This weekend had a ton of great moments from some of the top youth prospects in the country. Matchday 8 of the MLS Next Pro season kicked off last Friday, May 3, showcasing notable performances from several top youth players.

FC Cincinnati academy standout Stefan Chirila notched his first professional goal, converting from the penalty spot in the match between FC Cincinnati 2 and Crown Legacy FC. The young talent, who was a key contributor to the team, put in an outstanding performance, marking his first goal at the professional level. Following this achievement, the 2007-born player reached a total of 42 goals in all competitions during the 2023/2024 season. The game also saw Nimfasha Berchimas starting for Crown Legacy FC.

Mexican-American midfielder Ervin Torres also scored his first goal as a pro finding the net with a long-range strike in his 8th game for Austin FC II. Torres, a regular call up for the United States youth national team, has shown significant progress in the 2024 season with standout moments on the field.

The matchup between Minnesota United 2 and St. Louis City SC 2 highlighted several promising prospects in their starting lineups. Alisa Randell started for Minnesota United 2, while Tyson Pearce once again played the full 90 minutes for the visiting team. The second half saw Caden Glover and Carson Locker come on for St. Louis City SC 2, with both gaining more experience at the pro level.

Drew Baiera, an 07 born player, played the full 90 minutes for NYCFC II in their match up vs Atlanta United 2. Baiera now has a total of 673 minutes played on the season, leading the way for 07’s at the pro level. Several other youth stars also featured as starters in the match up including: Jacob Arroyave, Jonathan Shore, and Maximo Carrizo.

Christopher Cupps and Patrick Los played the full 90 minutes in the New England Revolution II vs. Chicago Fire II game. Additionally, central defender Neil Pierre completed 90 minutes for the third consecutive time, making his fourth start of the season.

Lastly, 2008-born right back Gio Villa made his first start for the Real Monarchs in their match against Los Angeles FC 2. The game also featured William MacKay in goal, along with Luca Moisa, Zavier Gozo, and Owen Anderson.

RC Performance - Train like the Best

RC Performance Training out of New Jersey gives you the chance to learn from a team full of professionals to help you reach your full potential. The team trains not only some of the top college bound players but also some of the top professionals in their off season. Check out their session with USL League One standout John Murphy below to get a glimpse into a off day training session with a pro.

The staff at RC Performance offers a wide assortment of training options that include:

• 1 on 1 - Small Group or Team Soccer Training

• Gym Training

• Camps and Clinics (SIGN UP NOW!!)

• RC Training Sessions (Beginning in June)

• College Program (Sign Up Link)

• AND you can even sign up for a youth soccer subscription so you can drop in every Monday and Friday for an hour of elite level training

Check out their website to learn more about how you can get involved:

MLS Next: LA Galaxy dominates El Trafico and beats LAFC in both games

The spotlight in youth soccer was on Sunday's match where the LA Galaxy faced off against LAFC in one of the country's best rivalries, El Trafico.

The LA Galaxy secured victories in both games with impressive performances. The Galaxy U15s clinched a narrow win in a closely contested match, while the U17s triumphed with a 4-2 scoreline in an entertaining duel.

For the U17s, Adriano Samayoa opened the scoring in the 15th minute, followed by Dempsey Resich extending the lead 3 minutes later for LAFC. The LA Galaxy responded quickly, with Enrique Martinez pulling one back in the 32nd minute. In the second half, Christian Coreas, Dylan Vanney, and Harbor Miller sealed the 4-2 victory for the LA Galaxy.

The weekend also witnessed high-level matches. Chicago Fire U15s secured back-to-back wins against FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew. Robert Turdean impressed with his performances in both games. On May 4, the U15s defeated FC Cincinnati 3-1 with Turdean scoring twice. On the following Sunday, Chicago Fire defeated Columbus Crew 2-1, again with two goals from Turdean, who scored a total of 4 goals in 2 games. Chicago Fire U17s secured a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati, with goals from Daven Arias and Vitaliy Hlyut for Chicago Fire and Aldair Flowers for FC Cincinnati. The win gave Chicago the MLS Next Central North Division title!

Toronto FC continued its excellent run of form, with the U15s securing a 3-2 victory over D.C. United and the U17s beating D.C. United emphatically with a 5-0 scoreline.

The Colorado Rapids' matches against Real Salt Lake produced different results. Real Salt Lake U15s secured a 1-0 victory, while the Colorado Rapids U17s emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline.

Sporting Kansas City achieved a victory and a draw in their matches against Austin FC. The U17s secured a 2-1 victory with goals from Trajan Wormington and Aiden Benitez, while Joah Reyna scored for Austin FC. The U15s drew 2-2, with goals from Jorge Rivera and Jonathan Ayala for Austin FC, and Jack Francka and Eman Alicic for Sporting Kansas City.