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USL 20 Under 20 – No. 1: Victor Mansaray

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/05/16, 1:33PM EDT

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U.S. U20 International and Sounders Homegrown takes top spot in inaugural rankings

The countdown of the Top 5 in the USL 20 Under 20 series concludes with a player who made history as the youngest Homegrown signing in Seattle Sounders FC history, and has performed strongly for both club and country in 2016 with Seattle Sounders FC 2 and the U.S. U20 Men’s National Team.

No. 1: Victor Mansaray, Seattle Sounders FC 2

Signing as a Homegrown Player at the age of 17 in 2014, Victor Mansaray saw action with the club’s MLS side in 2015, but this season has opened his game up to a new level with S2 in the USL. The rangy forward’s combination of speed and strength has made him a threat either as a central striker or coming in from the left in a 4-3-3 for the team. His four goals this season have come in part thanks to improved reading of the game and movement off the ball.

Mansaray has also seen action this year for the U.S. U20 National Team, most recently helping the side claim the NTC Invitational last month in Carson, Calif. With S2 in the middle of a push for the USL Playoffs, adding to his current goals total will be at the front of Mansaray’s mind as he takes aim at being in Tab Ramos’ squad for CONCACAF U20 World Cup Qualifying in Costa Rica next February.

TopDrawerSoccer.com Scouting Report
When you watch Mansaray, the easiest adjective to grab right away is power. He can be such a devastating threat from the left wing, where he’s perhaps most comfortable, that it can be near impossible for right backs to cope with his blend of athleticism for very long. But Mansaray is slowly adding more technical assets to his game, and now he’ll occasionally feather in a through ball to beat a center back or open up the field with a quality diagonal. Mansaray’s game will always be thunder over feather, but he’s become considerably more well-rounded during his time in the USL.

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