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+---- Thread: SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves? (/showthread.php?tid=9359)
SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves? - Hoodz_91 - 2026-04-16
SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves?
Two games is a dangerous sample size.
It is enough time for narratives to start growing legs, enough for a couple of screenshots to get passed around, enough for somebody to suddenly be branded “different gravy” and somebody else to get unfairly hit with the early “not sure I see it” label. It is not enough time to make final judgments. It is enough time, though, to start spotting the outlines. The habits. The little tells. The players who are already dragging matches toward them, and the ones who might not have the headline numbers yet but are clearly leaving fingerprints all over the game. Having watched every game in detail from my treadmill at the gym this is my take on the Academy 26 Class.
Two matches into their SSL journeys, the picture is still wet paint. Some have burst out of the gates with goals, assists and ratings that practically kick the door off its hinges. Others have been quieter, but not invisible. Some are clearly chaos merchants, some look like metronomes, some look like duel monsters, and some already feel like the sort of players coaches trust even when the fans are too busy staring at goal contributions.
So this is not a final ranking, and it is not a victory lap for anyone after 180 minutes. Think of it more as a proper early stock check. Who has looked sharp? Who has looked useful? Who is doing the gritty bits? Who is creating? Who is carrying? Who is already giving off “academy class cornerstone” energy?
And, most importantly, which members of the Academy 26 class have genuinely started to separate themselves from the pack?
The obvious place to start: the players already producing
When people talk about early impact, the first instinct is always to go straight to goals and assists. It is the loudest currency in football. It is the stuff everyone sees first. Sometimes that can be a trap, but in this case there are a few names who have earned that attention fair and square.
Barry McGlynn has come flying out of the blocks (Once Stockholm allowed him out his back pocket haha Sorry Barry)
If you are looking for the cleanest early headline among the real academy players, Barry McGlynn is right there near the front of the queue with a megaphone. Two games, two goals, one Player of the Match, an 8.35 average rating, four shots on target from six attempts, five key passes, three chances created, and nine interceptions for an attacking player.
That last bit matters.
McGlynn is not just padding the numbers in the fun zones. He is involved. He is active. He is clearly not standing around waiting for the ball to arrive gift wrapped with a bow on it. He is pressing into the game, picking moments off, helping to turn possession over, then still having enough quality to hurt teams in the final third. That is the sort of profile that becomes gold in academy environments because it suggests he can influence matches in more than one phase.
The numbers also paint the picture of a player with variety. Four successful tackles from four attempts tells you he is not lightweight in the duel. Five key passes says he is seeing things. Two goals says he is finishing things. An attacking midfielder averaging 28.2 km over two matches and still managing to put up those decisive numbers? That is a serious early statement.
The only thing you would flag, if you are being picky, is the aerial side. One successful header from eight attempts is not exactly a poster campaign for dominant heading. But that feels like nitpicking around the edges of what has otherwise been one of the strongest opening two game samples in the class.
If this were a band, Barry is already on stage, frontman shades on, acting like he owns the venue giving his best Robbie Williams impression.
Dennis van Huntelrooy is the most interesting kind of problem for defenders
Two goals and an assist in two games, a 7.65 average rating, seven shots, two on target, and a really unusual all round statistical profile. Dennis is not just a final action player. He has put up two key passes, created a chance, won 11 headers from 16 attempts, and chipped in with a key tackle as well.
That heading volume is no small thing. It is one of the more distinctive markers in the whole dataset among the real players. He is clearly offering an outlet, a contest point, and some physical presence that changes the shape of attacks even when he is not the one taking the final touch. The passing is a little rougher than some of the cleaner technicians in the class at 70.37%, but for a player operating in advanced areas and contesting that many aerial duels, that is not the end of the world. Sometimes the mess comes with the job description.
There is something very old fashioned but useful about a player who looks capable of being both a scoring threat and a nuisance. Not nuisance in a gimmicky way, but in the sense that centre backs know they are in for a shift. If Dennis can keep combining output with that aerial edge, he is going to become a very awkward assignment for opponents.
Che Youz has gone for efficiency over drama
There are players who arrive with fireworks, and there are players who arrive looking like they have already read the answers at the back of the book. Che Youz belongs in the second category.
Two goals in two games from midfield is already excellent. Add in a Player of the Match award, a 7.7 average rating, 91.21% passing, four key passes and only four shots needed to produce those two goals, and you are looking at someone who seems to favour precision over noise. There is not loads of waste in the profile. The shooting is efficient, the passing is clean, and even if the tackling numbers are less flattering at one won from three attempted, the overall picture is of a player who understands how to stay connected to the game while still doing damage.
