For years, the American soccer pipeline lacked a step-ladder from the U18 academy ranks into the first tier in MLS. In recent years, the USL capably added that rung.

Now, most every MLS team has a USL affiliate incubating top talent not quite ready for the big league. More than that, though, there are a number of non-MLS standalone clubs plying their trade in the USL to round out what’s fast becoming a standalone second tier. For now, the NASL and USL share a nominal designation as the second division club of record, but the USL’s standalone claim seems to grow stronger by the day.

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Really, the league’s biggest selling point is as a repository for top young players looking for in-game opportunities. And a handful of top young players took that baton and sprinted with it this season.

Each of these players are putting up phenomenal numbers in the USL this season, and each is 23 or younger. While teenagers still often find the USL a bit rugged at first, the league’s youngest cadre of players is also fast growing accustomed to it. These stats illustrate what a lot of folks already know; the USL is growing up. Fast.