The past week of action in the USL Championship gave us some outstanding finishes and stellar two-way and defensive performances among 40 players aged 22 and younger who featured in Week 22 of the regular season.

Here are six players who stood out, leading off with a young Argentine who is making the most of his opportunity at a consistent place in the starting lineup for one of the Western Conference’s contenders for a top four finish.

Samuel Careaga, Memphis 901 FC

Early in the 2024 season, Samuel Careaga was bouncing in and out of Memphis’ lineup.

The way the 22-year-old Argentine is playing currently, he’s making it impossible for Head Coach Stephen Glass to omit him.

Careaga bagged his sixth and seventh goals of the season across 901 FC’s victories against Miami FC and FC Tulsa in Week 24 – giving him goals in three consecutive games and four in the past five overall – but what was arguably more impressive was the sharpness he showed with the ball at his feet in the center of midfield.

The loanee from Lanus completed 107 of 111 passes as he went the full 180 minutes across the two outings. Careaga also made three interceptions and 10 recoveries, teaming with fellow central midfielder Zac Duncan in guiding 901 FC forward.

“He got left out a bit at the start of the season, and he didn’t like it” said Glass after the side’s victory against Tulsa. “He’s reacted well in training, like a lot of them have. He’s been really positive, his energy is good in the middle. He’s destructive to other teams. He’s good on both sides of the ball which you want in a midfielder.”

If Memphis earns a top-four position in the Western Conference, Careaga could have plenty to do with it.

Elijah Wynder, Louisville City FC

The LouCity Academy product was part of a dominant two-way midfield performance for his side that was key in a 3-1 victory against the Charleston Battery before 13,526 fans at Lynn Family Stadium that put LouCity in the driver’s seat to claim the Championship’s Players’ Shield this season.

Wynder won 2 of 2 tackles and 4 of 5 ground duels, made five recoveries, and completed 16 of 18 passes and a pair of chances created as he teamed with Taylor Davila and Aiden McFadden to drive Louisville’s engine. The 21-year-old is now approaching 2,000 regular season minutes this season and continues to be an integral part of the club’s success.

Mamadou Dieng, Hartford Athletic

The Senegalese forward scored the opening goal in Hartford’s comeback 2-1 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday night and would have added at least one more if not for an otherworldly collection of saves by Lights goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena.

The 20-year-old took seven shots and put five on target across his 83 minutes of action, with his headed finish a sign of the aerial prowess Dieng brings to the field. If Athletic are going to make the playoffs this season, the attacking threat he can provide at center forward is going to be vital.

Miles Lyons, El Paso Locomotive FC

After four consecutive games as an unused substitute, Lyons got his chance in the starting lineup for Locomotive on Saturday night against Orange County SC and helped earn victory for the side on the road with a stellar display.

The 21-year-old right back won 3 of 3 tackles and 7 of 12 duels, made three clearances and blocked one shot defensively, and completed 28 of 36 passes while notching a pair of chances created in attack. He capped the performance by winning the decisive penalty kick that Eric Calvillo dispatched for the winner midway through the second half.

Chibi Ukaegbu, Sacramento Republic FC

The 17-year-old center back was impressive in Republic FC’s 2-0 victory against El Paso Locomotive FC last Wednesday night as his defensive instincts helped keep Locomotive’s attack under wraps over the 90 minutes.

There’s room for improvement in Ukaegbu’s distribution – he completed only 14 of 22 passes overall – but he stepped in to make four interceptions and notched four recoveries while also using his positioning to ward off attacking moves from the visitors in a composed overall performance.

Ray Serrano, Louisville City FC

Serrano continued his strong campaign with his fourth assist of the season – equaling his individual single-season high for goal contributions with 10 combined goals and assists – as he notched two chances created and two shots in LouCity’s 3-1 victory against the Charleston Battery.