As we sifted through the video and data from Matchday 32 to build this list, the YPPOTW politburo found ourselves harking back to the aftermath of the United States vs. Canada friendly in the just-completed September international window.
Confused? Let us explain.
The USMNT had just gotten their tails well and truly kicked by their CanMNT counterparts, the first time that’s happened south of the border since 1957 (!). One of the few silver linings for the Yanks: ex-Columbus Crew star and distinguished YPPOTW alum Aidan Morris, who changed the game off the bench and set up the Luca de la Torre goal that cut Canada’s lead in half to ensure a nervy close to the 2-1 result.
Afterwards, interim boss Mikey Varas praised Morris, now at England’s Middlesbrough FC, at length:
“I've been telling Aidan how proud I am that he took a big jump. He moved to Europe from a very comfortable place in Columbus, playing for one of the best coaches [Wilfried Nancy] probably in the world, really, even though he's in MLS, and an amazing club. You can imagine how comfortable he could be there. And he took that leap of faith. He had good performances from the beginning with Middlesbrough. That's what got him in here.
“Now he stepped on the field and he did his thing. He sent a statement to me. I didn't start him. That's on me. And he put a statement. And that's all I can ask from players - that when you get your shot, you play at your highest level, and you show me that I either got it wrong, or I got it right. And yeah, he showed me that he can do it, he can do a really good job for us.”
Over the weekend, several youngsters across MLS did exactly that at the club level with super sub cameos. We’ll start with one that unfolded on the breezy shores of Lake Ontario.
Peruse the prominent data-purveying websites, and you might notice that “Teen Wolff” got a few man-of-the-match nods despite playing just 19 minutes of Austin’s 2-1 road loss to Toronto FC. That’s due in large part, though not exclusively, to this jaw-dropping wonder goal, which had the 360 and Wrap-Up crews gushing on MLS Season Pass.
“Probably one of my favorite goals of the night,” said Sacha Kljestan. “That's a 19-year-old, guys! Looking like a vet.”
Wolff also completed 3/3 passes, created a scoring chance, went 2/4 on dribbles and won 5/8 ground duels. The kid can ball.
When it comes to the discourse about rising young talents on the US soccer scene, hype, unrealistic expectations and short attention spans abound. So perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised that some were ready to shovel dirt on the coffin of Clark’s career when his moves to RB Leipzig, then Minnesota United didn’t quite work out as hoped.
C’mon now – the hard-running midfielder is still just 21! And Montréal, where youth and restoration projects are central to the plan, might just be an ideal spot for him to get back to his best. He was the most impactful player in the Quebecois’ 2-1 upset of Charlotte FC at Stade Saputo, showing both technique and persistence to sniff out the game’s opening goal…
… and playing the slide-rule through ball to Raheem Edwards that led to CFM’s second, finished by Bryce Duke. Overall, Clark completed 85% of his 39 passes, played two key passes, offered four defensive actions, won 5/7 ground duels and drew two fouls.
In the immortal words of YPPOTW patron saint Freddy Adu, “never put a period where God put a comma.”
As with so many members of the Fire, 2024 has mostly been a season to forget for Koutsias, who didn’t score his first goal of the campaign until Leagues Cup. Yet the 20-year-old has been in rip-roaring form since then and stepped up again in a moment of acute need on Saturday.
The Men in Red are fighting an uphill battle to overcome their sustained struggles and make a late dash into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and their odds were dwindling even further as the New York Red Bulls equalized shortly after halftime at Soldier Field. Then Koutsias and Kellyn Acosta entered the match together and changed things in a matter of seconds.
First, Koutsias tested Carlos Coronel with a lefty shot on target, earning his team a corner kick. After the set piece was played short, the Greek youth international glanced Acosta’s pinpoint cross into the net with an adept header that would stand up as the game-winner. Add his strike for Greece’s Under-21 side during the international break, and Koutsias has now scored five goals in his last six games for club and country.
If you only watched the first-half highlights of Saturday night’s wild El Tráfico barnburner, you’d be confused to see this name here, considering both of LAFC’s goals unfolded from defensive breakdowns in which Neal got left exposed 1v1 against Denis Bouanga, probably the most ferocious 1v1 attacker in the league.
Yet just as his team resurrected itself from that 2-0 halftime hole with an astonishingly dominant display that delivered a 4-2 comeback win, so too did Neal find another level (not that those two goals were entirely his fault anyway). The homegrown center back won 8/10 ground duels, 5/7 tackles and totaled 13 defensive actions and five recoveries, all without compromising his usual precise distribution, as he completed 95/100 passes.
It sure looked like he found the measure of Bouanga, too, even goading the LAFC star into grabbing two handfuls of his jersey as the two jawed after the Black & Gold forward had hit the deck in optimistic hopes of drawing a penalty, an escalation Neal soaked up with a steely smile beyond his years, never giving an inch. It all adds up to a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench for the kid.
Another super sub putting in work, this time in perhaps the trickiest scenario of them all. Allen had to come off the bench just 15 minutes into Miami’s 3-1 win over Philadelphia to replace the injured David Martinez, no easy task for any defender, let alone one who often has to mix it up with attackers much larger than him – and it’s no secret how physical the Union are.
The 20-year-old homegrown handled the job masterfully, completing 31/32 passes, winning 3/4 ground duels and 2/2 tackles, drawing one foul and totaling 12 defensive actions as the Herons protected a 2-1 lead for more than an hour.
Allen’s commitment to the dirty work was epitomized by the play on which he picked up the knock that forced him out of the match, a sequence in which he held off Tai Baribo as Drake Callender raced out to collect a through ball in the game’s dying minutes.
“Noah has his characteristics. When he has the chance, he’s always prepared. He is very valuable for us,” said coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino postgame. “He’s always available. He got hit in the head; now, he’s trying to recover.”
Deandre Kerr: There was a hefty dose of good fortune involved in Kerr’s “assist” on TFC’s opener vs. Austin, considering the ball was tackled away from him after a heavy touch on the dribble. But the 21-year-old Canadian was razor-sharp in his reading of the play on the Reds’ game-winner, peeling away to the far post when he saw Richie Laryea burst into space in transition, to provide his teammate with an inviting target for a low cross that Kerr calmly converted for his second goal in as many games.
Nathan Saliba: Montréal’s ambush of Charlotte was greatly facilitated by the range and tidiness of their homegrown center mid, who completed 57/62 passes, 5/5 long balls, 3/3 dribbles and won 4/7 ground duels. He also laid the foundation for CFM’s opening goal, playing the pass over the top to Clark that began the scoring sequence.
Dennis Gjengaar: No sugarcoating it here – RBNY’s comeback loss at Chicago was a disaster for a team with aspirations of a deep postseason run. Their young Norwegian attacker does deserve a nod for his wonderfully nimble finish just moments after entering the match, however, as he showcased impressive technique to swivel his hips and direct Dante Vanzeir’s dipping cross underneath Chris Brady. Gjengaar also completed 18/20 passes with one chance created.
Jackson Travis: Just as no one should be sleeping on the scale of Colorado’s turnaround in year one under Chris Armas – with their 2-1 win over Portland, the Rapids are now up to third in the West – it should not go unnoticed that they’ve called on a previously unknown homegrown to soak up key minutes at left back. With Sam Vines out injured, Travis was dependable and composed, completing 52/64 passes (including one key pass) and winning 5/9 ground duels and 3/3 tackles.
