With the World Cup nearing a close, soccer fans are finally free to return to the soccer that truly matters: Major League Soccer.
All jokes aside, there is plenty to look forward to during the second half of the MLS season. One of the biggest storylines before the World Cup break was the emergence of the league's young talent. A testament to the continued growth of American academies and improved youth recruitment, young players have not only broken into first teams – they've become some of the league's best performers.
It's also the perfect time, and perhaps the only time, to appreciate many of these players in MLS. Several are already attracting serious interest from European clubs, and their time in North America may be limited.
To kick off the second half of the season, I've put together my Best XI (well, Best XI minus a goalkeeper, anyway) of MLS players aged 22 and under. Every player, and every highlight clip featured in this article, was identified using a self-developed possession value model. Rather than relying solely on traditional statistics like goals and assists, the model measures how much each action increases a team's probability of scoring.
In other words, these are the 10 young outfield players who have had the greatest positive impact on their team's attacking output this season.
Left Back: Frankie Westfield (20), Philadelphia Union
Frankie Westfield has been one of the few bright spots on a struggling Philadelphia side this season and has established himself as one of the league’s premier attacking fullbacks.
According to Opta, he attempts the most crosses (5.44 per 90) and completes the most crosses (1.41 per 90) of any player in MLS. Among outside backs, he has also created the fourth-most big chances this season, according to FotMob.
Westfield thrives when pushing high and wide before whipping dangerous deliveries into the penalty area. He has just two assists to his name this season, but I have little doubt that total would be much higher had Philadelphia still possessed the aerial presence of Tai Baribo, who departed during the winter transfer window.
