Below are the top performers from MLS NEXT in May 2025 you should know, including the Player and Teams of the Month.
The New York Red Bulls’ U15 age group was nearly unstoppable during the month of May as they went 6-0-1 and outscored opponents 32-4 in those matches. In four of those games, the Red Bulls scored at least four goals with multiple dominant wins by at least five goals.
That domination carried over at MLS NEXT Flex, in which the Red Bulls ripped through their group, winning all three games – 6-0 against Atletico Santa Rosa, 7-1 versus Chula Vista FC and 1-0 against Nashville SC. After having previous success at the U15 age group in 2023, New York looks to be a major contender at MLS NEXT Cup in two weeks.
In one of the most difficult MLS NEXT Flex groups, Sockers FC Chicago emerged victorious, winning all three matches en route to earning Team of the Month honors in the U16 age group. Sockers faced off against three other MLS academies, and won each match – 2-1 against Toronto FC, 3-1 vs. Houston Dynamo FC and 1-0 vs. D.C. United.
The month was also an undefeated one, as they beat Chicago FC United on May 4 and tied SC Wave on May 16. Sockers’ attack was a balanced one, as five different players scored their seven goals, but their defense was stout, conceding just three times over the course of the month.
With an opportunity to punch their ticket to MLS NEXT Cup in May, FC Greater Boston Bolts did not let their chance slip, winning all three of their games at MLS NEXT Flex to advance out of Group B in the U17 age group. Over the course of the month, Boston Bolts went unbeaten with a 4-0-1 record, which included four different games with multiple goals.
In key MLS NEXT Flex matches, Logan Moniz and Finn Van Clief were two individuals who stepped up to secure winning the group. Moniz scored twice against Las Vegas Sports Academy on May 12 and Van Clief also had a brace against San Francisco Glens on May 9. Moniz’s standout performances helped him earn a call-up to the U.S. U-17 Youth National Team for the June training camp.
After Real Salt Lake’s magical Generation adidas Cup run in the U16 age group led to a title, the inspiration appeared to also trickle up to the U19 squad, which had a sensational May. RSL’s U19 side went 5-0-1 in May, won their MLS NEXT Flex group and scored multiple goals in every match but one.
After earning eight points at MLS NEXT Flex with regulation wins over City SC San Diego and Miami Futbol Academy Rush, the Claret and Cobalt then turned in convincing victories to close the month out against Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Notable standout performances throughout the month came from Owen Anderson, Antonio Riquelme, and Camron Estala.
The only player across MLS NEXT to score double-digit goals during the month of May in MLS NEXT action was Sergio Zapata from Orlando City SC Youth’s U19 team, earning him Player of the Month honors. Zapata scored 11 times for the club in four different matches as the side went 3-2-2 in May.
His goal-scoring success included three different hat tricks with one of those at MLS NEXT Flex against Hoosier Premier on May 12 and another against Weston FC in the regular season on May 24. Zapata recently committed to Cornell University, where he will continue his soccer career for the Big Red.
The breakout player of the 2025 Generation adidas Cup in April was Orlando City SC Homegrown Gustavo Caraballo. A young, dynamic winger, Caraballo earned MVP presented by adidas honors in Bradenton, Fla., after scoring a brace, including the game-winning goal in the U18 final as the Lions took down the Colorado Rapids, 2-1.
Nearly two weeks after his remarkable performance in the final, Caraballo made his impact in the Tampa Bay area once again – but this time it was for the first team. Only 16 years old, Caraballo scored twice against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Orlando’s 5-1 win in the Fourth Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The brace helped him become the youngest player in club history to score across all competitions.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja praised Caraballo and the overall academy structure when helping develop these players, saying: “They have done a tremendous job in developing these kids and putting them on the first team for us is a privilege.”
2025 has been a memorable year for Caraballo, and the month of May was another example of his incredible future and the impact of MLS’ Player Pathway.
