The Next Alyssa Thompson - Girls bossing the boys MLS Next

One of the most fascinating recent developments in US youth soccer has been the rise of a girls playing in MLS Next. The league established as a pathway to the professional game for Men's soccer.    It's not unheard of historically for girls to get the challenge of playing against the boys at the youth level. Famously, Mia Hamm played against boys growing up and end up going on to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.    However, there was a sense that it was no longer a viable pathway with the emergence of the national leagues over a decade ago.    The trend started to switch back with current US Women's National Team players Alyssa and Giselle Thompson. After playing up almost four years at the club level on the girls side, Alyssa Thompson took on the challenge of playing against the boys with her club, Total Futbol Academy. The Thompson sisters were among the first girls to play in MLS Next. Now, it seems like many more are following in their footsteps.    There seems to be a threshold for these players. Many of the players are competing at the U14 level this season, but it seems like very few, if any, make it to the U15 age group. This group might be different. All of the players listed below play in the midfield for their clubs - most in the center but sometimes out wide.   Check out the scouting report on some of those players making noise in MLS Next below.    Paletta is making history. She's the first girl to earn a spot on an MLS Academy team - all of the others who have done it previously in MLS Next played for clubs not affiliated with an MLS franchise.    She's playing meaningful minutes and has a consistent role with her team - on top of that prominent role, New York City FC is one of the best teams in the country. In different terms, the club's staff has decided to give her a spot on the team even though she won't play for the first because she is that good.    Paletta's play at the club level has earned her invites to the US Women's Youth National Team. She played up two age groups at the U15 level last summer. There's plenty of reason to believe she is one of the top talents to ever play at the youth level in the US.    The game film backs it up. She's a technically gifted player who is capable of playing at a faster pace than most in the youth game. Her skill on the ball combined with her soccer smarts makes her a top midfielder in MLS Next at the U14 level.     Aguilar is a midfielder on the Total Futbol Academy U14 MLS Next team. She can play as a box-to-box midfielder or as a defensive midfielder. The aspect of Aguilar's game that stood out from the scouting efforts was her constant scanning during the game. She is always checking over her shoulder before receiving the ball. She's also always on the move to offer a passing lane to her teammates. She possesses the technical skill to be an elite midfielder from the 2029 class.     One of the key traits that links all of these players is they make quick decisions and they are tough. Broad exemplifies these traits in her game play. A dynamic midfielder with good skill, Broad has had a standout campaign in MLS Next for Real FA. She can play in the center of the midfield or out wide. She's right footed and an excellent dribbler. Broad's high upside comes from her tenacity with defense. She's a fearless tackler. She's been flying into slide tackles this season. There's plenty of reason to believe she's going to be a top-talent in the 2029 class.     Alzugaray was recently profiled for her standout play at the Girls Academy level. She's a baller. She plays for every team and does well all over the place. She actually caught our eye from a game against Fire earlier this season. She's a smart player. She makes great decisions on the ball. All those repetitions playing against older competition, boys, and elite training environments is setting up a successful blueprint for a midfielder who is going to dominant the game for a long time.       Bautista is a rare one from this list. She is playing at the U15 age group and part of the 2028 class. Also, everyone else on this list has been part of the US Soccer Talent ID system at some point. I don't believe Bautista has had a look at this point. I think that's an overlook. She's got the talent to be in the conversation for that level. She's clean on the ball, a good two-way midfielder, and has a good first touch.    Bautista is a regular contributor for the Ventura County Fusion and makes impactful plays from her midfield spot.

One of the most fascinating recent developments in US youth soccer has been the rise of a girls playing in MLS Next. The league established as a pathway to the professional game for Men's soccer.