MLSNext Fest Day 1 Standouts

It was a beautiful day here in Indio with temperatures maxing out at around 80 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. The 36 fields at the Empire Polo Grounds are in fantastic condition and it truly is an incredible venue to host such a big event. Kids in this country seem to get better and better every year from my eyes. The game is becoming faster, players technique and positioning are improving drastically. It speaks volumes to our development processes and where the game is heading. Here are some young athletes that caught my eye today.   [player_tooltip player_id='88489' first='Gavin' last='Wolff']- Austin FC have themselves a very gifted lefty center back which is the hardest position to find. His distribution was brilliant today against New England. He can plop a ball right into his teammates path over the top with incredible consistency. He's also very strong in the tackle and wins a lot of aerial duels.   Aidan Reilly- The young Stanford commit is going to fit right in when he arrives in Palo Alto. He is an exceptional athlete with excellent body awareness. He gets up and down the field in a flash, possesses really good defensive awareness and is very confident with the ball at his feet.   [player_tooltip player_id='275122' first='Emmanuel' last='Harris']- One of my uncommitted players to watch from yesterdays article. Harris entered the game with his De Anza Force team down 2-0. He proceeds to score a goal and provide an assist to the help flip the result to a 4-2 win. This kid is big, strong, fast, and can finish. What else do you want from your number 9?   [player_tooltip player_id='88508' first='Lionel' last='Gitau']- The Houston Dynamo playmaker really impressed me today against Vancouver. He is so good in possession and exquisite at breaking lines. His first touch masterful and he always seems to have a plan when he receives it. He slips his teammates in for fun and finds pockets of space exceptionally. Bright future.   [player_tooltip player_id='275127' first='Abishek' last='Tomar']- The De Anza Force outside back was excellent today against Michigan Wolves. His timing when slide tackling is outstanding and he did not lose one aerial duel when I was watching. He had some great moments on the ball dribbling into space and passing out of the back.   [player_tooltip player_id='60783' first='Bridger' last='Baltes']- The UCLA commit who is coming off a broken leg in February is back like he never left. He scored a goal for Santa Barbara Soccer Club to equalize and his link up play was very clean. He holds the ball up really well and has speed to burn when the ball gets played in behind.   [player_tooltip player_id='275129' first='Josue' last='Banuelos']- This Bay Area Surf attacking midfielder is an intriguing one. He has great technique, extremely shifty when he his on the ball and very unpredictable for defenders to read. He has a canny ability to create an extra yard of space and the weight of his passes when playing in behind was spot on today. Draws a lot of fouls as he shows defenders the ball only to shift it away at the last second which in turn creates contact.

It was a beautiful day here in Indio with temperatures maxing out at around 80 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. The 36 fields at the Empire Polo Grounds are in fantastic condition and it truly is an incredible venue to host such a big event. Kids in this country seem to get better and better every year from my eyes. The game is becoming faster, players technique and positioning are improving drastically. It speaks volumes to our development processes and where the game is heading. Here are some young athletes that caught my eye today.