MLS Next Pro at the half: positives and what to look for in each team
Even if defining an actual midpoint of this MLS Next Pro season is made quite hard by the fact that not all teams have played an equal number of games, with the league itself officially announcing its midseason awards, I feel like it’s a good time to stop for a moment and reflect on how the season has gone so far. To do so, I decided to highlight one extremely positive thing that happened during the first half of the year for each franchise, with a quick explanation of why and how it actually worked. But at the same time, while writing this I felt the urge to also throw an eye towards the future, and highlight one quick thing that each team could improve during the rest of the season. A disclaimer before I start: I watch and analyse this league through the lens of player development and actual usefulness for the first team. Excellent performances in the league are only valuable if they appear to be transferrable to MLS, even if just in a backup role. This doesn’t mean that a sixteen-years-old clocking ten minutes a game with little production is more valuable than a twenty-one-years-old who’s an MVP candidate. Actually, as you’ll see, old-ish players are still very much taken into consideration.
Eastern Conference
Northeast Division
Crown Legacy — The process
You know, the one they’re apparently breaking the league with. Throwing a bunch of foreign low-risk high-potential investments to the wall and bringing whatever sticks up to the first team. Their approach has been by far the most ambitious, and so far it has turned out great. It’s not just that the team does well in the standings, is that to guide this dominant team there are players who could very well contribute at the next level and, in some cases, like Brandon Cambridge and Patrick Agyemang, have already done so. This is a team that, just like the Columbus Crew, could be very quick in getting consistent production out of their development team. And they are providing a blueprint — not The Blueprint, as you already have the example of the aforementioned Crew — for teams that want to be ambitious with this league, and reap the rewards of their work.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get more production from the academy kids
New England Revolution II — Jordan Adebayo-Smith
In half a season with the Revs organization, the former Tampa Bay Rowdies and Lincoln City academy product has already equalled his highest single season goal tally, scoring the same seven goals he managed in last season’s USL Championship with the New York Red Bulls second team. As a twenty-two-years-old, he has a lower ceiling than other prospects on his own team, but his dribbling prowess and voracity in pressing can make him a useful backup striker in MLS who is just one good fit away from having a couple productive seasons as a starter.
What to improve in the second half of the season: More of what Peyton Miller is doing, thanks.
New York City II — MD Myers
I pride myself in being a US Soccer sicko, but I have to admit that when one of my colleagues at mlssocceritalia.com wrote a glowing review in our private chat of NYCFC’s 66th overall pick at the last SuperDraft, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had seen some of Rutgers tape last season, but as someone who was still developing and learning as a college soccer aficionado, MD Myers wasn’t necessarily the player who had sticked out the most. With a little more time to focus, though, it’s easy to see where my colleague’s infatuation came from. Myers has some phenomenal striking instincts, he’s a really great finisher and has maybe the most potential as a poacher of all strikers in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised if the continued striking crisis in the first team forced Nick Cushing’s hand in trying to accelerate his development.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Let Maximo Carrizo cook.
New York Red Bulls II — Ibrahim Kasule
At some point last winter it felt that even with the connection brought by head coach and former captain of the Ugandan national team Ibrahim Sekagya, the Red Bulls would not have been going to secure the signing of one of the country’s finest prospect. While 2001 striker Frank Ssebuufu officially signed with the Red Bulls early in the window, the deal to bring his teammate at Wakiso Giants, 2004-born 8/10 hybrid Ibrahim Kasule seemed to have been hijacked by Turkish second division club Ankara Keciorengucu. For… reasons I still cannot fully understand, he turned up in New Jersey, and that surely helped the team. Kasule is quickly approaching the 10 goals+assists mark and has been especially scorching hot in the past few weeks.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Is Bento Estrela ready for this level?
