The United Soccer League’s 20 Under 20 countdown continued today with Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gianluca Busio ranked No. 6 and Swope Park Rangers midfielder Felipe Hernandez coming in at No. 5.
The USL’s third annual 20 Under 20 series highlights the best young talent to play in the USL during the 2018 season. On Wednesday, Sporting KC defender Jaylin Lindsey was named the No. 11 player on the list, compiled through feedback from head coaches and technical staffs at all 33 clubs across the league. The USL will unveil the top three players in the 20 Under 20 rankings on Friday.
Busio, 16, has started nine of 10 USL appearances on loan for the Swope Park Rangers in his first full season as a professional. He marked his pro debut with the game-winning assist in SPR’s 1-0 victory over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on April 4 at Children’s Mercy Park, landing USL Team of the Week honors for his influential role in the match.
Busio, who boasts a 5-1-3 record as a USL starter, tallied another game-winning assist on Aug. 29 as the Rangers defeated Tulsa Roughnecks FC by a 2-1 scoreline. The talented midfielder has completed 86.3 percent of his passes and created 12 scoring chances as a member of SPR.
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Busio signed for Sporting KC as a Homegrown Player in August 2017 at age 15, becoming the second-youngest player in MLS history at the time. He has enjoyed a breakthrough 2018 campaign under Manager Peter Vermes, playing seven competitive matches for Sporting KC and becoming the second-youngest player in MLS history to record an assist in a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 4.
Busio starred for the Sporting KC Academy during the 2016-17 season as one of the United States’ top youth prospects for his age. Splitting time as a winger and attacking midfielder, he scored nine goals in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and earned 2017 Central Conference Best XI honors last summer. He has represented the U.S. as a youth international at the U-15 and U-17 levels.
Hernandez has shouldered a leading role for the Rangers in 2018, starting 28 of 31 USL matches with two goals and three assists. The 20-year-old, who leads SPR with 45 chances created and ranks third on the team with 2,286 minutes played, garnered USL Team of the Week honors after bagging a sensational long-range strike in a 2-0 triumph over Seattle Sounders FC 2 on July 5. He has completed over 80 percent of his passes and won 69 percent of his tackles in 2018.
Born in Ibague, Colombia, and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Hernandez notched two goals and three assists in 23 USL matches as a rookie in 2017. He also appeared in all four games during the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs — starting in the conference quarterfinals and semifinals against Phoenix Rising FC and Sacramento Republic FC, respectively — as the Rangers lifted their second straight Western Conference title.
Hernandez joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2014 from Academy Affiliate side Sporting Nashville Heroes. He represented Sporting KC at the U-16 and U-18 levels and signed an Academy contract with SPR in August 2016 prior to becoming a full professional the following January. Hernandez is a United States youth international, having competed at U.S. U-19 and U-20 training camps from 2016-2017.
