Generation Z Soccer Prospects

I'm sorry your soccer talents didn't blossom when you were five or twelve. Your soccer may have peaked in high school or your first year of college, yet no major soccer club came calling. I'm glad you're pursuing your little C and big C callings here at Covenant College. We're all glad you're here. Statistically, you're really late to making it to the most elite level -- so enjoy where you are right now and the soccer talent that is developing worldwide. 

In a globalized world, we are seeing more amazing talent reaching the shores of the biggest leagues in the world, whereas before they would have gone unnoticed, unscouted. Globalization has increased these clubs’ ability to reach different parts of the world, and national teams are benefitting as well. 

I've compiled a small list of the most exciting youth talent in the world right now. The sport is immense worldwide, so I am sure to have missed many more exciting prospects. Most of them are your age or close to it, so it's cool to look at what others in your generation are doing in the soccer sphere. 

Ansu Fati | 16 | FC Barcelona 

The youngest on this list hails from a West African nation, Guinea-Bissau. He moved to Seville, Spain with his father at age 6 and later signed with FC Barcelona at the age of 10. At 16 years and 268 days, he became the second-youngest debutant for Barcelona’s first team in July of this year. So far, in five games, Fati has scored two crucial goals. It's his poise with possession and flare in attack that have convinced FC Barcelona to place a 100-million-euro price tag on the starlet. FC Barcelona is currently negotiating a new contract, so that price may increase. With Lionel Messi as his teammate and mentor, there is no telling how great Fati will be in the years to come. 

Tierna Davidson | 20 | Chicago Red Stars

The youngest player on the 2019 U.S. World Cup winner roster, Tierna Davidson already has 21 appearances, one goal, and five assists playing from the back. Davidson attended Stanford for soccer, where she played center defensive midfield and would later move to center back for club and national team. She is a very influential player when on the field, with her defensive mindset for the ball and key distribution of the ball on offense. She'll be one to depend on for the next world cup in 2023 with fellow 21-year-old starlet, Mallory Pugh. 

Alphonso Davies | 18 | FC Bayern Münich 

Born in a refugee camp in Ghana of Liberian parents, Alphonso Davies' parents fled the second Liberian Civil War and later moved to Canada when he was 5. At age 14, in 2015, he signed with the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps youth squad where a year later he debuted in the MLS for the first team. With 2018 being his big breakout season, he captured the attention of the barbaric giants, Bayern Münich. He currently has 10 appearances and 2 goals--one being a major goal in the preseason against Tottenham. He'll most likely go on loan in the winter window based on where he stands in the pecking order of attacking wingers at Bayern. At 16, he became the youngest player to debut for Canada's national men's soccer team where he now has 16 appearances and 4 goals. 

Erling Braut Håland | 19 | Red Bull Salzburg 

The England-born Norweigan has already been through three clubs, and made his first team debut at 15 with Norweigan side Byrne in the first division. It was his performance back in May where he scored 9 goals against Honduras in the U-20 World Cup in Poland that took the soccer world by storm and put his name out there. He currently has 8 appearances with Salzburg and 11 goals this season alone. It has helped his case that he scored a hattrick for RB Salzburg in his Champions League debut on September 17th. His finesse in front of goal and prowess with the ball have categorized him as the most promising striker out there right now. We'll see how long RB Salzburg can keep him before big money clubs come knocking. 

Jadon Sancho | 19 | Borussia Dortmund 

Going into his third season with German side Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has been clinical. His coldblooded approach to his goals and vital approach on the offensive run make Sancho a promising winger. He will most likely be essential for England’s national squad, which recently have been a disappointment on the international stage. There's been speculation that he may return to the Premier League in England due to his current play of 4 goals in 9 games in all competitions for Borussia this season and 13 goals last season. His abilities are only getting better, as his goal percentage this season shows. His speed and dribbling ability make him appear quite mature on the field, yet exciting like any hungry young attacker trying to make an impact any chance he can. It'll be interesting to see if he returns to Manchester City or snubs them for any other big club in Europe. 

Honorable mentions: Ellie Carpenter, 19, Thorns FC | Ferran Torres, 19, Valencia | Gianluigi Donnarumma, 20, AC Milan | Rodrygo, 18, Real Madrid | Nicolo Zaniolo, 20, Roma AS

Will's Thoughts

My name is Will Kirkpatrick and I am a sports fanatic. Every single waking hour that I am not at school or with my girlfriend (shout out Sara), I am watching sports. SO! I naturally have many, many thoughts on the topic. Here are a few of them. 