Philadelphia Union II — Francis Westfield
At just seventeen-years-old — he’s a late 2005, born in December — Francis Westfield is one of two Philadelphia Union II players to have crossed the 1000-minutes mark. This should not be news, as Westfield was also really impressive in 2022 as a sixteen-years-old, and there’s an argument to be made that given his pedigree in the pro game, albeit in a newborn league with a reserve team, he’s one of the most underrated prospects in the country both at his position — right back — and overall. His game is impressive especially offensively and with the ball at his feet, so a slightly different profile from what the first team has been used on the right flank, and more similar to what Kai Wagner offered on the other side. In a certain way, it almost feels like Union II play a mirrored version of Jim Curtin’s tactics, with responsibilities on the flanks exchanged. One has to imagine he’s getting really close to a Homegrown deal.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get either Juan Castillo or Anton Sorenson ready for the post-Kai Wagner Union
Toronto FC II — Adam Pearlman
I had already written about the 2005-born central defender last season as one of my picks for best players in the league, as he was one of the most consistent performers at his age in the league over a larger sample size. He kept the same level of performance in 2023 so far, and one has to ask just how long still his game can be contained just at the developmental level. His position in the team feels particularly interesting as the franchise promoted veteran league defender Jay Hernandez to the general manager role after the firing of Bob Bradley, as Pearlman has been indicated as someone who Hernandez has mentored and taken under his wing.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Rebuild the core of young players that was destroyed by going all-in on the Italians.
Central Division
Atlanta United II — Nick Firmino
I mean, it’s difficult to write a bunch of words that aren’t the three letters M, V and P. He’s been a supernova on this league, and if you take into account the fact that, with his first short-term loan to the first team, he even scored a tying goal in the dying minutes of a game, you come to the realisation that there isn’t something else he can do or show at this level that can give him a higher chance to earn a first team contract. Signing Firmino for Atlanta wouldn’t be just a generally good idea because of the player that he can be, but also a sign of intent from the franchise and a move that could help the entire organization in attracting better players to their developmental squad. As we’ve seen with the Columbus Crew, it doesn’t matter how the pipeline is structured, but if you prove to use it properly, players of a higher calibre will be attracted by your project.
What to improve in the second half of the season: They lost Vicente Reyes to Norwich by not giving him first team minutes, at the very least they should audition Justin Garces with the first team to be the heir to Brad Guzan’s throne.
Chicago Fire II — Harold Osorio
Starting the season, I was really hyped by Omari Glasgow, inarguably the biggest talent Guyana has ever produced in soccer, and while his season has been quite good so far, it’s another import that caught my eye. Salvadorean Harold Osorio has quickly earned a spot atop the list of better assistmen in the league, and his performance got him a call up to the Gold Cup, which is an incredible accomplishment even if his first start at the 10 position against Martinique was a really tough game for him and the team. If the buzz around Brian Gutierrez were to transform into something bigger, he could be a beneficiary of the new minutes available with the first team, even if the Fire pipeline is filled with flashy and talented homegrown trequartistas. Right now, though, he seems to be a step in front all of them.
What to improve in the second half of the season: With 30-year-old Jeff Gall starting a majority of games in goal, who can be the next Slonina/Brady?
Columbus Crew II — The first team impact
A few weeks ago I wrote — in Italian, but don’t worry, next week I plan on publishing the same article here, but translated in English — about how the Columbus Crew are the model for every other franchise to follow in regards to their use of MLS Next Pro. It’s not just about winning the league’s first title, that’s almost completely secondary, but mostly about just how many players have translated from the reserve team seamlessly to the first team. Players like Patrick Schulte and Mo Farsi are lockdown starters for Wilfried Nancy, and others like Sean Zawadzki and league MVP Jacen Russell-Rowe have been solid pieces off the bench for one of MLS’ most entertaining teams. There isn’t really just one player to showcase here, there’s an entire organization that has mastered this process before everyone else, and is already reaping the rewards of their work.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Mataeo Bunbury’s involvement
Cincinnati II — Developing the Homegrowns
I think we can all agree on the fact that Arquimides Ordonez is now an MLS player, and wouldn’t be with a reserve team if Cincinnati wasn’t in the midst of potentially the most dominant season in MLS history. But it’s not just the Guatemalan U20 international both shining at developmental level while getting call ups with the first team. For one of the league’s most recent imports, Cincinnati is finally showing up the results of the work of its academy. In a dominant win against Toronto, Pat Noonan chose, almost as a Red Auerbach’s cigar move, but also to reward the development in MLS Next Pro, to give their debut to 15-years-old Stiven Jimenez and other homegrown Gerardo Valenzuela, who has been one of the reserve team’s most consistent performers with 3 goals and 2 assists in 12 games.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Is Isaiah Foster ready for first team minutes?
