Who are the top players for the Atlanta United U-17s?
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The Atlanta United U-17 team is a solid group with some intriguing talent and one distinct star in Adyn Torres Adyn Torres M State #3 Nation GA . Torres is the only United States International within the group and the…
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Continue ReadingThe Atlanta United U-17 team is a solid group with some intriguing talent and one distinct star in Adyn Torres Adyn Torres M State #3 Nation GA . Torres is the only United States International within the group and the one player that I think has a really good chance to get a homegrown deal. The rest of the group has some upside and a player could take a big step forward and enter that conversation. The group also boasts a Jamaican Youth International in Ashton Gordon Ashton Gordon F State #118 Nation GA . Atlanta’s reserve team will be playing in MLS Next Pro for the first time this year and it will be interesting to see which players from this group earns minutes with that squad.
My grading system
I use a numerical scoring framework to grade players. I look at what I consider to be the most important traits and skills for each position and apply a numerical value to each of those categories. I take into account the age of the player when grading for each category.. The categories include physical traits, technical ability, intellectual understanding of the game and their mentality in how they approach the game. I average those individual scores in order to generate a holistic grade of the player. The score helps me identify what tier of prospect a player is.
Tier 1: A high impact player with all the tools to be a first choice youth national team selection and an obvious homegrown contract candidate.
Tier 2: A very good youth prospect that should likely get youth national team consideration and a potential homegrown contract candidate.
Tier 3: A solid youth prospect that should get a look in MLS Next Pro or is likely getting recruited to play high level college soccer.
LB, Seamus Streelman Seamus Streelman F State #109 Nation GA (2006)
What makes him special: Streelman is at his best when he is attacking defenses with his power, balance and dribbling ability. He secures the ball well and has the confidence to go on long meandering runs, and displays a powerful left foot when he strikes the ball.
How he can take it to the next level: Atlanta plays with a three or five man backline at the youth level, so Streelman predominately plays as a left wing-back. Because of this, I have not seen Streelman in many one on one defensive situations, which is a critical ability for a modern day full-back. I’d like to see him tested more in this facet of the game to know how competent he is defensively.
Level: Tier 3, Tier 2 upside
Streelman is at the level where he will likely have a choice between an Atlanta 2 contract or college. He should get a chance to play in MLS Next Pro this summer and his performance should help shape what his next step will be.
WING, Michael Howard Michael Howard F State #44 Nation GA (2006)
What makes him special: Howard does his best work out wide in combination and when crossing the ball into the box. Howard has good vision and makes intelligent decisions that lead to consistent chance creation. Howard also has good effort when pressing against the ball and does the little things to help disrupt the opponent and turn the ball over.
How he can take it to the next level: As a winger, Howard needs to become more of a threat as a goal scorer and not just a distributor. His ability to create his own shot, the confidence to look for it, and his technique when striking the ball all have room for improvement.
Level: Tier 3
DM, Pavel Romero Pavel Romero M State #29 Nation GA (2006)
What makes him special: Romero is a highly skilled holding midfielder that does his best work facilitating possession. He takes very clean first touches, is smooth on the half turn and has the ability to pick out challenging passes and execute them consistently. In games where Atlanta dominates the ball, Romero has a big impact in moving the team into situations where his team has a numerical advantage.
How he can take it to the next level: I worry about his range as a defender and how much support he needs around him to mitigate some of his defensive vulnerabilities.
Level: Tier 3
Romero was the only 2006 player to make Atlanta 2 squad appearances last season, indicating that he is the player they rate highest from this group. He has also been missing from the U-17 spring games which indicate that he has been training with the first and/or second team. I expect Romero to have a considerable role with Atlanta 2 this season in MLS Next Pro.
RCB, Miles Hadley Miles Hadley D State #103 Nation GA (2006)
What makes him special: Hadley has a great physical presence and reads the game well off the ball. He has the size, speed and desire to make life difficult for most attackers at this level and his physical profile translates to higher levels.
How he can take it to the next level: His ball playing ability is passable, but the game today requires center-backs to be more than competent on the ball. Hadley shows flashes of range and accuracy, but he is still very inconsistent. He is willing to push the ball down the field with varying success, and in order for him to be a true pro prospect that part of the game needs to get a bit better.
Level: Tier 3
CM, Adyn Torres Adyn Torres M State #3 Nation GA (2007)
What makes him special: Torres is the top talent on this team and a special talent overall. He is a true box to box midfielder with the athleticism and skillset to impact so many different aspects of the game. Torres has a strong lower body, agility and burst that make him a handful when he possesses the ball. Everything starts with how he receives the ball — he positions himself well by shielding defenders with his body, takes soft and smart touches and then once he eliminates the first defender he is off to the races, akin to USMNT standout Yunus Musah. Torres also has advanced passing ability and is deadly in counter attack moments where he can see and deliver a through ball consistently. Defensively he is solid as well — he has good instincts and controls his zone. At times Atlanta plays him as a right center-back in a three man backline, which gives him good experience in seeing the game from a different perspective.
How he can take it to the next level: The one area of Torres’ game that will take him into that top tier is his impact in the final third, which is oftentimes the last thing that gets developed for a number eight. He doesn’t impact the scoresheet as much as you’d want from a player of his caliber, but the technique is there. As he becomes more tactically advanced in the final third I expect the impact to follow.
Level: Tier 2, Tier 1 Upside
I believe Torres has been training with the first and second team this spring and may get some MLS Next Pro minutes. Atlanta is usually pretty aggressive in moving their prospects through their development pathway. On the International side of things, Torres was recently called into his first youth national team camp in January and my bet is that he becomes a fixture for that group because I think he is the best box to box midfielder in the 2007 class. If Torres shows well in training, continues to develop and shows a good mentality; he looks like a player that Atlanta would give a pro contract to.
CF, Ashton Gordon Ashton Gordon F State #118 Nation GA (2007)
What makes him special: Gordon has an extraordinary nose for goals. While he is an undersized striker, he makes up for it with quickness, composure and technique as a finisher. He can execute difficult strikes with both feet and he is efficient with the chances he gets.
How he can take it to the next level: Small strikers are becoming less and less common, so I would like to see Ashton continue to develop his technique as a dribbler so that he can be more dynamic in one on one situations. He isn’t bad, but I think this part of his game will need to become very good for him to be an impact pro.
Level: Tier 2
Gordon recently played with the Jamaica U-17s at the Concacaf Championship and was one of their better performers. It’s unclear if he is 100% committed to Jamaica long-term, but as of right now I would say that his best path to an International career.
WING, Rocket Ritarita Rocket Ritarita F State #114 Nation GA (2007)
What makes him special: Ritarita has a really well-rounded game that lacks elite qualities, but also lacks major deficiencies. What I really appreciate about the way he plays is the confidence and bravery he has in pushing the game forward. He continues to push at defenders and is always trying to make things happen, which is one of the most valuable qualities of a winger.
How he can take it to the next level: I’d like to see Ritarita become a little more thoughtful about the timing of his runs and his decision making on the ball. If he can find that healthy balance between pushing the game forward and being more clinical with his decision making he can be a useful attacker for Atlanta at higher levels.
Level: Tier 3