The U.S. Soccer Development Academy released its Best XI honors on Monday, and three players from New England with distinctly different backgrounds made the cut.
On the boys side, the East Conference one included New England Revolution midfielder Nicolas Firmino (Somerville, Mass.) and Oakwood forward Evan Southern (Glastonbury, Conn.), while the girls one saw NEFC forward Cat Barry (Hingham, Mass.) honored.
New England Soccer Journal caught up with all three players to discuss the accolade, which arrive after impressing in the Northeast Division. All three competed at the U-19 level, though Firmino’s path is perhaps the most intriguing.