The final week of the 2025 USL Championship and USL League One season delivered another collection of impressive performances from the U-22 talent across both leagues, including one of League One’s younger senior internationals powering a club-record victory and two homegrown defenders impressing ahead of the postseason.

Here are seven young standouts that caught our eye after eye-catching 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. Natty James, Portland Hearts of Pine

Hearts of Pine has been patient with Natty James in his first season in the United States, but when the Trinidad and Tobago international was handed his fourth start of the season last Tuesday night, he made the most of it.

The 21-year-old bagged his first two-goal game in League One as part of Portland’s club-record 6-1 victory against Spokane Velocity FC, producing a pair of outstanding finishes before the League One-record crowd of 6,440 fans that packed into Fitzpatrick Stadium.

James opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a first-time strike from the top of the penalty area that arrowed into the top-left corner of the net. He helped Portland add to its lead just past the half-hour mark, weaving brilliantly through two defenders before being brought down in the penalty area, allowing Ollie Wright to convert from the spot, and then bagged his second goal of the game shortly before halftime on a low strike to the bottom-right corner to cap a blistering 45 minutes.

Portland is headed to the postseason in its inaugural season in League One and has shown off plenty of firepower on its way there. James’ performance against Spokane showed how he could be a difference-maker moving forward.

2. Finn Sundstrom, North Carolina FC

Needing a victory to have a chance to earn a home playoff game, North Carolina FC needed a strong road defensive performance against Loudoun United FC on Saturday night. With 18-year-old homegrown center back Finn Sunstrom leading the way, the side delivered in a 1-0 win that saw NCFC jump to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Playing on the left side of what ended up as a back-three defensively as Patrick Burner regularly pushed into a right wingback position, Sundstrom was impressive defensively, winning a game-high 4 of 4 tackles while tying for the team high in winning 6 of 8 duels.

Sundstrom also recorded two blocked shots and made four clearances and five recoveries to help keep Loudoun at bay, allowing Oalex Anderson’s second-half goal to stand as the winner at Segra Field.

3. Chibi Ukaegbu, Sacramento Republic FC

With the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference wrapped up, Sacramento Republic FC Head Coach Neill Collins handed a start to 18-year-old Academy product Chibi Ukaegbu in its regular season finale on Saturday night. While the result didn’t go Sacramento’s way, Ukaegbu’s performance showed why he’s been earning U.S. Youth National Team call-ups this year with a solid overall display.

The most notable passage for Ukaegbu came in the first half, where his ability to advance possession and distribute shone through. Taking possession inside his own penalty area, the left center back drove past a pair of challenges before laying off possession, then remained in position to clip a longer pass to the right flank for Aaron Edwards to attack the penalty area.

Ukaegbu completed 49 of 55 passes overall while completing 2 of 2 dribbles and led the side in winning 8 of 14 duels. The veterans may take center stage in the playoffs, but the Roseville, Calif. native has a bright future ahead.

4. Jackson Kasanzu, South Georgia Tormenta FC

It had been 959 days since Jackson Kasanzu had last scored in the professional ranks – finding the net for San Diego Loyal SC against Detroit City early in the 2023 USL Championship season – but the Tanzanian center back added his name to the list of Tormenta’s goalscorers this season in League One to highlight another strong display to close the regular season.

The 22-year-old opened the scoring for South Georgia as it won 3-0 against Texoma FC on Saturday night, flicking home Oscar Jiménez’s corner kick into the right corner of the net, helping the side to its eighth win in its final nine games of the regular season. Kasanzu also recorded a team-high eight recoveries and five clearances to help the hosts see out the shutout, setting the side on its way to the postseason with positive momentum.

5. Patrick Leal, Las Vegas Lights FC

In a season where Patrick Leal struggled for consistency in making the move up from MLS NEXT Pro, the 22-year-old found a strong display to cap the season with the Lights as he bagged his first goal for the club in its season-ending 1-1 draw on the road against Monterey Bay FC.

The former New England Revolution II midfielder had a solid all-around game, completing 22 of 28 passes and notching one chance created, but the awareness that led to the fastest goal by the Lights this season after just 123 seconds was the highlight of the night for the Portuguese native. Positioned in the left side of the penalty area when Johnny Rodriguez’s initial shot was parried to the right side, Leal alertly drifted into space across the box allowing for Vaughn Covil’s low cross to pick him out for a first-time finish to the left corner.

Leal ended the season with one goal and two assists in 25 appearances, but could be a piece the club brings back to build around as it starts to look ahead to the 2026 season.

6. Jean Eric Moursou, Phoenix Rising FC

Cameroonian midfielder Jean Eric Moursou has become a regular in this space since his debut after arriving as a late-season addition to Rising’s squad, and his performance in a scoreless draw against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was another that illustrated why Phoenix brought the 20-year-old on board.

With Rising looking to earn at least a point to secure a place in the postseason, Moursou served as an impressive shield in the center of midfield. He recorded game-highs with both 12 recoveries and four interceptions and won 5 of 5 aerial duels to help try and keep the Hounds at bay as the hosts held 63.1 percent of possession. The loanee from Valenciennes also recorded two chances created and two shots on the night, and could play a key role as Phoenix tries to make another underdog postseason run.

7. Eric Kinzner, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Eric Kinzner has been the most consistent presence in Chattanooga Red Wolves’ lineup this season, banking a club-best 2,531 minutes in the regular season. On Saturday night, he produced another solid display, while also picking up an assist on what proved to be the game-winner in the Red Wolves’ 2-1 victory against Westchester SC at CHI Memorial Stadium.

The 22-year-old center back was alert to the opportunity as Westchester goalkeeper Enrique Facussé mishandled a free kick into the penalty area, and after taking one touch to control inside the penalty area he fired a shot on target. Matt Bentley’s redirection took it into the right corner of the net, eluding two defenders on the line, to give Kinzner credit for his first assist of the season.