A quick note on the manager
I don't know a ton about him beyond the basics: he walked on at Santa Clara, my alma mater, before transferring to Seattle University, then spent two years as Columbus Crew's academy U-14 head coach and took over at Ballard FC in USL League Two last fall. The Santa Clara connection alone means he's probably pretty great ;)
The roster
GK, Sean Fields, LA Galaxy
GK, Mario Martinez Reyes, Orlando City
GK, Owen Rodier, Inter Miami
LB, Jahiel Johnson, FC Cincinnati
LB, Manuel Vasquez, Houston Dynamo
RB, German Del Toro, San Jose Earthquakes
RB, Jackson Rhodes, Atlanta United
CB, Tyler Edwards, New York Red Bulls
CB, Caleb Loriston, NYCFC
CB, Charles Owensby, Atlanta United
CB, Isaiah Soto Vargas, El Paso Locomotive
DM, Jonathan David, Red Bulls New York
CM, Lincoln Clark, FC Dallas
CM, Ezra Guyette, San Jose Earthquakes
CM, Eduardo Iglesias, Houston Dynamo
AM, Cyro Barrios, Red Bulls New York
AM, Sebastian Bennett, Inter Miami
AM, Koa Kreps, San Diego FC
AM, Diego Roque, NYCFC
AM, Anthony Nuñez, LAFC
W, Nehemias Molina, Orlando City
W, Jaxon Vereen, NYCFC
CF, Bodie Mass, FC Florida
CF, Juan Perez "JP" Rios, Seattle Sounders
Players I've seen that I rate so far
GK, Sean Fields, LA Galaxy
Played up a lot for Galaxy last year and did a serviceable job. He's looked like one of the better keepers in this class in the games I've seen.
GK, Mario Martinez Reyes, Orlando City
Martinez is the most hyped keeper in this class and for good reason. Early days, but he looks like a top 10 talent in the group.
GK, Owen Rodier, Inter Miami
Rodier is another who has the looks of one of the top keepers in this class, and I've heard from people who have coached him that he's very good.
LB, Jahiel Johnson, FC Cincinnati
Johnson plays more as a winger or wing-back for FC Cincinnati, but I think U.S. Soccer likes him at left-back. He's super quick, technical and creative. I'm always a fan of playing youth wingers at full-back because that's usually the path for the best full-backs.
RB, Jackson Rhodes, Atlanta United
So far, Rhodes is the top right-back I've seen in this class. Full-back groups are usually weak at the younger age groups, but Rhodes looks very promising.
CB, Tyler Edwards, New York Red Bulls
Edwards is one of the early favorites to be the top prospect in this class. He has every single tool you look for in a modern center-back. There are still questions, as there always will be with players this young, but the talent is undeniable.
CB/DM, Charles Owensby, Atlanta United
Owensby can play center-back and the six, and he does both well. He has the size to be a center-back, but I'd like to see him continue on as a six until that stops working.
DM, Jonathan David, Red Bulls New York
David is another player that has played up a lot and done well. He succeeds with his brain and technical ability. RBNY continue to pump out good 6s.
CM, Eduardo Iglesias, Houston Dynamo
Iglesias is one of the top performers in this class right now, a true box-to-box player who does a lot of quality things on the ball and against it.
AM, Sebastian Bennett, Inter Miami
Bennett is a super dynamic player on the ball. He's brave, confident and makes things happen. He can play as an eight, a ten, on either wing or as a false nine.
W, Nehemias Molina, Orlando City
Molina will compete with Vereen to be named the top winger in this class. He has an exciting combination of athleticism, technique and creativity.
W, Jaxon Vereen, NYCFC
Vereen had a nice growth spurt this offseason and I watched him live last weekend. He came alive in the second half and was very difficult for RBNY to handle. He has a similar game to Benji Flowers.
Players I haven't seen, but have heard about
Two selections I've got secondhand intel on and nothing more:
CB, Isaiah Soto Vargas, El Paso Locomotive
Soto is with El Paso for now, but he's committed to Austin FC and will be a part-time player there until further notice. My understanding is that Austin is very high on him. He's a tall, left-footed, ball-playing center-back from what I've been told.
CF, Juan Perez "JP" Rios, Seattle Sounders
Yet to see Perez play, but he was a consistent selection through the U14 ID Center process last year, which tells you the federation has had eyes on him for a while.
A few players I rate so far that aren't here
The same caveat above applies here, and then some. I don't know who was invited and declined, who's carrying a knock, who wasn't released by their club or what else might be going on behind the scenes. These are just players who intrigued me last season who aren't on this roster.
GK, Samuel Ekpolegyene, D.C. United
Ekpolegyene impressed me last year at Alexandria SA before his move to D.C., and he was quite good against Philadelphia Union last weekend. He looks like he's in the same category as Fields and Rodier.
LB, Henry Reynolds, LA Galaxy
Reynolds has an elite physical profile and he's still improving in other areas, but he was one of the best 2012 left-backs I scouted last year.
CB, Noah Pine, Philadelphia Union
Pine is another candidate for the top overall prospect in this class. I can confirm he was invited to this camp but couldn't attend because of an injury. He's another center-back who can do it all and brings a real physical presence against the ball.
CB, Marc Vignier, D.C. United
Vignier was super impressive last weekend against Philadelphia Union. It's a sample size of one game, with all the caveats applying, but he looked like a top player in this class.
CB, Sam Skillern, Houston Dynamo
Skillern played up at times last year for Dynamo and I see him as a high-potential player with his best football ahead of him. He's young, still growing and loves to defend, which I love, and he can still do everything you want a young center-back to do on the ball.
CB, Adrian Applewhaite, Mainz 05
From what I understand, Applewhaite was also invited to this camp but wasn't released by Mainz, and the fact that this isn't an official international window would explain that. He's a left-footed center-back and is considered one of the best in Germany in this class. He's already getting invited to Germany camps as well. Applewhaite has an older brother, Anthony, a 2010 midfielder who I'm told has also been invited to a USYNT camp without being released. Assuming that's the situation with both of them, it's still great to see U.S. Soccer scouting European-based players this early. They don't typically bring European-based players into camp until midway through the U15 cycle.
DM, Kellen Biondolillo, LA Galaxy
Biondolillo is a very polished left-footed midfielder who impressed me frequently last year.
CM, Ben McCaughrain, New York Red Bulls
McCaughrain was super impressive last weekend. He has a ton of creativity and ability on the ball.
CM, Landon Lucas, Eintracht Frankfurt
Lucas is a former Orlando City academy player who moved to Frankfurt this summer. He's a small but mighty midfielder who'll be a handful once he catches up physically. U.S. Soccer is well aware of him and I'm sure he'll be in a camp in due time.
AM, Matthew Teruel, Orlando City
Teruel has long been a top performer in this class.
W, Crosby Ackermann, Columbus Crew
Ackermann is a super crafty and technical lefty who had some impressive moments last year.
W, Ryu Roberts, Houston Dynamo
Roberts is a dynamic, left-footed attacker who has started to become even more impactful as his physical development has caught up with his technical ability.
CF, Tyson Apollo Thompson, D.C. United
Thompson was another D.C. United player who impressed me a lot last weekend, looking much improved from last season.
CF, Rashid Gbla, Columbus Crew
Gbla was one of the few 2012 MLS academy players who played up all of last season and he improved a lot along the way. I didn't see him in the squad last weekend, so he may be dealing with an injury, though I don't know that for certain.
Roster grade: incomplete
I have a lot of work to do on this class, so it'd be unfair for me to slap a grade on it at this stage. I should be able to give a more pointed opinion in the November window.
