A big weekend of action in the USL Jägermeister Cup that followed an entertaining midweek slate in the USL Championship gave some of the top U-22 talent in the Championship and League One the opportunity to shine. Many answered the call, including some very familiar faces to regular readers of this feature.

Overall, 66 players who are eligible for this year’s Championship and League One Young Player of the Year awards saw action in Week 13. Here are seven that caught our attention.

1. Mamadou Dieng, Hartford Athletic

Having set a Hartford record with 11 regular season goals in his first season at the club, there were high hopes for Mamadou Dieng as he returned for the new campaign. Until the past week, the 6-foot-2 forward hadn’t quite hit the same heights, but his performances against Indy Eleven in midweek and Westchester SC in the USL Jägermeister Cup showed what the 21-year-old can be capable of.

Dieng’s position as a target forward was in evidence against the Boys in Blue as he recorded one goal and one assist in a remarkable 4-4 draw at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. His knockdown to set up Kyle Edwards’ second goal of the night just past the half-hour mark showed Dieng’s touch in the penalty area, and he capped the display, and he then showed off his scoring eye with a brilliantly taken chipped finish from the right side of the penalty area that picked out the top-left corner.

What’s notable is Dieng does a lot without necessarily needing a lot of touches on the ball. Against Indy, he recorded the fewest touches of any player to go the full 90 minutes with 29, and that was the case in his side’s contest against Westchester as well as he logged 30 touches overall. Late on against WSC, however, he provided the decisive blow with a game-winner in the 88th minute on his lone shot of the game. Having heated up over the second half of the 2024 campaign, it would be a big plus for Hartford if Dieng regained his scoring touch.

2. Natty James, Portland Hearts of Pine

Over his first season with Portland Hearts of Pine, Natty James has had to bide his time for opportunities. Given his first start for the club on Saturday against Detroit City FC in the USL Jägermeister Cup, he made the most of it.

The 20-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international delivered a pair of assists on Portland’s opening two goals by Azaad Liadi to set the stage for a 4-2 victory at Fitzpatrick Stadium that saw Hearts of Pine record its best attacking output of the season so far. What was most notable was the feel James showed on each opportunity. After his initial pass was blocked, he used the second opportunity to deliver a slide-rule pass that put Liadi in behind the Detroit defense for a first-time finish in the fifth minute. Just over 20 minutes later, his opportunism saw him get to a deflected pass in the attacking half before playing a tremendous reverse pass into Ollie Wright for Portland’s second.

James was on the Soca Warriors preliminary roster for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup last month, and there’s a chance he’ll be part of the squad when it gets announced this week for the tournament. With the form he showed here, he could be one to watch on the international stage over the coming month.

3. Owen Damm, FC Tulsa

There have been some bright performances in FC Tulsa’s good start to the 2025 season, and the progression of Owen Damm on the left side has been among them. Over the past week, the 21-year-old showed again how he can impact a game at both ends of the field as Tulsa claimed a valuable road point against San Antonio FC before a tough loss at home to Birmingham Legion in the USL Jägermeister Cup.

Damm earned high marks for his performance against San Antonio as he helped maintain pressure on the hosts on the flank by completing 2 of 2 dribbles and winning a team-high 8 of 11 duels defensively. While there may have been a question on whether the foul he drew to earn Tulsa its second-half penalty kick – replay indicated the foul had come outside the penalty area – the energy Damm brought in the 1-1 draw was key to a good result for the visitors.

There’s another asset that Damm is bringing to the table now as well in the form of a long throw-in that helped Tulsa cause problems in the Legion defense on Saturday. He ended the night with four chances created in open play, completing 3 of 4 crosses overall as Tulsa’s finishing let it down at ONEOK Field. Sitting with a Goals Added mark of +1.76 – good for fifth among full backs in the Championship per American Soccer Analysis – Damm continues to progress as one of his side’s bright young talents.

4. Pedro Guimaraes, Orange County SC

There’s no better way to go into an international break than with a goal. While Pedro Guimaraes and Orange County SC were unable to come away with a result in Monterey Bay on Saturday night, the 17-year-old opened his professional account in fine style as part of a good all-around display that showed why he’s been a fixture in the United States U-17s lineup over the course of the year.

Playing at left back, Guimaraes took the opportunity to join the attack when possible and was rewarded in the 27th minute as he arrived into space in the left side of the penalty area where Nico Benalcazar’s pass set up a first-time finish into the bottom-right corner. Now in his second season with OCSC, Guimaraes completed 25 of 29 passes overall and notched one chance created while making four clearances defensively ahead of linking up with the U.S. U17s this week.

5. Abdellatif Aboukoura, Loudoun United FC

We’re going to start sounding like a broken record when it comes to Abdellatif Aboukoura and Loudoun United soon, but the 20-year-old put together another stellar display on Saturday night as United earned its first victory since 2019 against Louisville City FC to take control of the top of Group 5 in the USL Jägermeister Cup.

Aboukoura’s opening goal might have come off a piece of good fortune, but it was the sort of roll you get when you’re doing the right things. His flicked pass around the corner took a deflection that deceived the LouCity defender, but Aboukoura was still making the run in behind anticipating an opportunity and then finished beautifully with the outside of his right boot.

His strike from distance not long after threatened to add another tally, only for Damian Las to make an excellent diving save, but Aboukoura stood once again as the game’s highest-rated player, logging an Opta Points score of 34.6 as he ended the game with four shots, two chances created while completing 18 of 24 passes in the final third.

6. Maboumou Alassane, AV ALTA FC

There has been little fear in giving young players opportunities at AV ALTA FC in its inaugural season, and midfielder Maboumou Alassane has been among the regulars in the lineup for Head Coach Brian Kleiban, starting in all six of his appearances in League One.

On Saturday night as a second-half substitute, though, the 21-year-old native of Benin delivered his first goal for Antelope Valley to give the hosts another dramatic conclusion at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. Brought on with 23 minutes to play and his side trailing Oakland Roots SC by a goal, Alassane produced a header off a redirected corner that found the bottom-right corner, sending the game to a penalty shootout that ALTA would claim.

Playing with former club Coton Sport FC, Alassane competed in the CAF Champions League. Now he’s helping build AV ALTA into a first-year contender in USL League One, with plenty of room to grow.

7. Tiago Suarez, Birmingham Legion FC

After his late insertion into the lineup a couple of weeks ago, Tiago Suarez continues to deliver positive performances in Legion’s back line, this past weekend helping the side record a 2-1 victory against FC Tulsa in the USL Jägermeister Cup that put the side in position to claim top spot at the end of the group stage.

Facing heavy attacking pressure from the hosts at ONEOK Field, Suarez recorded three of the 14 blocks Birmingham registered – a club record, and the most in a game in the USL Championship, League One or Jägermeister Cup this season – while also making four headed clearances and one interceptions. The 20-year-old Sacramento Republic FC Academy product also won 5 of 8 duels – including 4 of 5 aerial duels – and completed 25 of 32 passes in another stellar defensive showing.