MLS Next Week 4 — DMV Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past weekend presented a new opportunity for me as a scout to discover talent in a different region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southern California is my home base. It's where I live and where I film probably 90% of my content. However, I also have ties to the DMV soccer community, which occasionally bring me out to the region. Whenever I'm there, I make it a point to find local MLS NEXT games and see what kind of talent I can discover.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past weekend, three prospects stood out enough that I felt they deserved some recognition: two players from the [program_tooltip program_id='279937' first='DC' last='United'] U19 Academy and one from [program_tooltip program_id='283749' first='Sporting' last='Athletic Club'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Diego Ramos — [program_tooltip program_id='279937' first='DC' last='United'] U19</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first player who caught my attention was [program_tooltip program_id='279937' first='DC' last='United'] attacker <strong>Diego Ramos</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ramos produced one of the best finishes I saw all weekend during a Pro Pathway matchup against CF Montréal. It was the type of goal that immediately makes you want to go back and watch the clip again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He struck the ball with an impressive combination of power and finesse, putting it in a spot where there was very little the goalkeeper could do. What impressed me wasn't simply that he scored, but the quality and confidence of the finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdwR4I_hivJ/?stkn=eGgyb3lvazdwa21p","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <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/reel/DdwR4I_hivJ/?stkn=eGgyb3lvazdwa21p </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plays like this are exactly why I enjoy traveling outside of my usual Southern California scouting territory. Sometimes it only takes one moment for a player to make you want to see more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dustin Church — [program_tooltip program_id='279937' first='DC' last='United'] U19</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second player who stood out was Ramos' teammate, goalkeeper <strong>Dustin Church</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CF Montréal ultimately won the match 4-3, but the final score doesn't tell the entire story of Church's performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='279937' first='DC' last='United'] faced significant attacking pressure, and Church was called upon repeatedly. Despite conceding four goals, he produced several remarkable saves that showed his athleticism, reactions, and ability to keep his team in the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Goalkeepers can sometimes be difficult to evaluate simply by looking at a scoreline. In this case, the film told a much different story. Church made multiple high-level stops in difficult situations, and his performance left me wanting to watch more of him going forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dd1mM0Uh5Ad/?stkn=ejNmZXZxeHo5dTE=","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <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/reel/Dd1mM0Uh5Ad/?stkn=ejNmZXZxeHo5dTE= </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dd1nIZIN8Ry/?stkn=eTc0d2EwOW94Zmxi","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <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/reel/Dd1nIZIN8Ry/?stkn=eTc0d2EwOW94Zmxi </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jack Dalton — Sporting Athletic U17</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final prospect on my list comes from outside the MLS academy system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jack Dalton of Sporting Athletic U17</strong> delivered one of my favorite goals from the weekend during his team's matchup at Alexandria Soccer Association.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Sporting trailing 1-0, Dalton produced the equalizer to bring his team back into the match. Sporting would eventually complete the comeback and win 2-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The finish itself was outstanding.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dalton used a <strong>trivela — an outside-of-the-foot strike — to curl the ball into the bottom corner</strong>. On a wet surface and in rainy conditions, the placement made it extremely difficult for the goalkeeper to react.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beyond the technique, I liked the timing of the moment. His team needed a goal, and he delivered one that completely changed the direction of the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddy5fQaBfG3/?stkn=aHBtZXdvZnlvN3F2","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <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/reel/Ddy5fQaBfG3/?stkn=aHBtZXdvZnlvN3F2 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The DMV Has My Attention</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest benefits of covering soccer in different regions is realizing just how much talent exists outside of the areas you normally watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southern California will continue to be my primary scouting ground, but this weekend reinforced why I enjoy getting out to the DMV whenever the opportunity presents itself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Diego Ramos, Dustin Church, and Jack Dalton</strong> are three names that caught my attention this weekend, and they are players I plan to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The next opportunity to see some of these players could come on an even bigger stage: <strong>MLS NEXT Fest in Arizona.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm looking forward to getting out there, seeing these players again, and discovering who else deserves to have their name put on the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->