The 2013-14 European season was successful for a number of U.S. players plying their trade across the Atlantic. Emerson Hyndman and Fulham finished as FA Youth Cup finalist to cap an impressive campaign. Russell Canouse captained the Hoffenheim U19 squad to the A-Jgd. Bundesliga Sud/Sudwest title. Lynden Gooch was a goal-scoring machine for Sunderland and made his way up to the squad’s reserve team toward the end of the season.

The success of the previous season leads the way to next season where the possibility of even more players stepping into the limelight is starting to take shape.

The Cunning Fox

U.S. U15 Boys National Team captain Kyle Gruno made a name for himself with Leicester City during the second half of the past season. The defender even earned some fans along the way. Gruno is one of a few youth national team players in the 1999 pool hoping that a successful club season will translate into a look with the U17 Men’s National Team prior to the World Cup qualification process in 2015.

Another player with those aspirations is center midfielder Juan Pablo Torres who trained with FC Schalke 04’s academy earlier this month. Torres was in Germany after the U.S. U15 Boys National Team’s trip to Slovenia/Italy. The defensive midfielder is in for some stiff competition for that role with the U17s though.

Another GK in UK

Previously profiled goalkeeper Albert Simpson was offered a spot on Chesterfield FC ‘s U19 pro development squad for next season, Simpson’s father told TopDrawerSoccer last month.

Simpson is an athletic goalkeeper with good fundamentals. He picked up the position later than most, but has made up for lost time with a vigorous training regiment.

Chesterfield FC was recently promoted to League 1, and is most famously known as Gordon Banks’ first club.

Flores’ Home

German media reported earlier this month that U.S. U20 Men’s National Team midfielder Junior Flores would be part of Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team next season. Flores will play for BVB II, which is coached by American David Wagner. Flores and BVB II will be playing in the 3. Liga, which is the third division of professional soccer in Germany.

Flores is part of the growing number of players from the past U17 MNT that have made the jump to the professional ranks. Rubio Rubin officially signed with his club, FC Utrecht, earlier this year after he turned 18. Stateside, center backs Erik Palmer-Brown, Justen Glad, and Tommy Redding all inked MLS Homegrown deals. Redding, after recovering from a nagging injury, has stepped into the starting lineup for Orlando City alongside fellow youth national team defender Tyler Turner. The duo has Orlando City in the top spot in the USL-Pro standings after 11 games. The Florida club will join MLS in 2015.

Moving Forward

Liverpool released former U.S. youth national team forward Villyan Bijev last week, which wrapped up a three-year stint with the club. Bijev had loan spells at Fortuna Dusseldorf and IK Start along the way, but never made real inroads toward the first team with the English club. 

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