MLS Next Cup Playoffs: Preview - Austin FC U15

<p>After over nine months of action, the MLS Next season is about to come to an end soon as the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 14-22, determining the league's 2025 champions.</p>   <p>The playoffs will feature 32 teams in the U15, U16, U17 and U19 age groups, reuniting MLS academies and other teams that compete in the league and rewarding those who got the best results during the season.</p>   <p>The state of Texas will be represented in all four age groups, with teams from [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'], [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'], Global Football Innovation (GFI) Academy and the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] making the trip to Tennessee to compete for the title.</p>   <p>In the days leading up to the tournament, we're previewing the Texas teams qualified for the MLS Next Cup playoffs:</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] U15</h2>   <p>The academy team from MLS side [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] collected 21 points (six wins, three ties, three losses) in league play this season, and qualified for the playoffs through the MLS Next Flex event. They are set to face Florida's Weston FC in the Round of 32 of the playoffs in Nashville.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='280109' first='Carson' last='Cameron'] and Bennett Richardson are their goalkeepers. Center back [player_tooltip player_id='210648' first='Clayton' last='Glynn'] anchors the backline, which has Jax Arnold and Cruz Garcia as the other options in central defense and Ian De La Torre, Blaise Iwakoshi and Josh Manevich taking the outside back spots. Between Zayden Seyhoon, Juan Pablo Mendez, [player_tooltip player_id='210665' first='Ryan' last='Diaz'], [player_tooltip player_id='295578' first='Carlos' last='Lopez'] and Austin Wells, the team has a good mix of talent and intensity in midfield. [player_tooltip player_id='210659' first='Roberto' last='Monarres'], [player_tooltip player_id='288599' first='Elijah' last='Duhaney'] and Zeke Snow are the team's main options up top.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DIt_71oP3Gi/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Players</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">A center back with a solid combination of physical and technical skills, Glynn is a key piece in the team's defensive system. More commonly used as a left-sided center back with Austin, he does a great job of reading plays and stepping into the right spots to make an impact, be it anticipating a pass or showing up to cover a teammate in need. Besides his mobility, Glynn also stands out for his impressive calm on the backline, as he never looks fazed and consistently makes the right choices, even when under pressure or outnumbered. The center back also makes a massive impact with his passing range, picking the best option, and having the confidence to execute difficult passes out of the back.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/09/IMG_7604.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-232454" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">The team captain, Seyhoon is a stud for Austin in the center of the field. A central midfielder, he handles his defensive duties extremely well, showing the energy and the determination to do all the heavy work and the running, but also using his superior soccer IQ to pop up in the right places. Seyhoon is very intelligent in possession, and he makes the task of moving the ball from the backline into the final third look easy. The center midfielder distributes the ball extremely well from deep, but also has the vision and the quality to execute key passes in the final third.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0009_6c35f1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-284985" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A very technical player, Mendez has a big role in Austin's playmaking efforts, using his vision and passing ability to connect the team. He's a central midfielder, but has more of an offensive role, consistently getting into the final third to find teammates with smart passes and finish chances inside the penalty box. Mendez can, at times, drop deeper to have more space to operate in possession, but the truth is he doesn't need much time on the ball to make an impact thanks to his ability to unlock defenses with first-time passes, especially in transition. The midfielder is also very precise with his set pieces and often creates goalscoring opportunities in dead-ball situations.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DABhQGHvYVn/?img_index=2 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">An electric and dynamic winger, Monarres is a constant threat to [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] opponents up front. He typically plays on the left and likes to stay wide, helping his team stretch the field and create space for the central midfielders to operate. Monarres' positioning also helps in one of his most dangerous plays, his diagonal runs behind the backline that often lead to goals or good chances created. Although his pace often gives him the edge over defenders in space, he's also very dangerous in 1v1 duels, remaining patient and picking the right moves to beat defenders. The winger also does a great job with his crosses, taking a good look into the box before making contact with the ball and targeting a teammate.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0067-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-285009" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A center forward, Duhaney gives Austin a lot of options offensively with his high-energy game. Extremely athletic, he keeps opposing backlines with his strong runs in behind and his ability to time them incredibly well, always remaining onside. A solid finisher, Duhaney can also be used out wide, where his pace and dribbling make of him a threat in space. The forward also does well when working against organized backlines, engaging in good combination plays, and doing a good job of facilitating plays while working his back to the goal.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0044-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-284999" /></figure>

After over nine months of action, the MLS Next season is about to come to an end soon as the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 14-22, determining the league's 2025 champions.