The kids are making waves for Philadelphia Union.
On Matt Doyle's list of homegrown players destined for big things, Brenden Aaronson took the top spot, ahead of other top MLS prospects such as Dallas' Ricardo Pepi and NYCFC's James Sands.
Aaronson is having a second straight breakout season and has drawn interest from top teams in Germany and Austria. The New Jersey native's all-action style is a perfect fit for modern high-press systems that have proliferated throughout European soccer. After earning a spot in the best XI of the MLS Is Back Tournament, Aaronson has continued to thrive and capped his rise with a golazo against New York Red Bulls last Sunday.
Doyle isn't as high on McKenzie, saying, "Can he be really, really good? Yes, I think so. But I'm not sure I see a "plays real minutes for a Champions League knockout round team"-type talent in there."
Needless to say, Union fans will disagree, having seen McKenzie throw himself around at the end of MLS Is Back Tournament matches and continually improve his reads and leadership over the past two seasons despite limited minutes in 2019.
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