Putting a finger on precisely what makes Chicago Fire forward Emanuel Guzman so good is as challenging as laying a finger on him when he has the ball in his possession.

The shifty U16 striker knows how to elude defenders with the best of them, but that’s hardly representative of the sum of his abilities. At 5-foot-6 he’s never the tallest player on the field, and he’s really not the fastest either.

But he’s just crafty enough; just cerebral enough; just opportunistic enough. In short, he’s one of those players who possesses ‘it.’

Whatever ‘it’ is.

“He’s a very deceptive player,” said coach Tony Kees. “He just has great instincts. You look at him and realize he’s not necessarily a burner out there and he doesn’t have the best shot, but he has a way of making things happen. He can make you miss and he’s very good at getting out of tight spots. He has a knack for sneaking up on defenders and stripping them too.”

Defenders aren’t the only ones who have been blindsided. Guzman’s performance this season for the Fire was a revelation to most. Always a gifted player, he truly blossomed with a breakout year that included 18 goals during the regular season while meshing with teammates like Charles Lyon. He started the year as a right midfielder but was moved up top after a strong tournament.

Not to be lost in Guzman’s winning combination of attributes is his on-field demeanor. In the vein of Ronaldinho, Guzman always seems to have a smile on his face. He plays with a calm, and a joy that never seems to be tempered. Not even after the team’s exit from the U.S. Development Academy Playoffs.

“I really enjoyed it,” Guzman said. “We had a lot of young players this year and it was neat showing them how to be responsible and what this whole thing is about. We were the younger players the year before and we learned from players that showed us.”

Another way Guzman and his teammates were able to learn was by settling in front of the television during the FIFA Confederations Cup. Frequenting sports bars during their travel, the Fire cheered wildly during the important U.S. matches and was able to dissect the each game as a team.

Guzman’s own brush with the big stage came during the Development Academy Spring Showcase on May 22-26 in Sarasota, Florida.

He was chosen to compete against the U.S. U17 National Team as part of an academy select squad that included guys like Adam Zepeda, Zach Foxhoven, Joseph Schmid, Marquez Fernandez and Reed McKenna.

“Before the game there were a lot of nerves, and I was going to the bathroom a lot,” Guzman said. “I was very excited to play. I just wanted to play well and not give the ball away and doing that I came out of it with a lot of confidence, knowing that I can play with the best. I would love to be a part of the national team and see what’s possible in the future.”

Guzman’s immediate future calls for training, training, and more training. Now that his academy season is over he’ll have more time for personal workouts – something he enjoys.

His routine includes running, scrimmaging with friends and working on his touch against a wall. Now, how he plans on sharpening his ‘it’ quality is another task all together.