He is not the flashiest statistical monster in every category, but he is one of the most convincing early examples of someone turning involvement into tangible return. That is usually a sign of a player whose game translates well.
Jack Pow looks built to be a problem from wide areas
A goal, an assist, a Player of the Match, 7.8 average rating, six key passes, four successful crosses, four shots on target from four attempts, and a really healthy two-way workload. That is a proper wing-back or wide threat profile.
What stands out with Jack is that there is very little one-dimensional about him. He creates, he crosses, he gets shots away, and he gets involved defensively too with eight tackles won from 12 attempts and five interceptions. The crossing rate itself is not absurdly high in percentage terms, but the volume is there, and the chance creation is there. That matters more. Some wide players are tidy but harmless. Some are chaotic but unproductive. Jack, at least over these two games, has looked like the sort who can force things to happen.
He is one of those players whose stat line feels alive. You can imagine the match just by reading it. He is in the build-up, he is putting balls into the box, he is getting on the end of moves, and he is still doing enough dirty work to avoid being classed as a luxury.
Sadie Black has maybe been one of the most complete performers
If you wanted a case for one of the most balanced early performers in the Academy 26 class, Sadie Black’s numbers make a very persuasive argument. One goal, one assist, 7.4 average rating, eight key passes, five successful crosses, five chances created, 13 dribbles, and solid enough defensive work on top with four tackles won and two interceptions.
That is a big all-round influence from a wide player.
The dribbling volume jumps out straight away. Thirteen dribbles in two games is aggressive. That is not a passenger profile. That is somebody taking responsibility, taking territory, asking questions and forcing defenders to actually defend. Pair that with the creative return and you have a player who is not just carrying the ball for the sake of it. There is product attached to the risk.
Sadie feels like the type of player who can swing momentum in a match because the involvement is so direct. Even the distance covered, 28 km across two games, hints at someone with a serious engine. Right now, that combination of creativity, driving ability and work rate makes Sadie one of the most intriguing real players in the class.
The creators: players shaping games without always getting the glory
Not everyone announces themselves through goals. Some players stitch attacks together, some tilt the pitch, some just keep showing up in the right pockets. This class has a fair few of those.
Roberto Chávez is quietly putting together a very classy opening sample
No goals, no assists, so the casual observer might skate straight past him. That would be a mistake.
Roberto has nine key passes in two games. Nine. He has also completed five crosses from 26 attempts, created three chances, completed over 90% of his passes, and chipped in with five tackles won from six attempts. That is a genuinely useful profile for a player listed across defensive, wing-back and attacking positions on the left.
What makes Roberto interesting is that he looks like the sort of player who can live in several worlds at once. He can defend, he can progress play, and he can provide service. The crossing accuracy is not elite, but wide creators often live with some mess because their role is to attempt risk. Nine key passes tells you that plenty of his delivery or final third involvement is causing problems even if every ball does not land perfectly.
He feels like one of those players a coach appreciates before the public fully catches up. There is a lot of connective tissue in his game.
Nick Kasak is an assist waiting to happen
Nick has not got a goal or assist yet, but eight key passes in two matches is an enormous signpost. He is getting into good areas, seeing options and feeding others. He has also added a solid 88.89% passing, nine dribbles, seven tackles won from nine attempts and a 7.3 average rating.
That is a really promising blend.
The thing with creative players is you often want to know whether they are just tidy on the ball or whether they are actually bending games. Key passes are one of the cleaner early indicators of the latter, and Nick is right up near the top among the real players. Add in that he is not ducking the work off the ball and it becomes easy to imagine his numbers becoming even louder once the finishing around him sharpens up.
He looks like a player whose impact could jump very quickly if a couple of teammates start converting the chances he is already manufacturing.
Owen Bryant is flashing genuine service from the left
Seven key passes, six successful crosses from 16 attempts, 86.11% passing, 27.5 km covered, and a 6.6 average rating that probably undersells some of the good work. Owen’s headline numbers are still waiting for lift-off, but the delivery base is there. He is putting the ball into dangerous areas and giving attacks a shape.
Sometimes wide players can look better on the eye than in the data, and sometimes the data shows a player laying pipes before the building appears. Owen feels a bit like the second category. The end product is not there yet in goals or assists, but the creative framework is visible.
