In a busy week of action before numerous players headed out on international duty with the United States Youth National Team program, some members of the USL Championship and USL League One’s U-22 produced season-best performances that stood out, as well as some familiar names that continued to shine.

Here are seven young standouts that caught our eye after impressive performances over the past seven days.

Want to learn more about the young homegrowns in the USL Championship and League One? Check out the Crystal Geyser USL Academy to Pro Tracker on USL-Academy.com.

1. JP Jordan, Texoma FC

Facing a tough one-on-one assignment, Texoma FC’s JP Jordan put in arguably his strongest individual performance of the season against AV ATLA FC on Saturday night as his duel with recent Haiti Men’s National Team call-up Jerry Desdunes highlighted the 1-1 draw between the sides at Bearcat Stadium.

Jordan held up his end of the battle defensively on the left side as Antelope Valley looked to use Desdunes as an outlet on the flank, pushing 47.3 percent of its attacking moves on the right side. The 22-year-old won 6 of 7 tackles and 9 of 12 ground duels while making 11 recoveries and six clearances to limit Desdunes to only two chances created in open play.

The Keller, Texas native also completed 40 of 46 passes – including 8 of 10 in the attacking third – as he ranked second on the team with 74 touches, rounding out a positive display overall.

2. Blake Willey, Sacramento Republic FC

Blake Willey’s Wednesday night didn’t start on the best note.

Following up for a rebound chance off Dominik Wanner’s parried effort just outside the six-yard area, the 18-year-old skied his chance to bag his first goal for Sacramento Republic FC as it looked to clinch a postseason berth in its regular season tilt with Orange County SC.

What followed was an illustration of why Willey has achieved numerous landmarks among the club’s Homegrown products this season as he shook off the early miss to put in another stellar all-around display in Sacramento’s 2-1 victory. Willey was again impressive in his two-way role, playing a decisive role in Republic FC’s opening goal as his fizzing shot was only parried by OCSC goalkeeper Colin Shutler, allowing Wanner to capitalize on the rebound.

Overall, Willey won 8 of 11 duels and recording a team-high five recoveries while completing 41 of 49 passes – including 13 of 17 in the final third. The youngster’s first goal in Republic FC colors had to wait, but his overall performance showed why he’s been a consistent part in the club’s success this season.

3. Jean Eric Moursou, Phoenix Rising FC

There has been little hesitation in putting young players into the lineup for Phoenix Rising FC Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah this season, and with the side battling for its playoff life it was the turn of recently-acquired central midfielder Jean Eric Moursou to get his first start against New Mexico United. Rising couldn’t stem its recent winless run, but the 20-year-old showed promise as a ball-winner before Phoenix gave up a late penalty kick to fall 1-0 at home.

Acquired on loan from French club Valenciennes FC with an option to buy, the Cameroon native recorded a game-high 11 recoveries and won 4 of 4 ground duels and 2 of 2 tackles. Moursou also completed 41 of 48 passes – including 9 of 12 in the final third – and notched a pair of chances created. The result didn’t go Rising’s way, but Kah was pleased with the starting point his new charge set for himself.

“He’s very good with anticipation, very good on the ball, moving the play well, and he’s going to get better from here,” said Kah of his performance. “I was very happy with his performance, I think it was a great performance, given the circumstances also being in a derby game, it’s not easy. But for him to step in and look like he’s been there from the get-go, that makes me very proud.”

4. Maboumou Alassane, AV ALTA FC

AV ALTA FC couldn’t end its lengthy winless run on Saturday night on the road against Texoma FC, but the side hung in the race for the final playoff place in USL League One thanks to a late equalizer that was created by youngsters Steven Ramos and Javier Mariona and a central midfield display by Maboumou Alassane that helped the visitors hold their own.

The Benin youth international tied for a team-high in duels won with nine and won 8 of 10 ground duels and 3 of 3 tackles while serving as the central anchor for Antelope Valley. Alassane also completed 26 of 36 passes and won four fouls without committing an infraction. AV ALTA has a two-point deficit to make up in its final three games, including a crucial visit to the Charlotte Independence on Friday night, and will need more performance like this from the 22-year-old to end the season above the playoff line.

5. Emiliano Rodríguez, El Paso Locomotive FC

With the attacking talent ahead of him in El Paso Locomotive’s lineup, minutes have generally been few and far between for Emiliano Rodríguez this season, but with the side facing a two-game week in Week 31, the homegrown product notched his first league start of the season on Saturday night against Orange County SC and produced a solid outing as the side picked up another valuable point on the road toward its postseason drive.

Rodríguez had previously started in two of his four appearances in the USL Jägermeister Cup group stage, but against Orange County he helped connect play well in the front line, completing 26 of 28 passes – including 4 of 4 long passes and 10 of 12 passes in the final third – and recording one chance created.

The 21-year-old was solid on the other side of the ball. Including his substitute appearance against Oakland Roots SC on Wednesday, Rodríguez won 3 of 3 tackles and 6 of 10 duels overall while notching a pair of recoveries. He’ll likely remain a depth piece for the side for the time being but should be one to watch as his career continues to grow.

6. Fernando Delgado, Birmingham Legion FC

This season for Birmingham Legion FC has marked what appears to be a changing of the guard in goal at the club, with longtime starter Matt VanOekel having gradually given way in the starting lineup to youngster Fernando Delgado – who at 19 years old is half the age of the USL Championship legend – as the season has progressed.

On Saturday night, Delgado gave an illustration as to why Legion acquired him on a permanent basis from Real Salt Lake after his loan spell with the side last season, producing a six-save shutout that helped Legion earn a 1-0 victory on the road against Loudoun United FC. The clean sheet was Delgado’s second in the past three games after Birmingham’s scoreless draw against San Antonio FC in Week 30, but came under far greater duress, with the six saves setting a career best for the young shot-stopper.

This has been a challenging first full season for Delgado, who has been in the red with a +4.86 Goals Prevented mark. Performances like Saturday, though, offer a sign of the potential he possesses and could build his confidence as an important offseason approaches.

7. Jackson Kasanzu, South Georgia Tormenta FC

As South Georgia Tormenta FC has stormed into postseason contention over the past month, Jackson Kasanzu has been in and out of the lineup, at times appearing as a defensive reinforcement to help the side see out another result in its club record six-game winning streak. Last Friday night against Westchester SC, though, the 22-year-old put in a strong 90 minutes on the back line to help guide the side to the brink of a postseason berth.

Serving as the trigger on the back line for Tormenta, Kasanzu completed a game-high 54 of 63 passes, connecting consistently with midfielders Gabriel Cabral and Gabriel Alvez in the left side of midfield. The Tanzanian also tied for the team-high with four clearances and posted a game-high six recoveries as South Georgia’s back line held current League One Golden Boot leader Juan Carlos Obregon Jr. in check much of the night, limiting him to two shots and two touches inside the Tormenta penalty area.

Kasanzu has been part of Tormenta’s defensive rotation this season, but more performances like this could see him have an important role to play as the side takes aim at winning its second League One title.