The 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship saw hosts Mexico win the competition, the United States finisher as runners-up, and several of MLS NEXT Pro’s young talents earn once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Emi Ochoa helped Mexico win the competition for the first time since 2015, defeating rivals USA in the final. The Town FC’s goalkeeper featured heavily in the competition, carrying over his club form to the international level.
Despite finishing as second-best, the United States did join Mexico in punching their ticket into the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Philadelphia Union II forward David Vazquez, Columbus Crew 2’s Taha Habroune, and Ventura County FC’s Ruben Ramos Jr. were all influential in Team USA reaching the tournament final for the fifth-straight edition.
Panama and New York Red Bulls II midfielder Rafael Mosquera also delivered a positive tournament for his country. Mosquera finished alongside Vazquez as two of six players to score three goals in the competition, helping Panama also seal a U-20 World Cup berth.
Guatemala’s Olger Escobar and Canada’s Mataeo Bunbury were also standout performers for their nations.
Here is a closer look at the top MLS NEXT Pro performers from the CONCACAF U-20 Championship:
David Vazquez - Philadelphia Union II (United States)
Philadelphia Union fans should be very excited for the future.
19-year-old David Vazquez excelled for Team USA, scoring three goals and adding two assists in Michael Nsien’s squad. The Union homegrown has been a regular contributor for Union II in MLS NEXT Pro over the past three seasons.
Now, after a Best XI nod, Vazquez will hope a strong tournament leads to a first-team debut in the coming weeks.
Emi Ochoa - The Town FC (Mexico)
Mexico’s triumph at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship tournament was helped by Emi Ochoa’s heroics in net.
Ochoa started in four of El Tri’s six matches in the competition, registering two clean sheets. The dual-national goalkeeper made nine saves in the tournament, showing another glimpse of his long-term potential on the international stage.
The 19-year-old was rewarded at club level on Wednesday by earning a new long-term contract with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Jeevan Badwal - Whitecaps FC 2 (Canada)
Canada’s midfield was anchored by Whitecaps FC 2’s Jeevan Badwal this summer.
Badwal started in all four of the Canadians matches in Mexico, helping them reach the quarterfinal round. Despite losing to Panama 2-1 in the final eight, Canada delivered a positive showing overall by winning two of their four matches.
Whitecaps FC 2 will certainly welcome Badwal’s talents back in their squad this weekend.
Rafael Mosquera - New York Red Bulls II (Panama)
Panama also sealed their berth into the FIFA U-20 World Cup thanks to Rafael Mosquera’s impactful tournament.
Mosquera was a dynamic player for Panama, scoring three goals and adding one assist. The New York Red Bulls II winger helped Panama reach the semifinal round before eventually losing to finalists, United States.
His production helped him earn Best XI honors for the tournament.
Victories over Guatemala, Canada, and Haiti, paired with a draw against Mexico should have Panama confident heading into the future.
Mataeo Bunbury - Timbers2 (Canada)
Mataeo Bunbury will go down as one of Canada’s top performers from the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
Bunbury featured in all three of Canada’s group stage matches, delivering the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph over El Salvador. The versatile attacker was a thorn in the side of several defensive backlines this summer and will now aim to carry that impact over to the remainder of the MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
Olger Escobar - New England Revolution II (Guatemala)
Guatemala’s tournament might have ended a bit sooner than they would’ve hoped, but Olger Escobar walked away as a player to watch for years to come.
Escobar, a New England Revolution II attacker, scored a hat trick in a 5-1 romp over Haiti in group stage play. He also registered one assist on a goal scored by fellow MLS NEXT Pro player, LAFC2’s Matthew Evans.
The 17-year-old already has earned three senior caps to date and will be expected to earn more as 2024 pushes forward.
Ruben Ramos Jr - Ventura County FC (United States)
Add Ruben Ramos Jr to the growing list of young LA Galaxy talents.
Ruben Ramos Jr continued the growing impact of young Galaxy players by delivering a strong showing for Team USA. Ramos scored twice in the tournament, including the winner in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Guatemala.
A versatile midfielder, Ramos Jr. has already debuted for the Galaxy’s first team and remains a key player for Ventura County FC.
Matthew Evans - LAFC2 (Guatemala)
Another stellar performer for Guatemala, LAFC2’s Matthew Evans impressed for his nation.
Evans scored one goal and added one assist as Guatemala reached the quarterfinals before a 1-0 defeat to the United States. Alongside fellow MLS NEXT Pro teammate Olger Escobar, Evans will surely be one to watch down the stretch for playoff-chasing LAFC2.
Nimfasha Berchimas - Crown Legacy FC (United States)
Crown Legacy FC’s Nimfasha Berchimas continued his impressive rise with Team USA this summer.
Berchimas scored two goals and added one assist as the United States sealed a FIFA U-20 World Cup berth, and also reach the tournament final.
The young attacker remains a top prospect for both Crown Legacy FC and Charlotte FC as the second half of the season continues.
Taha Habroune - Columbus Crew 2 (United States)
One of the United States’ key playmakers, Taha Habroune made quite the impact.
Habroune scored one goal and added two assists in the middle of Michael Nsien’s formation.
A former U.S Under-17 men’s national team standout, Habroune has continued his rise for club and country. Now the goal for Habroune will be to continue producing with Crew 2 as the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs draw ever closer.