Huntsville City FC — Chrisnovic N’sa
What to improve in the second half of the season: Let new Homegrown Adem Sipic get even more starts
Inter Miami CF II — David Ruiz
He didn’t play long with the second team, only three matches, but when development moves so fast towards the first team, it’s always a positive, especially if the player then shows immediately the ability to translate at the higher level. David Ruiz hasn’t solidified into a lock into the starting eleven, but that’s mostly due to him missing a couple games just as he was earning those minutes to go to the U20 World Cup with Honduras. In some cases, less consistently good performances at this level are more valuable than long haul excellence, because the bigger picture, in this case first team contribution, is always to be preferred.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get Javi Morales to ask Lionel Messi if he can have some sparring sessions with Santi Morales after training
Orlando City II — Javier Otero (but it isn’t news)
In general, positive signs out of this Orlando B team seem to be coming mostly from those we already knew to be exciting talents at this level. Jack Lynn has started just where he left off in 2022, and continues to score at a breakneck pace. On the other hand Otero is arguably, and arguably was last season too, the best goalkeeper in the league, but he surely has to ask himself some questions. How does he value his chances with the first team? Pedro Gallese is getting older, but in goalkeeping getting older isn’t necessarily a sign of decay, and actually may represent the opposite. Vicente Reyes has recently shown that scouts even internationally are watching this league and may be willing to let their team invest in it. At some point, leaving might just be the better call for him.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get Shak Mohammed more starts
Western Conference
Frontier Division
Austin FC II — Damian Las
In terms of defensive performance, there’s one franchise that stands completely alone in another dimension compared to the rest of the league. That’s Austin FC, who has only conceded 10 goals, against a 14 goal performance by second best defence San José Earthquakes and a 17 goals against performance by the best team in the opposing conference, the New York Red Bulls. Up there with the reasons of this performance is Damien Las, who has been for quite some time one of the most hyped young goalkeepers in US Soccer, and who really beneficiated from Austin adopting a reserve team. The 2002 born goalkeeper joined the team last season, but was stuck to be a backup to Brad Stuver, and this season got a chance to show why he’s been so highly rated for so much time. Also, a plus: he’ll be one of four goalkeepers selected for the Goalie Wars!!!
What to improve in the second half of the season: More goals from CJ Fodrey
Colorado Rapids II — Yosuke Hanya
Contrary to what I wrote about the other league leaders in Crown Legacy, I have the feeling that what the Rapids are doing might be a liiiiiiiittle less translatable to MLS level. I just don’t quite see that number of high ceiling prospects or even just potential role players. That said, this is the Colorado Rapids, aka Distressed Assets FC. Nobody else in this league is as encouraged to try whatever is working in MLS Next Pro at MLS level than a team with basically an estranged owner that pretends the franchise doesn’t exist, that has to operate on a small budget and to whom trading for one of the worst DPs in league history might actually be the least risky option because they wouldn’t have a DP otherwise. Certainly Yosuke Hanya, who’s been having an MVP calibre season and who has already debuted with the first team, feels like an option that could be useful in the long term for Robin Fraser.
What to improve in the second half of the season: I mean, they’re dominating, basically nothing.
Houston Dynamo II — Yair Gonzalez
The Texans aren’t exactly one of the most exciting organizations in the league, but given the sheer number of rebuilds they’ve gone through over the years, even a competent second team feels like, potentially, a sign of better things to come. One thing that the Dynamo seem to have improved over the years is their international scouting, and it could be argued that these kind of prospects are the most interesting within the pipeline. As you’ll see in the next paragraph about the possible improvements, I was very high on Djevencio van der Kuist, a talented full back with experience in a league like the Eredivisie. But Yair Gonzalez is the player that has impressed the most. A 2002 born enganche, the former Argentinos Juniors player has the second most goals in the team while not having nearly the same share of minutes as those around him in the standings, all of that while starting from a position farther away from the goal.
What to improve in the second half of the season: A stronger contribution in the first team from Djevencio van der Kuist.
