With an MLS-heavy Concacaf Gold Cup and plenty more international call-ups for clubs around the league, there were opportunities abound for young players to make an impact in Matchday 19.
Here's who made the cut for our latest Young Players of the Matchday selections.
LA's wild 3-3 draw vs. St. Louis CITY SC featured the first MLS goal for the Brazilian U22 Initiative forward, who finished off a slick assist from Marco Reus. Nascimento also logged a secondary assist on Gabriel Pec's 41st-minute tally, giving him three goal contributions over his last two matches (1g/2a).
Philadelphia's dramatic 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC was delivered by a 98th-minute game-winner from Anderson. In addition to checking off the milestone of his first league goal, the 21-year-old also scored the latest game-winning goal in club history for a Union side that sits atop the Supporters' Shield standings.
The offseason trade arrival from LA Galaxy got his first goal of the season to help CF Montréal nab a much-needed 3-1 win at Houston Dynamo FC. After missing time at the start of the season due to injury, Neal is looking to solidify himself as a future building block for the Canadian side.
Real Salt Lake's 18-year-old homegrown forward aided his team's 2-0 win over D.C. United with a 77th-minute insurance tally. It was Gozo's second of the season in 814 minutes as he continues to command regular minutes for Pablo Mastroeni's side.
Making his first start of the season, the 20-year-old center back went the full 90 minutes and helped anchor FC Dallas's defense in their 4-2 win at Sporting Kansas City.
- Alejandro Alvarado: San Diego FC's 21-year-old midfielder is quietly emerging as a dependable option for the high-flying expansion side. Alvarado made his fifth start of the season and went the full 90 minutes to help SDFC to an impressive 4-2 win at Minnesota.
- Olwethu Makhanya: The 21-year-old South African center back has now made 15 appearances (10 starts) after a solid shift alongside Jakob Glesnes in Philly's victory over Charlotte.