Tim Quackareedoo is another neat, useful connector
One assist, five key passes, 87.6% passing and a 7.0 rating. Tim is not smashing through the wall with theatrical numbers, but he is producing enough to suggest he understands how to support attacks from central areas. He is one of those players who can get lost in broader conversation because he is not particularly chaotic, but that is often exactly why coaches like them. They keep things moving, they add quality, and they do not force the game into dumb places.
Tim looks like a player whose value may actually grow over a longer sample when patterns settle.
Rich Wynne has had a quietly eventful start (Trying not to brag or be bigheaded about myself here)
One goal in two games, four key passes, five interceptions, 27.2 km covered, and a 6.9 rating. There is enough there to suggest a player who is involved in both the construction and disruption of play. The aerial side is clearly not the selling point, with one successful header from 14 attempts, which is basically a man turning up to a boxing match with a feather duster, but on the deck there is a useful profile emerging.
The wide role seems to suit the natural activity level. There is passing involvement, some chance creation, some interceptions, and enough forward thrust to chip in with a goal. The next step is probably about turning that activity into a bigger volume of direct final third output, but as an opening two game sample, it is solid and definitely not anonymous.
The midfielders who look like proper engines
One of the strongest themes in this class is that there are quite a few real players who already look like they can run a match physically without losing their football brain.
Reece Munro is doing a bit of everything
Reece has one goal, one assist, a 7.35 average rating, 30.3 km covered in two matches, 89 successful passes, six dribbles, six tackles won, four interceptions and four fouls won. That is the statistical equivalent of a player emerging from a game covered in grass stains and asking what is for dinner.
The distance covered leaps off the page. Over two games, 30.3 km is one of the biggest workloads among the real academy players. But it is not empty cardio. He is also contributing on the ball, he is carrying, he is tackling, and he is producing output. That mix is massively valuable in academy football because it points to a player who can keep intensity high without becoming technically sloppy.
Reece looks like a genuine box-to-box weapon right now. The kind of player who can make things happen in both directions and force opponents to keep accounting for him.
S Sei has been one of the most robust all round midfield performers
One goal, 139 successful passes, five key passes, 10 tackles won from 13 attempts, seven headers won from nine, and a 7.45 rating. That is a proper grown-up stat line.
What stands out most is how many different boxes S Sei ticks. There is ball retention, there is creation, there is aerial competitiveness, and there is real defensive volume. Ten tackles won is not a small number over two games. That suggests a player who is not just positioned well but actively winning his duels. He also keeps the ball well enough to avoid becoming a destroyer with square wheels.
You could make a strong case that S Sei has been one of the safest bets in the class so far. Maybe not the loudest, maybe not the most glamorous, but very hard to poke holes in.
Ozzy Boudreaux is quietly an odd and useful profile
One goal from one shot on target and one total shot is hilarious efficiency. Beyond that, seven dribbles, 90.32% passing, five headers won, and a decent share of defensive work. Ozzy’s profile feels slightly unconventional, which is usually a compliment. He does not dominate one obvious area to the point where you can reduce him to a stereotype, but he seems to pop up in multiple phases of the game.
If he can add more volume in the final third, there is something here to build on.
The defenders and wide defenders doing serious work
Academy conversations often get hijacked by attackers because goals are loud and defending is less Instagram-friendly. But there are several real players in this class who have started with solid, sometimes excellent, defensive samples.
Ewan Purves has looked very dependable
One assist, 92.59% passing, two successful crosses, five tackles won from seven attempts, and a strong 7.35 rating. Ewan is not doing anything silly with the ball, and that matters. Full-backs who keep possession, contribute in build-up and still handle their defensive responsibilities are worth their weight in functioning Wi-Fi.
The crossing output is modest but useful, and the defensive numbers are steady rather than spectacular. That is not a criticism. A lot of good defending looks boring on paper because the player is simply not setting fire to the room. Ewan’s numbers suggest reliability, and reliability is a beautiful thing when everyone else is trying rabonas in traffic.
Geronimo Datbasted is one of the more aggressive left-sided influences
One assist, three key passes, four successful crosses, five dribbles, seven tackles won from seven attempts, six interceptions and a 7.35 rating. That is a very healthy wide-defender profile. The passing accuracy at 77.94% is rougher than some others, but again, context matters. Players who progress aggressively, take people on and attempt service balls will always flirt with more turnover.
What matters is whether the upside is worth it, and in Geronimo’s case it looks like it probably is. The defending is proactive, the crossing volume is there, and the attacking support is meaningful. There is enough edge to his game to make him fun.
Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited has started well, with a name that deserves its own dressing room peg
One assist, 87.06% passing, eight dribbles, seven tackles won from 14 attempts, seven interceptions and a 7.0 rating. Josh looks like a player who gets through a lot of game. The tackle success rate is only 50%, which is the main stat that drags a bit, but the volume tells you he is involved. Seven interceptions also point to decent reading of play.
He feels like a player with a lot of tools. The question for him over time may be about refinement. When to dive in, when to hold, when to pick safer progression moments. But there is enough activity here to be encouraged.
Jimothy Erickson might be one of the safer possession based defensive options
No goal contributions, but 117 successful passes from 118 attempted is absurdly clean. 99.15% passing over two games is basically a man treating the ball like a treasured family heirloom. Add five tackles won, six interceptions and a 6.95 rating, and you have a player who looks technically trustworthy.
Now, hyper clean pass completion can sometimes flatter players who only play in slippers and never attempt anything brave. But that is not entirely the picture here because the defensive involvement is real too. Jimothy might not be splashing about in the highlight reel, but coaches love players they can plug in without having to cross themselves first.
Martin Krpan has put together a surprisingly strong opening
One assist, two shots on target from six attempts, 12 headers won from 17, two key headers, two key tackles, seven clearances and a 7.2 rating. Martin feels like a defender or deeper player with genuine duel presence. The tackling success rate is not pretty at one won from five, but the aerial impact is strong and the involvement is clear.
He is an interesting one because the profile is a little jagged. Some very good bits, some rougher bits, but definitely not a player drifting through matches unnoticed. Those are often the most interesting prospects because there is something to sharpen rather than something to invent.
Peter Castellani is giving you central stability
136 successful passes, 91.89% completion, eight headers won from 10, five clearances and a respectable defensive sample. He does not have the glamorous numbers, but he looks like one of those centre-back or defensive midfield types who keeps the floor from collapsing. Every squad needs these. The kind of player who makes things less messy for everyone else and only gets appreciated when he is missing.
Don Banjo deserves a mention too
No direct output, but 129 successful passes, 91.49% passing, five tackles won from six, four interceptions, six clearances and 14 successful headers from 22 attempts. Don looks combative and composed. That is a strong mix. If the attacking return arrives later, great. If not, he already looks like a player who understands how to do the defensive side of the game properly.
The goalkeepers: early signs, with the usual caveat
Keeper analysis after two games is always a bit slippery because so much depends on shot volume, defensive protection and the moments not listed in the basic data. Still, ratings and distribution give us a little to work with.
Albert Flowers has the best early rating among the real keepers
A 7.45 average rating and 83.64% passing is a good start. Forty-six successful passes from 55 also suggests he is contributing enough in build-up without looking reckless. For a goalkeeper, an early rating that strong usually means he has done the important bits cleanly and maybe produced a couple of meaningful moments. Not enough data to crown anyone, but definitely a decent opening.
Eric Duic looks steady
7.1 rating, 90% passing. Again, not a mountain of information, but there is nothing alarming there. In academy football, “nothing alarming” for a keeper is sometimes worth its own parade.
Moew enBach has also been solid
7.25 rating, 85.48% passing. Another keeper whose early numbers suggest competence and calm rather than chaos and panic. With keepers, that is half the battle. Nobody wants a goalkeeper who looks like he is role playing as a shopping trolley on a windy Tesco car park.
Tony Roberts and Umaq Yupanqui
Tony’s 6.9 rating and Umaq’s 6.2 suggest a quieter or slightly shakier start, depending on context, but with goalkeepers I would be very careful not to overstate anything after two matches. One awkward goal, one great save, one weird defensive mix-up and the numbers can look totally different.
The players still waiting for lift off
This is the part people usually hate reading, but it matters. Not every player is going to start like a house fire. Some will be role players. Some will be bedding into systems. Some will need chemistry. Some are already doing useful work that is not yet producing glamour metrics.
Blaise N’Kufo
No goals or assists yet, one shot on target from seven total shots, but decent enough ball security and some dribbling. This feels like a player who needs his finishing rhythm to click. The involvement is there more than the return is.
Bruce McAllister
A little more muted so far. Two shots on target from three total attempts is not bad, but no goals, no assists, and the overall rating sits at 6.3. There are some creative and aerial contributions, but he is another one who probably needs a proper moment to kick-start momentum.
