While the Heartland might not be the first region that comes to mind for a youth soccer powerhouse, the region’s top players are starting to change that mindset.

Here’s who made the cut for the Top 20 2012 Boys:

Center back Andrew Miller of Blue Valley SC is a strong and technical player capable of organizing his defense but also making runs into the midfield. He’s the natural leader of this team and is on the radar of Notre Dame, among other schools in the Midwest.

Chris Tuso is a super-technical forward with great speed who scores goals in bunches. In one-on-one situations, he usually leaves defenders looking silly.

Nate Alonzo is a central midfielder who can control the pace of a game. He keeps the game simple, plays one- and two-touch soccer and distributes the ball all over the field.

Left midfielder Parker Radford is a technical player with good pace, power and passing vision. He’s a team-oriented player who sets up a lot of goals for his forwards.

Lou Fusz SC’s Robbie Adams is a quick forward with good technique and athleticism who strikes a ball with power and precision. He tends to over-think the game and could be more decisive with the ball, but he’s shown enough to be invited to train with the National Team.

Nick Cherry, another National Team invite, is a tall and very athletic holding midfielder with good individual defensive skill. He’s currently getting looks from Duke, St. Louis(m) and Loyola (MD) Universities.

Central midfielder Kyle Martin is a smart player with a great understanding of the game. He’s not flashy, but has great timing passing and tackling the ball. He’s the engine that makes his team go.

Justin Bilyeu of St. Louis Scott Gallagher is a very technical left winger with great technique and crossing ability. He’s an excellent passer from the wing, but his defensive skills could use some work. He’s currently getting looks from Heartland schools such as University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Nick Rizzo is a tenacious player with very quick feet and a great motor who can play anywhere in the midfield. He’s an excellent individual defender who will stop at nothing to track a player down. His passing could use improvement, but he’s got loads of natural talent to work with.

Zach Hollstrom is a big, tall defender who is very difficult to break down. He’s a great passer who excels at the long ball, he’s strong in the air and rarely misses a tackle.

Striker Aris Nukic is a natural two-sided goal-scorer with a strong body and very technical feet. He tends to drop out of sight when the ball doesn’t come his way, but he’s very smart and quick with the ball when he needs to be.

Derek Schrick of the Kansas City Wizards is an attacking central midfielder with clean two-footed technique. He’s a competitor with a great understanding of the game who takes coaching very well. He understands his defensive deficiencies and has recently made huge strides in that area.

Eric DeJulio is a durable and consistent center back with great size. He does not possess elite speed, but he reads the game very well and his technique is fantastic. He’s strong on set pieces, can drive the ball 60 yards on a dime, and he’s a natural-born leader.

Andrew Brown is a tireless central midfielder who has made huge strides over the past year. He covers a ton of ground offensively and defensively. He’s not a flashy player, but he’s very simple and efficient on the ball.

Winger Nate Opperman is an extremely quick player with a clean first touch and natural one-on-one abilities. He’s very dangerous with the ball, and is appearing on the radars of universities in the Heartland and Midwest.

Daniel Christian of Kansas Rush is a very technical forward with natural attacking instincts and the ability to score goals in bunches.

Brody Sabiston of Kansas City FC is a central midfielder with good vision and passing skills. He’s a pass-first player, but he’s not afraid to get forward and attack defenders one-on-one, and has the ability to score goals.

Austin Sparta is a ball-winning holding midfielder with excellent defensive anticipation. He tackles, reads the game well and is adept at distributing the ball in the central midfield.

Marcus Varnum of Iowa Rush is a crafty attacking player who can play on the wing or in the central midfield. His defensive commitment could use some work, but he is very technical and tricky in one-on-one situations and can break a defense down with his speed.

Cole Netten is a big, strong target forward who excels playing with his back to goal. He doesn’t possess elite speed, but he routinely out-muscles defenders to win balls up front.