MLS NEXT Opening Weekend: Who’s on Our Scouting Radar? | 9/6

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='283671' first='LA' last='Galaxy'] vs. [program_tooltip program_id='283754' first='Strikers' last='FC']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='283671' first='LA' last='Galaxy'] will open against [program_tooltip program_id='283754' first='Strikers' last='FC'] in both the U13 and U14 age groups. Heading into these matchups, I lean toward Galaxy getting the better of the Irvine side, particularly based on some of the individual talent within these two groups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>U13 Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the U13 level, two players I'll be watching closely are <strong>Sebastian Shahbazian</strong> and <strong>Nate Amaya</strong>. I have high regard for both prospects coming into the season, and opening weekend will give us an early look at how they've developed and what kind of impact they can make against a quality Strikers side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>U14 Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The U14 matchup is another one I'm excited to see. <strong>Adis Dagmawi, Xavi Arroyo, Luigi Lopez, and Isaiah Sissay</strong> are four Galaxy players I expect to have a major impact against Strikers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All four enter the weekend high on my watch list, and I'm particularly interested in seeing how they start the new season after the offseason. Galaxy has plenty of talent within this age group, and I expect these four to be among the players who can help set the tone in the opening matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As with every player on this list, these are <strong>pre-weekend expectations, not evaluations</strong>. Once the games begin, performance will dictate who earns recognition and who gets added to our database as a player to continue tracking throughout the 2026–27 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>VC Fusion vs. LA Bulls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another matchup on our opening weekend scouting assignment will feature <strong>VC Fusion traveling to take on LA Bulls</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Fusion, the name generating the most buzz heading into the weekend is 2012 prospect, <strong>Diego Pleitez</strong>. The Salvadoran prospect has recently drawn interest from <strong>La Selecta</strong>, making him one of the players I'm especially interested in evaluating in person.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the LA Bulls side, 2011 born player, <strong>Alexander Garcés</strong> is a prospect I've had the opportunity to watch before and one I already think highly of. I'm interested to see how his game has developed and what kind of impact he can make to begin the new season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Again, these are <strong>pre-weekend expectations, not evaluations</strong>. Pleitez and Garcés enter the weekend on my radar, but once the whistle blows, reputation takes a back seat. Performance will determine who stands out, who earns an evaluation, and ultimately who gets added to our player database.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->