Two of Major League Soccer’s top rising talents have made Goal.com’s NXGN 2022 list recognizing the top 50 players born on or after January 1, 2003.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Caden Clark (No. 24) and Chicago Fire FC goalkeeper Gaga Slonina (No. 46) were recognized on the list alongside FC Dallas product and US men’s national team striker Ricardo Pepi (No. 10).
Clark, 18, is back on loan at RBNY this season from RB Leipzig with an option to extend his stateside stay. He originally joined the German Bundesliga sister club this winter, and has six goals and six assists in 34 MLS games (20 starts) to begin his young career. Clark has developed a penchant for jaw-dropping goals and is on the USMNT radar screen.
Slonina, 17, is one of the top goalkeeping prospects worldwide and has drawn comparisons to Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon amid reported transfer interest from Premier League sides. Still eligible to represent Poland, he’s participated in several USMNT camps in the last calendar year. The Chicago-area native has posted seven clean sheets in 15 career starts for the Fire.
Pepi, 19, joined German Bundesliga side FC Augsburg this winter for a reported club-record $20 million transfer from FC Dallas. That came on the tail-end of a 2021 MLS season where he was named Young Player of the Year and was voted No. 1 on MLSsoccer.com's 22 Under 22 presented by BODYARMOR list after posting 13 goals and three assists across 31 games (24 starts). Pepi has three goals in nine USMNT caps, an important part of World Cup qualifying.
Check out Goal.com's entire NXGN 2022 list here.
