Washington’s 2027 Soccer Standouts: Rising Stars
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The PrepSoccer State rankings for the Washington Class of 2027 were released this week. Check out the rankings here. Learn more about the scouting process at PrepSoccer. Seattle Sounders MLS Next team features prominently in this rankings. Paolo Hurtado Martinez…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepSoccer State rankings for the Washington Class of 2027 were released this week. Check out the rankings here. Learn more about the scouting process at PrepSoccer.
Seattle Sounders MLS Next team features prominently in this rankings. Paolo Hurtado Martinez Paolo Hurtado Martinez M State #62 Nation WA (pictured) is one of the top players in the state. Below is a scouting report on a few of the other names that appear in the 2027 rankings.
Hassan is a winger on the Seattle Sounders U15 MLS Next Team. He is also part of the U.S. Youth National Team in the 2009 age group. He is playing with the MLS Next Pro team during the preseason. He is a dynamic attacking talent with quick feet. He is electric on the ball. He can breeze past players. Hassan is a prospect for the professional game at this point as he offers some elite qualities and has been dominant at the youth level. He will be one to watch in MLS Next Pro this season.
Santana is an attacking midfielder on Crossfire Premier 09 ECNL. He is one of my favorite players to watch from this class. He has been part of the US Soccer Youth National Team camps in the past. Santana is a playmaker for his side. He is right-footed. He has good vision and is an excellent passer. He creates opportunities for his side with his passing, but he also can finish off chances. His runs off the ball impressed me from the games during the showcase in Arizona a couple of months back. Santana is a high upside prospect and one of the top attacking midfielders in the country in this class.
Leeming is a midfielder on the Seattle Sounders U15 MLS Next team. He played up an age group last season. He is a difficult player to designate in terms of position because I’ve seen him play a couple of roles this season for the Sounders youth side. He has the physical profile for the professional game so it’s obvious to see why the academy has been eager to use him against older competition. In the midfield, he reminds me a bit of Tanner Tessman. It never seems like he is in a hurry, but he’s all over the field. Impossibly hard to knock off the ball, Leeming is stronger than an oak tree on the ball. He shows those same characteristics when he is deployed as a forward. He holds off defenders with ease. He makes intelligent runs off the ball. This current ranking might be low considering his impact on the game at this point.
Marangwanda is a defender on the Crossfire Premier 09 ECNL team. He is listed as a center back/outside back on his player profile on social media. I’ve only seen him play left center back. His athleticism makes it obvious that he could play as an outside back too – thanks to his speed and 1v1 defending. He offers unrivaled pace for the position. He’s made a number of highlight reel blocks in recent games. Crossfire tends to send numbers forward – and also tends to have a big advantage in the score – so there is pressure on Marangwanda as a last line. He’s been very good in that role. He wins the foot race and comes away cleanly with the ball – if he doesn’t win it, he usually gets a block on the shot. He can be a bit too reliant on one foot in the tackle. His competitiveness and drive to outwork everyone are the best attributes for scouts to know about the young defender from Crossfire.
Highlights
Couzens is a defender on the Seattle Sounders academy. I’ve seen him play left center back for his club team. Couzens is very confident on the ball. He tried to split the press between a few attackers on the dribble. He can be a bit cavalier on the ball. It works at times, but the worry has to be if the risk is worth the rewards. The athleticism is there and he is a agile player who can defend a variety of attacking profiles. Couzens is good on the slide tackle, but may be a bit quick to go to the ground at times. I think there is some versatility to Couzens’ game, but his future is very likely in a center back role. He has a capacity to shine at the highest level of the club game now – and a high ceiling for the future as well.
Highlights
Rudolph is a midfielder on the Eastside FC 09 ECNL team. He is a box-to-box or an attacking midfielder. He does a bit of everything well, but I think there is a certain pull to his game that makes him a bit more attacking-minded than some other midfielders on this list. He is comfortable on the ball and hunts for touches. He can be a dominant player in the center of the field at the ECNL level. He is strong in possession and skates through would-be challenges. The recent game against Crossfire showed some areas for improvement though. He can be a bit reckless with possession. He turns into pressure too often, and needs to do a better job of knowing when to take risks when taking on players on the dribble. That said, Rudolph should be an All-Conference selection in his league for his standout play. He has games when he looks like the best player on the field. He is an exceptional passer and a good finisher. The next step in his development is cleaning up a few parts of his overall game and getting ready to make that leap to a faster pace of play.
Crew Case is a midfielder on Crossfire Premier 09 ECNL. He is a box-to-box midfielder for his club team. He’s an ideal fit for that role because of how versatile his game is. He can do a bit of everything at a high level. He has a good first touch and plays with his head up. He is difficult to dispossess. He is at his best when he is playing one or two-touch soccer. Case has the tools to be the top center midfielder in this class in the future.
Levengood is a forward on the Eastside FC 09 ECNL team. I think you could call him a center forward or a false 9. He might have previously played in the midfield, but it looks like he has taken up the role as the center forward for his club team. He is good at dropping into the midfield and playing the ball wide to the wingers – he is an exceptional passer and has the strength to hold off defenders. He was a standout from the game against Crossfire. He showed off all aspects of his game as he can impact the game in a variety of ways – including some exceptional effort defensively.
Highlights
Ikegami is a midfielder on the Seattle United 09 ECNL team. He is a center midfielder who is excellent on the ball. He is right-footed with playmaking qualities. He had a nasty meg earlier this season prior to a hockey-assist on a game-winning goal. That’s a word jumble, but it offers that type of flair with game-changing quality from a center midfielder. Ikegami offers high-level upside for the position, but it also seems like he could transition into the No. 6 role if needed. He is a willing defender and hunts after the ball like his shoes are on fire. Ikegami has been one of the best in the ECNL this season.