Rankings Analysis: New faces highlight 2025 CA rankings
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The PrepSoccer Player Rankings for California’s Class of 2025 were released this week. The extensive overhaul to the list comes after months of scouting at club and high school events. As part of the new list, a number of new…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepSoccer Player Rankings for California’s Class of 2025 were released this week. The extensive overhaul to the list comes after months of scouting at club and high school events. As part of the new list, a number of new players have been added to the rankings. Below is a scouting report on a few of the new faces to the rankings.
Emir Ponciano Emir Ponciano D State CA is a defender for LAFC 07 MLS Next team that could play either side at outside back. He had good showing at the MLS Next event in Indio. He was a shutdown defender who regularly won duels on the wing. He did well getting forward and chipped in with some key passes.
rnTotal Futbol Academy continues to produce technical players who are showing out in big events. Recently, the pipeline from TFA has been flowing to MLS academies with LA Galaxy, LAFC, and Philadelphia Union all having players from the club on current rosters. Sotomayor is a name that really impressed during the MLS Next event in December and could be one to watch this spring. He was influential in the games I saw. A clever passer with a knack for getting forward, Sotomayor has a bright future.
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Among the new names in the rankings, Sineth Andrabadu Sineth Andrabadu 5’10” | F Hillsdale | 2025 State CA might be the most exciting player. He is a center forward who has a jet pack strapped to his back. The SVSA forward is a speedster. He has track speed on the field so if the ball is played over the top and he is in a foot race, just go ahead and run to the corner because he’s probably going to score. There is more to his game than just speed. He showed that against Sounders with an excellent header against a couple of the best center backs in the country. Andrabadu is one of the players to watch on the SVSA 06 MLS Next team during the spring.
Sam Bruno is a defensive midfielder for LAFC, who I have also seen play as center back. He seems better suited for midfield, but he is an incredibly intelligent player so it’s easy to see why a coach would want him on the field in any role. He is good on the ball and keeps close control of the ball. He plays most two-touch soccer. His position is crowded at LAFC, but he has shown that he can be an impactful player with this age group as the LAFC 07 team is one of the best in the country and Bruno is a major reason why.
Bulowski is one of those players who makes you say “wait, who is that?” He plays on the Strikers 06 team – along with some of the top 2024 graduates in the state. He is one of the center backs on that team. Standing at 5-foot-11, he has good size for the position and uses his frame well. He is quick and athletic. He is eager to go to the ground for a slide tackle, and he has pretty much perfected the art of the pop slide. He comes out cleanly with the ball and immediately looks to spring the attack for his team. He is a top prospect in the position from the 2025 class.
Highlights
Shinya Frank Shinya Frank M State CA is one of my favorite No. 8s in the state. He is a player who does a bit of everything for his team, but he also does it with a bit of flair. He looks like he is dancing on the field at times because opponents are crossing themselves up to stay in front of him. He loves to manipulate the ball with the bottom of his foot, which suggest he is (or would be) a very good futsal player. He is strong in the tackle and puts in the effort on that side of the ball. He has provided a few assists this season as well with his free kick delivery.
Kumiara is an outside back with natural attack instincts. He is an easy standout for his position because he is one the cleanest players in possession of the ball for that role. He has a dynamic change of pace and great close control. He is an excellent crosser and has provided a number of assists during club league play this season. His slip passes have been especially effective. Defensively, he is very good in slide tackles. He is great at shutting down counter attacks. His speed surprises opponents and he is excellent at anticipating when to jump forward and cut out a pass. Kunimura’s well-rounded game should make him an early target for scouts.