Who are the top players for the Colorado Rapids U-15s?

The Rapids U15 team is about what I've come to expect from each Colorado age group. I don't see any high tier prospects, but they have a few players with good skill and one high upside prospect they just signed that could end up being the best player in this group. Two players are currently getting invites to the United States U15 team.   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.   RCB, Parker Sturgis (2008)   What makes him special: Sturgis is a recent signing from Albion Las Vegas and it looks like the Rapids found themselves a player. Sturgis is a tall and athletic center-back that is comfortable and composed on the ball and shows good technique and range when passing the ball. Defensively he brings a physical presence to duels both in the air and on the ground where he knows how to use his length well.   How he can take it to the next level: Sturgis needs more experience playing against better attackers so he can learn how to take better angles and purse oncoming attackers in a more composed manner.   Level: Tier 3, Tier 2 Upside   The United States center-back class for 2008 is really good, but Sturgis is a high ceiling player that could push his way into the picture in the next couple of years.   LB, [player_tooltip player_id='74885' first='Miguel' last='Alvarado'] (2008)   What makes him special: Alvarado usually plays wingback for the Rapids and he does a good job of stretching the backline with his vertical runs. He has good quickness and speed and plays with good tempo on the ball, making confidence and decisive decisions when combining with teammates.   How he can take it to the next level: I'd like to see Alvarado take on more defenders in one on one situations and create more chances for his teammates. He has the skills and speed to be more of a chance creator, yet it does not happen as much as you'd expect.   Level: Tier 3   Alvarado has been called into the last two United States U15 camps and while fullback is probably the weakest position for this age group, I am not sure I am aligned with the decision to bring him in. Nonetheless, I am intrigued to see how he performs with that group.   DM/CM, [player_tooltip player_id='74888' first='Cristopher' last='Madera'] Acosta (2008)   What makes him special: Acosta is a very steady central defender that does his most effective work when initiating buildout from deep positions. Acosta has good ball security, vision and has the ability to execute challenging passes.   How he can take it to the next level: If Acosta is going to continue to succeed at higher levels he is going to have to be more than a distributor, he is either going to need to be more impactful in the final third or he is going to need control his zones defensively with more authority.   Level: Tier 3   Same story here as Alvarado — he has been invited to the last two United States U15 camps, but I wouldn't rate Acosta as a youth national team level player, but I am hopeful I am proven wrong.

The Rapids U15 team is about what I've come to expect from each Colorado age group. I don't see any high tier prospects, but they have a few players with good skill and one high upside prospect they just signed that could end up being the best player in this group. Two players are currently getting invites to the United States U15 team.