With the arrival of the Development Academy, a brand new crop of top players are plying their trade under the radar as the promise of youth national team minutes swirls overhead. Every year a fresh crop populates the DA’s ranks, and this is a look at a handful you should know going forward. From top DA appearances to Youth National Team prospects, these five players could well be household names before long.
Andrew Carleton, Georgia United U18
The primary difference between MLS academies and non-MLS academies isn’t necessarily quality itself. It’s consistency. Non-MLS academies live and die more on how specific classes matriculate since there aren’t as many deep ones, and Georgia United has a doozy coming up right now. That’s led by Carleton, who you’ll probably see at a YNT World Cup before long. Carleton’s been involved in the earlier stages of the YNT setup, and he scored a goal in Georgia United’s recent 6-2 demolition of a quality Weston FC team. Playing up, can this be Carleton’s true breakout year when he announces himself as a prime candidate for major tournaments going forward.
