MLS Next Cup Playoffs: Preview - Houston Dynamo U19

<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='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] U19</h2>   <p>The academy team from the MLS side [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] finished third in the MLS Next league Central (South) Division with 19 points (six wins, seven losses and one tie). They qualified via the league standings and will have North Carolina's <a href="https://www.qcmutiny.com/">Queen City Mutiny FC</a> as their Round of 32 opponents in Tennessee.</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/DIhInG8yCUw/?img_index=3 </div></figure>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='90051' first='Gianmarco' last='Alvarez'], [player_tooltip player_id='227212' first='Roman' last='Kerimov'] and Angel Jaimes are the three goalkeepers in the Dynamo's roster. [player_tooltip player_id='227214' first='Adam' last='Abdouh'], Omar Flores and Zachary White ate the options at outside back, with [player_tooltip player_id='16597' first='Omar' last='Bolanos'] and [player_tooltip player_id='90045' first='Micah' last='Harris'] appearing in central defense. In midfield, the Dynamo have David Nguema, [player_tooltip player_id='284762' first='Rafael' last='Inojosa'], Faraji Ramani, [player_tooltip player_id='210655' first='Matthew' last='Arana'] and [player_tooltip player_id='148002' first='Matthew' last='Hinds'] as options to play more centrally, with [player_tooltip player_id='148223' first='Myles' last='Gardner'], [player_tooltip player_id='288461' first='Lalo' last='Estrada'] and [player_tooltip player_id='148174' first='Tristan' last='Cottle'] appearing out wide. The forwards are [player_tooltip player_id='90004' first='Javier' last='Caro'], Fadel Kone, [player_tooltip player_id='149383' first='Kian' last='Walsh'] and [player_tooltip player_id='280126' first='Sebastiao' last='Nzita'].</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Players</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">A well-rounded and versatile player who can play anywhere across the backline or in midfield, Bolanos is a key piece in the Dynamo's defensive system. He's very good at reading plays and winning duels and is rarely caught out of position, consistently making solid defensive actions in the center of the field. The defender/midfielder also has great quality on the ball, very rarely turning it over and displaying calmness and patience to pick he right passes in the team's buildup - he's become more confident to attempt long passes and has been connecting them at a very good rate. Bolanos also makes a positive impact on the team with his ability to deliver great service in set pieces.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0037_f8d6ce.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-282103" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Combining excellent physical tools and calm and quality on the ball, Harris is one of the most promising defenders in his age group in the country. An alternate in the US national team that qualified for the U17 World Cup earlier this year, he earned significant playing time with the Dynamo's II team in the MLS Next Pro League earlier this season, holding his own against older and more experienced competition. Harris's impressive physical tools allow him to be an extremely dominant center back, who not only outmuscles opponents around the penalty box, but also keeps opposing attackers with his ability to cover ground. A lefty, he improved by leaps and bounds in possession, both when it comes to passing the ball and dribbling it forward, and can also be used an outside back if needed.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9in6FtpM6mU </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A talented player who can be used as a wide midfielder or an outside back on both sides, Estrada offers tremendous flexibility for the Dynamo with his versatility. He has a very high soccer IQ and stands out for consistently making the right decisions on and off the ball, passing it with intelligence and moving into the right spots to create space for his teammates or keep the team balanced. He has great vision in the final third, often taking a good look into the box before sending accurate crosses to his teammates. Estrada also hits the ball with great precision and is known for scoring beautiful goals with long-distance shots or in set pieces. He's also productive on defense, occupying the right spots and playing hard to win the ball.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">A physical and dynamic wide player, Gardner plays up with the Dynamo's U19 team and has an important role with them. Normally used as a winger, he has great pace and is very strong in 1v1 plays, using his explosiveness to go at defenders and create chances from wide spots. Gardner is a good finisher and does a good job of getting into the penalty box to finish chances, often registering goals for the team. He plays defense with great energy and intensity and can also be used as an outside back, providing quality going forward and strength on defense.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/03/2J4A0002_840c70.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-283850" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">One of the attacking options in the Dynamo squad, Kone is an intelligent player, who makes the most of the situations presented to him in the final third. His game doesn't have a single defining characteristic, as he stands out for his ability to adapt and contribute to the team's offensive efforts in many different ways. Kone typically plays as a striker for the Dynamo, performing the role with intense movement as he often checks back to combine with the midfielders and drifts wide to offer passing options for his teammates. Also capable of dropping a little bit deeper and using his vision to operate as an attacking midfielder, he's an elite finisher who, most of the time, doesn't need more than one touch on the ball to send it into the back of the net.</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.