Every MLS teams’ best player aged 20 or under

Seattle Sounders: Victor Mansaray

Victor Mansary’s place in the Seattle Sounders’ first team is in doubt for the foreseeable future, given the number of top-tier attackers Brian Schmetzer has at his disposal. That’s why he’s played exactly 28 minutes of MLS action, and a grand total of zero in the past two years. But the 20-year-old’s talent and potential are not in doubt.

The Sounders 2 starter was named the best U-20 player in the USL by USLSoccer.com in their 20 Under 20 list, beating out the likes of Tyler Adams and Derrick Etienne Jr. In the USL’s scouting report, they mentioned he’s comfortable as a center forward or as a flexible left winger, and in the TopDrawerSoccer scouting report they referenced, that sentiment was echoed, and TDS went so far as to claim that left winger was his best position. Seattle’s current struggles with width at the position could very well be remedied by giving Mansaray a shot.

Signed as a Homegrown player in November of 2014, the Freetown, Sierra Leone-born and Fife, Washington-bred standout has consistently played for Sounders 2 while barely receiving opportunities with the MLS side. Seattle have been an MLS leader in committing time and effort to local youth development, resulting in potential U.S. national team stars Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan.

Their success in the SuperDraft — where they picked up Roldan, who played for the Washington Huskies — combined with an early devotion to players in the Pacific Northwest has made their USL side one of the better MLS-affiliated clubs.