Joe Mormor
Four key passes and eight tackles won from eight attempts are actually quite eye-catching, but one mistake leading to goal and a 6.4 average rating pull the picture downward. There is something in there though. Eight tackles won from an attacking midfielder type is not ordinary. That suggests he can affect games with aggression and timing. The challenge is cleaning up the costly bits.
Nacho Kusora
One goal, but the broader profile is a little scrappy. Four shots, only one on target, five offsides, five fouls committed, and a 6.8 rating. There is definitely some threat in there, but right now it looks like a player playing on the edge of the game rather than fully controlling it. That can become dangerous in a good way or frustrating in a bad way depending on what settles first.
Walter Blanco
One goal and some creative hints through five key passes, but the crossing return of one from 34 attempts is the sort of number that looks like a man trying to win a raffle with 33 losing tickets. Yet the dribbling is lively, the defensive work is present and the overall activity is high. Walter might be one of those players who is either one adjustment away from becoming a real menace or one adjustment away from driving coaches to herbal tea.
So who has really stood out?
If you were building a shortlist of the most impressive real academy performers after two games, the names that feel hardest to ignore are:
Barry McGlynn
Jack Pow
Che Youz
Dennis van Huntelrooy
Sadie Black
Reece Munro
S Sei
That is probably the clearest early top tier in terms of combining output, ratings and broader contribution.
Just behind that, or alongside depending on what you value, you could make strong cases for:
Ewan Purves
Geronimo Datbasted
Nick Kasak
Roberto Chávez
Martin Krpan
Albert Flowers
Alex Peña
Alex Peña deserves that extra nod, by the way. One assist, three key passes, 84.62% passing, three successful crosses and a solid 71.43% tackle success rate from wide defence is a very decent opening. He has gone slightly under the radar in a crowded data set, but the profile is useful.
And then there are players whose numbers suggest future growth even if the loud returns are not there yet: Owen Bryant, Tim Quackareedoo, Jimothy Erickson, Don Banjo, Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited, Ozzy Boudreaux. (See didn't even mention myself there!)
The broader takeaway from the class
What is encouraging about this Academy 26 group is not just that there are some early standout individuals. It is that there seems to be variety in the class.
There are scorers. There are creators. There are duel winners. There are work horses. There are players who look like tactical glue, and players who look like live wires. That matters because a good academy class is not just a pile of the same type of talent wearing different boots. It needs contrast. It needs profiles that can actually coexist.
Right now, the class already shows signs of that balance.
McGlynn gives you attacking output with intensity. Dennis gives you goals and aerial edge. Che gives you clean central efficiency. Jack and Sadie offer wide dynamism. Reece and S Sei bring legs and substance. Roberto, Nick and Owen look like creators who could blossom as the sample grows. Ewan, Don, Jimothy and Peter offer steadier defensive bones. That is a healthy ecosystem.
What will be interesting over the next stretch is who sustains and who spikes. Two games can flatter hot finishers and punish players whose teammates are wasting chances. It can also disguise the players who are slowly becoming essential. Over five, six, seven games, that fog starts lifting but as an opening snapshot, this class has given enough to be genuinely excited about.
There is output already. There is personality already. There are players here who look like they want the game, not just participation medals and a nice little clap on the way home and that, more than anything, is what you want from an academy crop. Not perfection, not fully formed superstars after 180 minutes, just signs, signs that when the matches get heavier and the sample gets bigger, there will still be names from this group sat right in the middle of the conversation.
At the moment, Barry McGlynn feels like the early headline. Jack Pow and Sadie Black feel like wide players with real influence. Che Youz and S Sei look like seriously useful midfielders. Dennis van Huntelrooy has the profile of someone defenders will not enjoy dealing with. Reece Munro looks like a proper engine. Roberto Chávez and Nick Kasak look poised to turn strong underlying numbers into harder output.
And beyond that, the class as a whole feels alive.
Not polished. Not settled. Not fully sorted.
Alive.
Which, two games in, is probably the best compliment you can give any academy generation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report and I hope the Class of 26 will be remembered forever for all the right reasons! Most of all for Stockholm taking home the trophy with their first season rookie player manager taking home the spoils before the draft comes around.
RE: SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves? - Jack_Pow - 2026-04-16
Great deep-dive, mate. Love it!
RE: SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves? - Definia - 2026-04-16
Absolutely top quality deep dive and shining a massive light on the quality we have seen so far from this academy. Brilliant piece of writing Hoodz
RE: SSL Academy 26 Class Deep Dive: Two Games In, Who’s Actually Announced Themselves? - nckkss - 2026-04-17
Lovely work, and not just because you complimented my player