MLS Next Cup Playoffs: Preview - Austin FC U16

<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'] U16</h2>   <p>The team from the academy of MLS side [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] booked its ticket to Nashville after ranking first in the Frontier Conference in league play, accumulating 30 points with nine wins, two losses and three ties. Their first opponents in the playoffs will be New York side BW <a href="https://www.bwgottschee.org/">Gottschee</a> in the Round of 32.</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/DIhnIwevKuV/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <p>Austin have two excellent goalkeepers in [player_tooltip player_id='270293' first='Thomas' last='Burchfield'] and Liam Flynn. [player_tooltip player_id='148170' first='Jonathan' last='Ayala'] and [player_tooltip player_id='148225' first='Alvaro' last='Gonzalez Jr.'] are their starting center backs, with Kefe Omokoru providing depth at the position. The team has solid options at outside back, with Daniel Wright appearing on the right side and Henri Holtzclaw and Ryan Klinger playing on the left. Central midfield is also a well-served area in the roster, with [player_tooltip player_id='148169' first='Christian' last='Ayala'], [player_tooltip player_id='146769' first='Luke' last='Chamberlain'], Tiano Vela, Luccas Talos and David Aschenbeck being talented players. On the wings, Kike De La Cruz, Rolando Garza, Nicolas Rojas and [player_tooltip player_id='210662' first='Xavier' last='Brown'] (who can also play left back) offer quality and depth. [player_tooltip player_id='284290' first='Lucas' last='Hernandez'], [player_tooltip player_id='288405' first='Jacob' last='Peale'] and Warren Agostoni split time at center forward for [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'].</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Players</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">A goalkeeper with excellent size and strong technical skills, Flynn offers a lot of stability between the posts for [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC']. He raised his stock considerably in the last semester, when USYNT goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='270293' first='Thomas' last='Burchfield'] went down, and he stepped up, producing great performances and helping the team continue to have a very strong season. Flynn uses his length very well between the posts and is excellent at stopping penalty kicks, a skill he showed on multiple occasions during the Generation Adidas Cup, two months ago. The goalkeeper also thrives with his intelligence and precision to put the ball back in play after making a save, often starting quick counterattacks with his hands.</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/DIZVN-Upava/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A very technical and intelligent center back, Ayala is a key piece in Austin's defensive system. He thrives with his positioning and his ability to read plays, and is very difficult to beat in 1v1 duels because of his mobility and his patience to wait for the right moment to tackle his opponent. Ayala does very well in the air, even scoring goals off headers, but is also very mobile, defending well in space and quickly stepping up to cover his teammates when needed. His most defining skill is, perhaps, his ability to initiate the team's buildup. Austin typically drop to a back three when they have the ball, placing Ayala in the middle, and he benefits from the setup to find his teammates with accurate passes out of the backline, even when under pressure.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">After moving to Austin from San Diego during the 2023-2024 season, Chamberlain became a central piece in their team. A high-energy defensive midfielder, he does a great job of shutting opponents down while covering a lot of ground in the center of the field and timing his tackles extremely well. Chamberlain is also very skilled and productive in possession, passing the ball with tremendous intelligence and precision, both when it comes to moving it around or finding teammates in the final third, and making quick moves to beat opponents and create space in the center of the field. The midfielder also likes to step into the final third and is excellent at finishing chances from outside the box, often getting on the board with beautiful shots.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">[program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC']'s captain Ayala is always one of their most active players, getting heavily involved in everything they do on the field and positively impacting their play. He's excellent at beating defenders in 1v1 plays in wider areas of the field, but is at his best when used as a central midfielder, where he sees the ball more often. Ayala knows how to operate in crowded areas of the field, doing a good job of identifying the right spots to get on the ball and not needing much time in possession to pass it to a better-positioned teammate. Also very efficient in set pieces, he has a very high work rate, covering a lot of ground both offensively and defensively, and not letting his level of play drop.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0158.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283925" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A relatively new addition to [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'], coming from Virginia, Peale strengthened the team's offense with his all-around game and his ability to play different roles up top. He was on fire during the GA Cup, in April, scoring three goals and earning a Best XI selection. Peale knows his way inside the penalty box and is physical enough to win aerial duels, while also making excellent runs to the near or the far posts to get on the end of crosses. An excellent finisher, he works well with his back to the goal, making solid holdup play, but also has good pace and strong dribbling skills, being capable of playing on the wing as well.</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/DJe5PyHOcap/ </div></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.