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2006 Top 20

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December 2024
The 2006 class is going to be remembered or forgotten based on the stars at the top. The top three players are all five-star prospects and they happen to play at positions of great need for the U.S. Men’s National Team. All three are starting to breakthrough in their pro careers and if everything pans out, they could be impact players for the USMNT in the next couple of years. 

There are other players in this class with USMNT potential, but the class does lack depth at many positions. 

2006 Class at a Glance

4.20
Top 20 Average Rating
GK, CB, WING, CF
Positional Strengths
LB, CM
Positional Weaknesses

1. GK, Diego Kochen, FC Barcelona (No change)

Grade: 5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇵🇪 🇪🇸
National Team:
USMNT
Kochen is the total package. Aside from having ideal height, he possesses elite qualities at the most important aspects of being a high quality goalkeeper. He has the distribution skills to be your starting point in an effective build out from the back. He has supreme reflexes, lateral quickness, hand strength and explosiveness. He is tactically sound and  known to be a fantastic leader. 

2. CB, Noahkai Banks, FC Augsburg (No change)

Grade: 5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇩🇪
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Banks has every tool desired in a modern day center-back. He has the technical ability on the ball to be your primary distributor out of the back. He has the mobility to play in space and in a high pressing system. He has the size to compete with target strikers. He needs to make fewer mistakes and at times he is too confident in his ability on the ball, but once he cleans that up, he should take off. 
If he is able to establish a high level pro career in the next year or two, he could be a player that sneaks on to the 2026 World Cup team given the lack of high level center-back talent in the senior player pool.

3. RW, Cole Campbell, Borussia Dortmund (↑5)

Grade: 5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇮🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Campbell has become a truly explosive winger with the ability to make defenders look silly. He has incredible ball control and the pace to blow past defenders. He is a left-footed winger that loves to cut in from the right side. He also has the ability to move in between the lines and make plays like a number ten. 

4. CB, Matai Akinmboni, DC United (↓1)

Grade: 4.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇳🇬
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Akinmboni is a strong and physical center-back with a very good left foot. He has passing range to all areas of the pitch and he can use the ball to maneuver out of trouble. He is becoming a smarter and smarter defender. The only major concern of his long term is how well he can play in space against athletic attackers. 

5. DM/CM, Pedro Soma, FC Barcelona (↑2)

Grade: 4.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇧🇷
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Soma is a technician that can play as a single or double pivot. He has a great soccer brain, is press resistant and is very reliable in ball progression. He has a strong frame that helps him in duels and in securing possession, but lacks ideal range, which limits him somewhat as a disruptive defender and dribbler. 

6. WING, Fidel Barajas, Chivas (↓2)

Grade: 4.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
National Team: 🇲🇽
U-20
Barajas’ strengths are his technical qualities and offensive instincts, both on and off of the ball. He has that “final third gene” that is hard to teach. The question is how much his physical profile will limit him. 

7. AM/CM/WING, CJ Olney, Philadelphia Union (↓2)

Grade: 4.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇮🇹
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Olney is tailor made for the Philadelphia Union outside midfield position. He has enough of a physical profile and intelligence to do the defensive duties and he has the technical and creative qualities to float out wide and in more central spaces. 

8. CF, Keyrol Figueroa, Liverpool (↓2)

Grade: 4.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇭🇳
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Figueroa isn’t the biggest striker, but his speed and explosiveness are true weapons and he continues to improve his technical qualities as a connector. The next evolution for Figueroa is becoming more impactful with limited touches, acting as more of a poacher in the box. 

9. CF, Alex Woiski, Mallorca (New addition)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇪🇸 🇮🇹
National Team: 🇦🇷
U-20
Woiski is a small and explosive striker that does his best work when he has space to threaten behind a backline. He has a low center of gravity and extraordinary change of direction and straight line pace. He has very good close control and is very comfortable driving directly at defenders and winning one on one. He displays decisive and deceptive movements in the final third and takes very little time to get powerful shots off with both feet. He is definitely a score first striker that does not do a lot of playmaking or hold up play. He also does not create a lot of havic against the ball. 
Bryce Jamison, winger for Orange County

10. WING, Bryce Jamison, Orange County (↑3)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team:
No appearances this cycle
Jamison has elite physical qualities and he is one of the best defensive attackers you will see at his age. His technical ability and tactical understanding are slowly catching the rest of his game and if that continues to develop he will become a very interesting player. 

