The Most Valuable Player in a well-organized Atlanta United side, Ritarita was indeed instrumental to his team’s victory, providing the offensive spark it needed to beat opponents. Playing as a left winger, he destroyed opponents with his pace and dribbling ability and played with the same level of intensity from start to finish. Ritarita is a very quick offensive player, but what makes him difficult to stop are his diverse skillset and his impressive confidence, which allows him to try unexpected moves when many others wouldn’t. He was excellent all week and really stood out from competition.

With a name like “Rocket Ritarita”, you just had to know this kid was going to be an amazing and entertaining talent.

Ritarita is another one of those names that came into this years MLS NEXT Cup and some had a little bit of hesitancy around. While he is a wonderful talent and well respected amongst his competitors, there were some coaches and scouts that believed he lacked the intangibles that would take him to the next level. Luckily for Ritarita, he came into this tournament and proved everyone doubting him wrong.

With the combination of blistering pace and silk movements in and around the defense, Rocket Ritarita had the opposition on its heels throughout most of the tournament. He was confident on the ball and seemed to always know what he wanted to do next. One of my favorite qualities about Ritarita is the fact that he’s so confident within himself that mistakes simply slide off him and are left in the dust. He plays like a seasoned veteran rather than a 16-year old kid, constantly changing to adapt to the pace of the game and staying motivated to change the game around him.

Ritarita also showed his calm and collected attitude in the final, when he had to bury a beautiful penalty to give his team the breathing room necessary to hold onto a lead against a very talented Strikers FC. His play in the final, combined with the overall talent he had shown throughout the tournament is why he was ultimately awarded the U16 Most Valuable Player award.

River’s Three Traits to Consider:Calmness: Rocket Ritarita is one of those athletes that trust in the process and understand that perfection isn’t a destination but rather the opportunity to always improve. He carries him with a level of confidence and belief that is almost infectious, and because of this is always moving forward despite any mistakes that may happen on the pitch. He adapts and overcomes to carry forward.Pressure: With all the calmness that Ritarita may keep for himself, he absolutely produces enough pressure against the opposition for the both of them. He makes lightening quick runs towards the back line when in transition and has a negligible change of pace when going from without the ball to having the ball at his feet. I really enjoyed seeing the active decision making he would have to decide on as he approached the opposing player. I was excited to see that nearly every time he made the correct decision to dribble, pass or shoot. Enjoyment: Rocket Ritarita seemed like he truly lives for the game and enjoyed every second of playing in this tournament. Of course there is a lot of pressure on these young athletes and many of them have their futures being judged or limitations being placed on them, however, Ritarita had the same enjoyment on his face that you would see at a U8 recreational game. He wasn’t worried about anything but the game and his friends.