ORLANDO, Fla. (August 13, 2021) – Today, MLS NEXT, Orlando City SC and adidas announced the winners of the Golden Ball for the 2020-2021 MLS NEXT Season, including Orlando City Academy’s own Gonzalo Agustoni-Chagas as the winner in the U17 age group. The Golden Ball presented by adidas is awarded to the player of the year for each of the four age groups (U15, U16, U17, U19) for the inaugural 2020-2021 MLS NEXT season.
The industry leading partnership between adidas and Major League Soccer continues to drive the evolution of player development. adidas provides the official match ball for all MLS NEXT matches and works with MLS to advance the game in North America by creating an atmosphere that supports the next generation of rising stars on the professional pathway.
U15 – Paulo Rudisill – LA Galaxy
Paulo Rudisill joined the LA Galaxy Academy in 2018 and is a player with unmatchable work ethic. As a team captain throughout the 2020-2021 MLS NEXT inaugural season, Rudisill played every minute and lead the LA Galaxy U-15’s by pushing himself and his teammates on and off the field. His efforts helped the LA Galaxy U-15 squad earn the number one seed for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. Besides being a talented and creative player on the field, the 15-year-old midfielder has a positive mindset that fits perfect within the LA Galaxy Academy high performance training environment. As he continues his development path into the U-17 age group, Rudisill is looking to lead the squad to an MLS NEXT Cup this upcoming season.
U16 – William May – FC Delco
Since May's arrival to FC DELCO in 2017 from Chestnut Hill Lightning (his neighborhood youth club), May has been a role model on and off the field. May scored big goals all season, helping his team reach the MLS NEXT semifinals.
U17 – Gonzalo Agustoni-Chagas – Orlando City SC
After joining the Orlando City Academy in August 2020, Agustoni-Chagas scored four goals during the 2020-2021 MLS NEXT regular season and most recently added a pair of goals during the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs to lead his team to the MLS NEXT Cup title last month. Gonzalo is currently in camp with the U17 Uruguayan National Team.
U19 – Jon Paul Jordan II – Solar
Jon Paul Jordan II (JP) has played an integral role as an attacking and defensive midfielder on Solar SC’s most elite teams for seven years. Notably, JP was a starting midfielder as a U15 player on Solar’s U17 DA team that won the 2019 Development Academy National Championship. His remarkable talent, unmatched work ethic, and IQ for the game helped position the 2020-21 team for an impressive run for the inaugural MLS Next U19 National Championship. JP is attending SMU college in the fall.
North America’s leading platform for elite boys’ soccer features competition across six age groups: U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19. The full list of member clubs can be found HERE. More information about MLS NEXT can be found HERE. Further updates about the 2021-22 MLS NEXT Season will be available in the coming weeks.