Sporting Kansas City II — Pau Vidal
There was a stretch of the season — which funnily enough coincided with the first team’s worst period, in which they could’ve needed the help of a player they cannot really promote right now due to his international status — where it was impossible to stop Pau Vidal from scoring. The striker from Valencia scored in five consecutive games and did so while showing to be a complete threat. His 8 goals so far are almost perfectly shared between the right — 4 goals — and the left foot — 3 goals, with another coming off an header. The former Villarreal academy player might have slightly cooled off recently, but is still one of the best scorers in the league and has made an incredibly positive impact in his first season in Kansas City. His signing could open up a new path for recruitment, as every season in Europe’s top leagues dozens of 18-years-old are released by academies when they might just be late bloomers in need of more care. This path has been heavily scouted by college soccer for years now, but with many of those players choosing NCAA with the prospect of an MLS career in mind, getting directly into professional organizations may very well be a more endearing proposition for some of them.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get Nati Clarke ready for the first team
Minnesota United II — Emmanuel Iwe
As we’ll see, as I was writing this news broke out about two of my picks being signed to a first team contract. Immanuel Iwe was one of the two, and the news is particularly fascinating as right now Iwe is probably as close to an actual homegrown player as a team that dumped its academy a few years ago can make. The winger, who is the second best goal scorer in the team after Diogo Pacheco, is a Minneapolis bred player, who went to both high school and college in the area. His story is inspiring as he’s one of a handful of players coming from DII soccer to professional contracts with an MLS team — curiously the Loons have under contract Ryen Jiba, who came from an even lower level in the NJCAA — and has performed well after being given a chance by his local team to show up with the second team.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Let Kage Romanshyn ball
North Texas SC — Antonio Carrera
The only reason he didn’t play all the minutes is because he went off to the U20 World Cup with the United States, a spot he solidified over a really good qualifying campaign in which he was a mainstay of the team. If he happened to play in another organization, he’d probably be already in contention for a first team spot, because it really feels like he has achieved all that he could do at this level, but for some weird reason — which may not be weird at all and just due to an excellent goalkeeper coaching department — it seems like most of the best goalkeepers in MLS Next Pro operate within organizations that are already well covered in the goalkeeper position. Will he too, like I argued for Javier Otero, have to search for another place to start his professional career? You can’t rule that out yet.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Can Tomas Pondeca turn into the next Bernard Kamungo?
St. Louis City II — Akil Watts
One thing to keep in mind about St. Louis’ use of MLS Next Pro is that it’s reminiscent of how the Miami Heat use the G-League. They do not limit themselves to just their own developmental squad, but they scout the entire league and actively use it for first team contributors. Aziel Jackson and Lucas Bartlett played in the inaugural season of MLS Next Pro, but not for St. Louis — they did so for Minnesota and North Texas respectively — but still their performances earned them a spot in the expansion team, of which they’ve been contributors. That said, Lutz Pfannenstiel’s organization still reserves the majority of their attention to their own squad, and in there it’s hard to see a better performer than Akil Watts, a player who’s already in the first team radar. In limited minutes, as he was many times called up with Bradley Carnell’s team, his production was excellent, and it’s easy to feel like this league might be becoming too tight for him.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Develop local player Johnny Klein, one of their best performers in MLS Next Pro, into a serviceable MLS player
Pacific Division
LA Galaxy II — Aaron Bibout
He popped out almost out of nowhere. Just like season we had Tarik Scott starting scoring for North Texas when not even the league knew who he was — the official site reported his name as being “Scott Sutarik” — this season Aaron Bibout scored a hat-trick against Vancouver and it genuinely took me fifteen minutes to find his year of birth as his page on the MLS Next Pro site was as scarce as sand on a mountain range. It’s fair to say, though, that from that day we learned his name and his strengths quite well. Bibout has scored 9 goals, which totals to almost 50% of all the goals scored by Los Dos in their rough start of the season. Bibout is a high volume scorer, who takes quite a lot of shots — and as such is really good at getting into shooting positions — but doesn’t really convert them at a good rate, a bit like Valentin Castellanos during his NYCFC tenure. But at 18-years-old he’s a much needed breath of fresh air for an academy which has struggled mightily at getting talent at first team level even while residing in the country’s premium pool of talent. Especially with Chicharito getting older, you have to think he’ll get a shot sooner rather than later.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Everything but especially the defence
Los Angeles FC II — Diego Rosales
