Joshua Sosa named to 2024 MLS Next All-Star Team

Josh Sosa Named to 2024 MLS Next All-Star Team

Barca Residency Academy standout Josh Sosa has been named a 2024 MLS Next All-Star. Sosa and 43 other top talents from the U.S. and Canada will compete in the MLS Next All-Star Game presented by Allstate. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, at 11:30 a.m. ET and will be streamed live on YouTube.

This showcase will feature North America’s premier young players in an East vs. West matchup at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, a day before the MLS All-Star Game. The 44 selected players, born between 2007 and 2009, were chosen by MLS Next officials following the conclusion of the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. Sosa, representing the West, is one of six players selected from an MLS Next Elite Academy (non-MLS academy).

“Throughout the season, these 44 players from both MLS and MLS NEXT Elite Academies have consistently stood out as the best young prospects in our program,” said MLS NEXT Technical Director Luis Robles. “The players and clubs should be proud of their accomplishments this year and we look forward to a highly competitive match in Columbus on July 23.”

The sixteen-year-old Chicago native joined Barca Residency Academy from the Chicago Fire Academy ahead of the 2022-23 season. Initially competing with Barca’s U-16 Elite Academy team, Sosa was promoted to the U-16 MLS Next squad before the 2023 MLS Next Cup Playoffs.

Sosa was a major contributor on Barca’s U-17 MLS Next squad during the recent 2023-24 season, providing 10 assists and 25 goals over 34 appearances. Sosa helped Barca’s U-17s win the MLS Next Southwest Division with a dominant 13-1-1 league record. His impressive performance at Barca Residency Academy earned him his first national team call-ups: to the El Salvador U-20 Men’s National Team in April for a pair of international friendlies, and to the Guatemala U-20 Men’s National Team for an October 2023 training camp.

MLS All-Star Week

MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide the players with unique opportunities during MLS All-Star Week, which will include a full slate of programming events and activities in advance of the match. The players will be fully immersed in MLS All-Star Week festivities, which include team training, the All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on July 23, and the MLS All-Star Game on July 24. Each MLS NEXT All-Star team will also conduct their own training sessions leading up to their match on Tuesday morning.

Selection Criteria

The 44 players were selected following the conclusion of the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. To be eligible for selection, players must have been born between 2007-2009, have competed in the MLS NEXT regular season, and played in at least one of the MLS NEXT premier events this season – MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex, Generation adidas Cup, or the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase.

Want to know more about Barca Residency AcademyWant to tryout? Want to earn national team call-ups, professional trials, and college exposure? Contact us today!

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