg this winter. He was with New York’s second team in the preseason and made his competitive debut with RBNY II in the first round of the US Open Cup.

Mehmeti was part of the Red Bulls U-17 team that was withdrawn from the GA Cup due to numerous alleged racial incidents directed at his teammates.

Jude Terry, LAFC | Born 2008

LAFC defensive midfielder Jude Terry is a highly regarded talent and regular with the US youth national team. He is also right about Mexico.

The 15-year-old is described by scouts as having pure technique, excellent determination both on and off the ball, and a strong football IQ that guides his movement and positioning. Terry has made two MLS Next Pro appearances for LAFC’s second team.

While LAFC has had a lot of success developing young talent, most of the notable examples come from acquired players rather than from the academy. LAFC really hasn’t had a talent step up to a regular first-team role. Perhaps Terry could be his heir apparent Elie Sanchez as a tempo-setting, holding midfielder.

Stefan Çirila, FC Cincinnati | Born 2007

FC Cincinnati academy forward Stefan Chirila won the GA Cup Golden Boot and made his MLS Next Pro debut with Cincy’s second team earlier this year.

Chirila, 17, joined the Cincy academy from Philly last year.

Chirila’s strike partner in this tournament was visiting player, German-American with dual citizenship Jykese Fields. Fields currently plays for Hoffenheim, but Cincy is trying to bring him into their academy setup. He has three goals and five assists in 703 minutes for Hoffenheim U-17 this season.

Real Salt Lake winger Zavier Gozo was one of the best talents to watch heading into the tournament, a player who has already signed a contract in the country, made his MLS debut and has plenty of professional appearances with the second.

Gozo, 17, trained with RB Salzburg this winter.

Colorado Rapids academy left back Miguel Alvarado has progressed through the academy, making his MLS Next Pro debut this year.

Alvarado impressed with his winning ability in duels against the ball and technical quality in it. The US youth international was part of his country’s team that won the CONCACAF U-15 Championship last year. He is firmly in the mix for next year’s U-17 World Cup squad.

Austin Jones, PSV Eindhoven | Born 2008

I broke my rule here because Austyn Jones is a Dutch youth international who plays for PSV, but he has an American passport and Athletics saw some scouts of the US national youth soccer team talking to him after a game. He is very much on the radar of the United States.

Jones, who turns 16 in April, scored twice in PSV’s 4-2 win against NYCFC.

The forward featured in February for the Netherlands U-16 national team in friendlies, where he scored twice against Japan.

(Photo: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)





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