Contrary to the first team, the second team of LAFC had an horrendous start of the season, creating the weird — but not unseen, as their first teams both missed the playoffs in 2021 — scenario of the two LA teams at the bottom of the Western Conference. There’s not a lot to save from this first half of league play, but with the team being quite decent defensively — they’re actually in the top five teams for least goals allowed — there’s maybe something to look forward in the future. Diego Rosales has been not only one of their best performer defensively, but he’s also the player with the most minutes for this team, having started in 10 games without ever being subbed off. Even while being tasked with a delicate position, he also excels at getting the ball without actually fouling anyone, and his discipline is excellent with only one yellow card over the entire season so far.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Everything but especially the offense
Portland Timbers II — Keesean Ferdinand
Portland doesn’t really have a functioning youth development pipeline, and as such, in absence of a competent academy, the team is heavily involved in giving a second chance to young-ish players who may have not cracked the first team in their original organizations. Like every franchise into the distressed assets business, Portland does not ever refuse a warm meal and a mattress to a player that might be lost in the cold and windy plains of the free transfer market. Keesean Ferdinand is one of those cases in which this strategy seems to work. The former Montreal prospect has started every game available in the Pacific Northwest and might finally have found the consistency needed to adapt to the next level.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Make a decision on whether it’s better for Tega Ikoba to play with the second or first team
Real Monarchs II — The Moses Nyeman Reclamation Project is slowly building up
RSL arguably has the best academy in the country, yes, and they show that by putting consistently on the field one of the youngest teams in the league, but what’s more interesting of this team is how they’re handling the signing of Moses Nyeman. Three years ago, if you asked me of which USMNT prospect I was most sure would reach his potential, I would have told you Nyeman. It may have been a mistake of mine, but I know I wasn’t the only one. He belonged in the same conversation as Ricardo Pepi, and had even established himself as a first team contributor before any other 2003 born player. But when people say that development isn’t a straight line, they mean it, unfortunately, in both directions. Things went south for Nyeman, but he’s still young enough to earn back his spot, arguably even in USMNT contention, and being in a perennial underdog organization — although they’ve recently spent big — might help him to get a shot. The season so far hasn’t been the most exciting for the team, but Nyeman has been a contributor, and you’ll want to monitor him closely because he is still one of the highest ceilings in the teams.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Getting more production off the academy kids
San José Earthquakes II — Alejandro Cano
How can the Quakes be one of the top teams in the West if they have the third worst attack in the entire conference? Well, it’s because their defence is performing spectacularly. Only Austin trails in front of San José in goals allowed, as the Quakes have only conceded a very respectable 14 goals. At the heart of this defensive strength it’s academy product Alejandro Cano, who’s been extremely solid, performing as one of the top 20 players in goals added according to American Soccer Analysis with 1.24, most of those, 0.81, coming from interrupting the opponents’ play. His growth has been one of the most interesting storylines of the season and he’s reaching the point where legitimate questions have to be asked about his first team involvement.
What to improve in the second half of the season: More starts for Cruz Medina
Tacoma Defiance — Paul Rothrock
The quick winger isn’t just one of the best chance creators of the league, sitting at the top of the assists chart with 5, but has also already scored his first MLS goal after being called up on a short term deal from Brian Schmetzer. His goal wasn’t just any goal, but it was the first and only goal in a game won by the Sounders against the Houston Dynamo. The Georgetown product had to take a long path around the league to come back to his hometown team, a path that required him to ball out in Toronto with their second team, earn a shot with their first team on a short term agreement before coming back to the team he grew up in and with which he had already debuted, when it was still named Seattle Sounders II, in the USL days. Between Toronto and this season in Seattle, he seems to have mastered the Next Pro level. Can he translate this consistently to MLS? Of all the players highlighted in this list, he might be one of those I have the most doubts around.
What to improve in the second half of the season: can Stuart Hawkins get ready for first team opportunities?
Vancouver Whitecaps II — Levonte Johnson
Just as I was writing this, news broke that the 1999 born winger had been signed to a first team contract by the organization. It was a deserved prize after a memorable first half of the season for him, which included a goal in the Canadian Championship against York United. Levonte Johnson leads the league in goals added according to American Soccer Analysis with 3.55 and, as reported by the club itself — which made my job slightly easier — is in the top 3 both for expected goals and expected goals/shot. But he’s not just an analytics darling, as his profile translates to goal contributions on the field for a sneaky good team who’s quietly arrived at the top-ish of the Western Conference. If this contract is the sign of him definitely going up to the first team it’ll be interesting to see how Vanni Sartini will use him, as his cameos with the first squad saw him used for his versatility in multiple positions and considering the system currently adopted by the Italian doesn’t really have a use for dynamic wingers with good dribbling — see the Deiber Caicedo trade.
What to improve in the second half of the season: Get Lowell Wright out from wherever he’s been hiding for months now