On Georgia Football 

Yeah, I get it, every year our fanbase claims that “this is the year” and it has always ended in a heap of whimpering dawg fans. BUT NOT THIS YEAR! After two back-to-back heartbreaking defeats to Alabama on the cusp of our first National Title since 1980, I can confidently say that this is far and away the best football team that Athens, Georgia has produced since the 1980 team led by Herschel Walker. 

The team has no weaknesses. It has five star recruits all over the field. This is Kirby Smart’s sistine chapel. Finally, a team full of players he recruited after taking over the program from Mark Richt back in 2016. This truly is his team.

On offense, the Dawgs are led by superstar and future top ten NFL draft pick Jake Fromm. Entering his third year as a starter for the Dawgs, Fromm is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and has proven time and time again that he can and will perform at the highest level, even under the greatest of pressures. 

Fromm is flanked by a plethora of extremely talented running backs that includes Heisman candidate De’andre Swift out of Philadelphia. I might be a homer, but this kid looks a lot like prime Barry Sanders, just sayin’. James Cook, Brian Herrien, and Zamir White, all of whom will be future NFL tailbacks, are also featured in this star studded backfield. The wide receiver and tight-end core is equally as talented, but none are more impressive than true freshman George Pickens. And if you don’t believe me, google him, he’s ridiculous. He looks like AJ Green and I'm not exaggerating. 

On defense, I don’t even know where to start: superstar linebackers like Monty Rice, elite defensive backs- Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell, two head-hunting safeties, and a stable of 5-star pass rushers (Nolan Smith is the next Jadeveon Clowney). Watch out Tua, that’s all I have to say. 

On Son Heung-Min

Easily the most likable footballer on the planet and a true superstar forward for Tottenham Hotspur, Son is just the best. I would do anything for this man. If you’re ever bored on a Saturday or Sunday morning, pop on the Spurs game and look for #7. The kid is electric, and I promise he will put a smile on your face (or a frown if you’re an Arsenal fan).

Gilbert Arenas

Recently the new NBA 2K20 was released—a very solid game, but that’s not where this is going. A while back 2K began adding historic teams for the user to play as. This part of the game has changed over the years, sometimes being a bigger part of the game, and other times a smaller part. But this year they decided to add a few new historic teams. Included in this addition is the 2006-07 Washington Wizards—a team lead by greats like Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and perhaps most notably, Gilbert Arenas.

I became a basketball fan while living in Ohio, meaning I was wrapped up in the excitement of seeing Lebron James begin to take over the NBA as a young and incredibly talented generational athlete. And while Lebron’s play was captivating, there was another player in the Eastern Conference who also never ceased to amaze—Gilbert Arenas. 

Arenas played 12 seasons in the NBA, 8 of them with the Washington Wizards and most of them wearing the number 0. Arenas was a potential first round pick out of Arizona. He played college ball alongside fellow NBA legend Richard Jefferson, losing the National Championship to Duke in his final season before being drafted. 

Upon entering the NBA, Arenas chose number 0 as a response to his critics who claimed he would play that many minutes in the league. His number quickly earned him the nickname Agent Zero, a nickname he embraced.

Arenas came into the NBA and quickly made an impact with the bad Golden State Warriors of a few years back, not the good ones of today. This led to Arenas receiving a large contract before his third season from the Washington Wizards, a team he supposedly chose on a coin flip. He began to hit his stride after joining the Wizards. During the 2004-05 season, Arenas and NBA legend Larry Hughes teamed up to be the NBA’s highest scoring backcourt. Arenas would go on to be a 3-time All-Star, once a starter—edging out Vince Carter—and three time All-NBA.

But in 2009, in the midst of a successful career, things began to fall apart for Arenas. Late in the year it was found out that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had been bringing firearms into the team locker room and had them during an argument regarding gambling debts in this same locker room. 

Shortly after this incident, Arenas’ teammates stood around him and he pretended to shoot them during pre-game introductions. Seeing this, the NBA decided to suspend him, and he was also punished for violating D.C. ordinances. Arenas would come back, but he was never quite the same. He moved around for a few seasons, ended up in China, then retired. 

Arenas had some problematic moments in his career, but he sure was exciting. He may have shot Nick Young with a BB gun during an NBA gun awareness meeting, but he was committed to doing good for D.C. during his time there and will forever live on as one of the most clutch NBA players of all time.