2021 Baby Aces - Part One (20-11)
Major League Soccer is slowly turning with the “play your kids” movement and as someone who watches/covers this league, I am here for it! Here within the MLSAces community we have roughly 25 people who chat on a weekly basis. In our chat I was able to throw out a poll for everyone to vote upon their top youngsters heading into the 2021 season. We clarified in our voting that we are selecting the U.S.’s drinking age as our limit. So any MLS player, who by the start of the MLS season, is 21 years old or younger is eligible to make our list.
I am going to break down our list into two parts. First will be this blog, our Baby Aces #20 - #11. Let us know who you agree/disagree with and let us know who your Baby Aces would be:
#20 - Cristhian Casseres Jr, New York Red Bulls
The dubbed “Tyler Adams” replacement has had some quality minutes within MLS since he joined in 2018. Casseres came in with a ton of potential from his club soccer in Venezuela. I personally think that the Red Bulls had the plan to move him to Europe as well. Some shaky minutes here and there, but at the end of the day I think a majority of clubs within MLS would love a young #6 like Casseres protecting their backline. At 21 years old he has already cracked the Venezuelan national team, raised a trophy, and is closing in on 50 games for the Red Bull’s first team. As a club, the Red Bulls seem to be in a place of limbo, but this young midfield could have a lot of quality come the end of the season. Maybe another Red Bull teammate makes the list further down the line?
#19 - Matias Pellegrini, Inter Miami
I would like to note here that Pellegrini is the only player on our list that I did not vote for… so I am going to be a little short here on his profile for 2021. Pellegrini (and along with quite a few other story lines) came into Miami’s first season with a lot of hype around him. He was brought in as a young DP and most of the MLS community (including myself at the time) was sold on him. Well, year one in MLS did not go as planned for Pellegrini. In 20 games for Inter Miami, he was only able to sum up 1 goal and 2 assists. To be fair to him, the Inter Miami squad as a whole was poor. Personally, I will save any judgments of him until after the 2021 season. I’ll give him that as a youngster, coming into a new league, in a new country, in the midst of a pandemic… maybe 2021 wasn’t his most normal playing routine. Let’s hope that with him on the left wing with a full season of Higuain in up front, we get more production from the 20 year old.
#18 - Danny Leyva, Seattle Sounders
The Sounders academy product is on the verge of being a consistent first team player in many eyes. The 17 year old defensive midfielder has been a standout on a weak Tacoma Defiance team in the USL Championship. But between some MLS action, some Open Cup action, and even a few minutes in CCL, Leyva has shown to be MLS quality. With some holes on the Sounders roster and major international minutes approaching, I can see Leyva getting a ton of minutes in 2021. Even FIFA 21 has high hopes for the kid with him making the Wonderkid/Hidden Gem list for the game. 2021 could be a major breakout year for the young American.
#17 - Anthony Fontana, Philadelphia Union
Another player making the list at the top of the age range here. The 21 year old attacking midfielder for the Union was a key bench piece in the squad raising their first trophy in club history last season. The Union academy is on fire right now and with products like Aaronson/McKenzie heading to Europe this off-season, there is a big hole for Fontana to step up into the starting XI. His production number wise isn’t bad at all! 10 goals in 34 games for the first team and he has only gotten better year after year. I think that he can improve upon his 6 goals from 2020. IF he can lock down a starting spot, he could be a piece for the Union to sell leading into 2022/2023.
#16 - Ricardo Pepi, FC Dallas
Strikers are always the eye catching name to focus on right? Well Ricardo Pepi could easily be that type of striker in the future. At only 18 years old, Pepi has already dominated and won a trophy for Dallas’s second team in North Texas SC. With North Texas he scored 11 goals in 14 games, won the USL League One regular season, and the USL League One championship. Then Pepi was given a shot at the first team, jumping to the MLS level. In close to 30 games he has 3 goals and 2 assists to his MLS name. All three of those goals came last season and there is no reason to think that Pepi can’t double that number in 2021. The U.S. youth international looks to be like the next star FC Dallas product heading to Europe sooner rather than later. He is also the first Dallas player to make this list, as Dallas has the most representation on this list.
#15 - Frankie Amaya, FC Cincinnati
The GREATEST player in FC Cincinnati’s history cracks our top 20! With an interesting off-season going on for him, Amaya is definitely seen as a talented midfielder by plenty around U.S. soccer circles. With historic inter-MLS transfer rumors circling his name, management at Cincy not wanting to give him up, and him requesting a transfer away from the club… Frankie is making the headlines! To this point he has been called into a USMNT camp, close to 50 professional games, and already leading a Mt. Rushmore for a pro-club. If Amaya can land himself on mainly any other MLS roster, his production should be even better than what we’ve seen. But if he sticks on the Cincy roster… welp we will see maybe a goal and solid “balls won” stats in 2021.
#14 - Aidan Morris, Columbus Crew SC
In his rookie season Morris was able to play in 11 games for the Crew, start in MLS Cup, play very well in MLS Cup, and eventually raise the MLS Cup. Morris stepped up to the occasion after top talent Darlington Nagbe was ruled out of MLS Cup due to covid concerns. We have a small sample size on the 19 year old midfielder, but if we can see more minutes from him like he has in MLS Cup in 2021… then the Crew are even better than most are thinking. Aidan Morris, you have our eyes sir, you have our eyes!
#13 - Andres Perea, Orlando City SC
The 20 year old midfielder officially became a USMNT player this winter after subbing on in a game against Trinidad & Tobago. Perea is for sure a very good talent and a player that could consistently be in the USMNT pool from now on. 28 games for Orlando City and rotating in with Junior Urso and Sebastian Mendez… that is the place for him right now. But if Perea can step up and be a spot starter/first player off the bench for Orlando City, then his development in 2022 will be great. I am mixed on my feelings for Perea. I like him a lot but I don’t know how high his ceiling is.
#12 - Julian Araujo, LA Galaxy
The 19 year old right-back should be the starter there for the Galaxy in 2021. He has been capped by the USMNT, similar to others on this list. In Araujo’s only USMNT cap, he has an assist to his name. I think he might have one of the highest ceilings of any player on this list. He has proven to be a force on the outside of that defense, ability to play at a high level, as well as getting up into the attack on that right wing. I think Araujo is a lock for a future move to a league like Serie A or Ligue 1. His style and skill set fits perfectly, he is a top young talent in this league, and he is playing under a head coach that will only upgrade his game. I like Araujo to have a top season throughout all of MLS.
#11 - Jesus Ferreira, FC Dallas
Probably the toughest placement on this list… what do we do with Jesus Ferreira? I think that question is a focus of conversation between Gregg Burhalter and Luchi Gonzalez. GGG seems to see Ferreira as straight-up striker. Luchi seems to see him as an attacking mid or winger. I personally love to see him up top as a striker that can drop back into the midfield #TeamGGG. But as long as he is playing his club career under Luchi, then I don’t think we will see his true potential being pushed down the striker order with Jara and Pepi there. But at the end of the day the kid is 20. At 20 years of age he has 2 USMNT caps, 2 USMNT goals, 3 USMNT assists, 10 MLS goals, and 7 MLS assists… not too shabby. Jesus might be my favorite player on this list but as of right now, there are some things holding him back.
