Rising to the Opportunity
Young players are finding homes in the MLS and developing their craft with time on the pitch.
So you sign, then what happens?
While it is hard to compare all the stats of player minutes, there is a clear trend that some MLS clubs provide more opportunity for their young pros than others.
For the important stats on playing in time in the MLS for young professionals, click AMERICAN SOCCER: ARE OUR YOUNG PROS GETTING ENOUGH MINUTES IN THE MLS?
Who is Earning Playing Time in the MLS?
So far this MLS Season, New York City’s homegrown player James Sands and FC Dallas’ Paxton Pomykai have played the minutes — an impressive amount of time on the field.
| Player | Team | Minutes Played | Games Played | Date of Birth |
| Sands, James | New York City FC | 268 | 3 | 7/6/00 |
| Pomykal, Paxton | FC Dallas | 287 | 4 | 12/17/99 |
Who are the young professional soccer players gaining the spotlight?
| Player | Team | Minutes Played | Games Played | Date of Birth |
| Busio, Gianluca | Sporting Kansas City | 96 | 2 | 5/28/02 |
| Álvarez, Efrain | LA Galaxy | 61 | 2 | 6/19/02 |
One young player who is earning minutes on the pitch is Gianluca Busio who became the second-youngest player to ever sign with MLS when he agreed on a Homegrown Deal with Sporting Kansas City signed a pro at the age of 15 years old and 89 days.
The player who was not old enough to drive when he signed his MLS contract has already been in the starting lineup once and has played over 100 minutes in the 2019 MLS Season.
A talented midfielder, Busio has already notched a goal and an assist in the MLS. Recently, he gained international playing experience with time on the field in the Concacaf Champions League on March 6, becoming the youngest player in club history to appear in a competitive international match.
Another young player to watch is Efrain Alvarez who plays for his native LA club, the LA Galaxy.
Alvarez signed as a Homegrown Player on March 4, 2018, and has played 61 minutes in the 2019 MLS Season. The LA native has always been the talk of Mexican soccer and now is in the American spotlight.
Few teenage pros in American soccer have the support of the famous Zlatan Ibrahimovic who told the media Alvarez was ready to make an impact in MLS only weeks before the 16-year-old grabbed the spotlight in his MLS debut. Alvarez came off the bench to help power the Galaxy’s second-half comeback with an assist on the equalizer and a key role in Ibrahimovic’s game-winning goal over the Chicago Fire.
The youngest player to ever appear in an @MLS match for the #LAGalaxy👉 @efrain_alvarez1 pic.twitter.com/Xq2DPus8DN
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) March 3, 2019
These two teenage players reflect the future of American soccer.
Who will get an opportunity tomorrow? Who will be able to rise to the opportunity?
Only time will tell, but as the popularity of soccer continues to grow in America and the silent countdown to hosting the 2026 World Cup looms large, it is evident that the MLS is prioritizing long-term development more than ever.
