Former professional footballer, scout, and sporting director Tor-Kristian Karlsen recently revealed his list of the Top 15 soccer players under the age of 21 from the CONCACAF Region (covering North and Central America along with the Carribean).
Karlsen explained the methodology behind compiling his list, stating that he consulted with CONCACAF- and Europe-based professional scouts while studying an array of statistics and scouting tools. In addition to statistics, Karlsen also considered the potential that certain players have shown as well as personal preferences of industry experts.
A wide array of MLS players were featured on this list, with the likes of Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), James Sands (New York City FC), and Djordje Mihailovic all receiving much praise. Zoning in on the top 5 and two MLS rising stars received mentions, Paxton Pomykal of FC Dallas and Brenden Aaronson of Philadelphia Union.
Pomykal was lauded for his creativity, flair, and great work ethic, while being compared to the likes of Frenkie de Jong. As for Aaronson, he was labeled as being a very one of a kind player, while being praised for his awareness, pace, and overall impressive level of soccer intelligence.
