MLS Next Playoffs: Focus on U16s

<span style="font-weight: 400;">FRISCO, Texas - The MLS Next Cup Playoffs were held in North Texas for the last week. The 2006 age group featured some of the top players in the country from the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes. </span> <span style="font-size: 1rem;">PrepSoccer has been on-site throughout the event. Here are the standouts and scouting reports on some of the best from U16 games at the event. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="17496" first="Sydney" last="Aggrey"], </strong>DC United U16 Position: Forward, No. 18 Sydney stood out to me for his qualities, acute sense of direction, and bravery. His mobility and ability to be in the right place at the right time are both exceptional. He has an excellent understanding of how to read a game. He has a keen intellect and athleticism to match. Sydney is a fantastic ball player who isn't afraid to go one-on-one against opponents, thread a pass through the middle of the field, or take a shot on goal and score. He is a top prospect from Virginia from the class of 2024. <strong>Dalton Bulowski, </strong>Strikers FC U16 Position: Center Back, No. 44 Dalton jumped out to me because of his size and strength. He is tall and strong, not knocked off the ball easily. He is an excellent communicator and keeps his defensive colleagues well-organized throughout the game. He has a great understanding of the game as well. He has a great defensive mind and the speed to match. Dalton is also very comfortable on the ball and isn't afraid to play higher up the field. He is also excellent in the opposition's box, particularly at set pieces. He is a top defender from California in the class of 2025. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="7039" first="Andrew" last="Bahena Guzman"], </strong>Strikers FC U16 Position: Defender Central #34 Andrew stood out to me due to his size and toughness. He is big and strong. He has similar attributes as his teammate Dalton Bulowski, but they complement each other as well. Bahena is comfortable on the ball and does not mind taking a more advanced role. He is well-coached by the Strikers staff and does well in organizing his teammates. He is a standout in disrupting the opposition and stepping in to break up play. Bahena and Bulowski make up one of the best center back tandems in MLS Next. <strong>Luca Fitzgearld, </strong>De Anza Force U16 Position: Goalkeeper, No. 33 Luca's positioning, communication, and organization stood out to me. His positioning was great throughout the games. He has a strong build. His communication and organizing skills are excellent. He's not afraid to tell his guys where they should be. He has an intuitive grasp of how to read games. He moves quickly across his box and appears unaffected by high balls, which he does with excellent comfort. Luca is also fairly confident with the ball and has superb distribution. He is also very good in 1v1 situations. He is a goalkeeper from the 2025 class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="17361" first="Luke" last="Peacock"], </strong>DC United U16 Position: Goalkeeper, No. 90 [player_tooltip player_id="17361" first="Luke" last="Peacock"] is a major reason for DC United's success in this age group. The goalkeeper showed his quality throughout the event, but the penalty kick save in the semifinal round exemplified the quality he brings to the position, and the confidence he instills in his teammate. Peacock is a top goalkeeper from the 2006 age group and has been part of the U.S. Youth National Team talent identification centers in the past for his region. He is a top player from the 2024 class. <strong>Cristian Flores, </strong>Strikers FC U16 Position: Attacking Midfielder, No. 31 Cristian is a joy to see. He is a natural player who enjoys scoring goals. He's on the offensive from the outset. He has a great shot. He is an excellent passer who is swift both with and without the ball. He moves very well and always has defense on the go. He is comfortable using both feet and is an excellent dribbler. For his age, he exhibited excellent movement between lines from his forward position in the half-spaces. He also got a good eye for goal. He is a 2024 prospect from California. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="41536" first="Eli" last="Wachs"], </strong>De Anza Force U16 Position: Midfielder, No. 24 Eli is another De Anza Force player who is comfortable on the ball and can play with both feet. With his movement, he is adept at exploiting opposing teams' weaknesses in the middle of the field. He is a very good and strong on-ball player who is not readily knocked off the ball. He was always seeking the ball, always looking for an outlet, and was constantly advising teammates on their placement. He is very clear and gets the team working. He can definitely play anywhere in the team's center, and he can shoot and score as well. He is part of the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/california/rankings/boys/2024-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PrepSoccer rankings for California for the class of 2024</a>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="11702" first="Ignacio" last="Alem"], </strong>DC United U16 Position: Midfielder/Forward, No. 52 Ignacio can play with both feet and has outstanding ball control. He was always on the lookout for the ball and excelled in one-on-one situations. He is an extremely capable and strong on-ball player who is very direct. He makes good decisions on the ball; he impressed with his judgment on when to go short or long with his passes. He's also an effective link player and foil for his striker partners. He appears to be at ease playing anywhere on the forward line or as a #10; he possesses the talent. <strong>Carlos Ramunno, </strong>Weston FC U16 Position: Midfield/Forward, No. 17 Carlos is a skillful player who showed that he can play with either foot and dribble under pressure. He has tremendous movement and is excellent in 1v1 situations. His body control is one of his best attributes and he looked very difficult to knock off the ball. He is a very good passer for his position and makes good decisions on the ball. He has a powerful engine and can also make a tackle. He is a player to know from the 2024 class from Florida. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="45548" first="Roka" last="Tsunehara"], </strong>De Anza Force U16 Position: Forward, No. 9 Roka stood out to me because of his abilities, great movement, and bravery. He moves quickly. His agility as well as his ability to be in the right place at the right time are both exceptional. Roka is a tremendous ball player who isn't afraid to go one-on-one with opponents, thread a pass forward, take on defense, and take a shot, and he's also not afraid to take a hit. He is great to watch, and keeping an eye on this kid will be beneficial in the future. He is a 2024 prospect.