11. CM, Taha Habroune, Columbus Crew (↓2)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇲🇦
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Habroune is a ball progression machine and has the off ball instincts of a seasoned vet. His impact in the final third is that of a number ten, but he is so valuable in the middle third of the pitch that I would keep him there. If he can be at least an average defender, he is going to be a very good pro. 

12. GK, Julian Eyestone, Brentford (↓1)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Eyestone has all of the physical qualities to be a top level keeper. He has unique coordination, flexibility and lateral quickness for a keeper that stands at 6-6. His distribution is above average as well. He needs to work on his decision making and positioning in the box and if that comes together he should have a very bright future.

13. DM, Matthew Corcoran, Birmingham Legion (↓3)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Corcoran is a classic holding midfielder and deep lying playmaker. He has great passing range and vision and he also has the physicality required to contribute defensively. He isn’t a fast twitch athlete, so his positioning and instincts will have to be top notch to make it to a high level. 

13. RB, Oscar Verhoeven, San Jose Earthquakes (↑4)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Verhoeven is a tenacious competitor who loves the challenge of taking on talented attackers one on one. He shows flashes of creativity and ambition on the ball, but is also prone to a mental lapse. He has an above average physical profile for a full-back and his versatility to play both left and right-back increase his value.

15. CF, Aidan Dausch, Coventry (↓1)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Dausch has great feet and uses them adeptly as a link up option for his midfield. His movement in the box is another strength and he can finish with both feet consistently. He needs to become more impactful against the ball in a world where clubs rely heavily on strikers to initiate their pressing tactics. 

16. GK, Adam Beaudry, Colorado Rapids (New addition)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-20
Beaudry is a competitive and intelligent keeper that has complete control of what is going on in his box. He isn’t as tall as you would like to see in a keeper, but he makes up for it with great positioning, coordination and reflexes. His distribution is above average and still improving. 

17. GK, Andrew Rick, Philadelphia Union (New addition)

Grade: 4 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Rick is another slightly below average sized keeper that makes up for it with great athleticism, reflexes and lateral quickness. His distribution is above average, but his positioning and instincts for leaving his goal mouth are inconsistent at times. 

18. RB/LB, Owen Presthus, Columbus Crew (New addition)

Grade: 3.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Presthus is a wizard with the ball at his feet, both feet in fact. He played primarily on the left even though his right foot is slightly more dominant. He is a former winger who is comfortable in the final third, especially when whipping crosses into the box. He is improving as a defender, but it is still a work in progress. If he can become adequate as a defender he will have a very nice career.

19. CB, Stuart Hawkins, Seattle Sounders (New addition)

Grade: 3.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Hawkins has a solid foundation of size, intelligence and above average distribution profile. He lacks the pace you would hope for in a high pressing center-back, but he does enough technical and tactical things at a good level. 

20. AM/RW, David Vazquez, Philadelphia Union (↓4)

Grade: 3.5 ✮
Nationalities: 🇺🇸 🇲🇽
National Team: 🇺🇸
U-19
Vazquez’s x-factor is his powerful and accurate left-foot. Whether it’s whipping in a cross, shooting from distance, or playing a well weighted through ball, the left foot shines. His work rate as a defender is also above average, but I am not sure he has the engine to be a true box to box midfielder. 

Disclaimer

I have not had the opportunity to scout the following players: GK, Adam Delplace (Lens), CB, Adrian Pelayo (Chivas), AM, Aaron Heard (Bayer Leverkusen), WING, Andre Gitau (Wormatia) and CF, Julian Placias (Westerlo).

Scouting Approach

How I approach scouting, grading and tiering youth prospects.

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