It is time for another edition of the WFC2 end-of-season report. This article will cover (mostly) every player who played at least 500 minutes for WFC2 and analyse their chances of making the jump to the first team using a mixture of stats and qualitative observations. For the purposes of this article, I am considering Nelson Pierre and Rayan Elloumi to have already graduated to the first team. However, I am not considering Mark O’Neill to have graduated, despite his first team contract, as he has not played any minutes yet.
Group 1: The Maybe Pile
These players all clearly have some level of juice. But is it enough juice to be an MLS regular? It’s not entirely clear.
Antoine Coupland/21/W
Antoine Coupland actually played and scored in MLS this season, a nice story after he missed almost all of 2024 with an injury. But could he be good enough to do that on a more consistent basis? Maybe! Here is a list of names:
Ali Ahmed
Paul Rothrock
Samuel Adeniran
These are all players who performed similarly to Coupland in American Soccer Analysis’ G+ metric at a similar age to Coupland. Getting somebody on the level of any of those guys on an entry-level deal seems like a slam dunk. But here are three more names:
Jack Lynn
Stefan Karajavanovic
Victor Bezerra
If you don’t know any of them, that’s understandable; none of them are professional soccer players at the moment! But they also performed similarly on G+ at a similar age to Coupland. Coupland’s G+ numbers (+0.11/96 above average) fit snuggly into a corridor of uncertainty. His comparable players include MLS stars, total flops, and everything in between. The thing that really gives me pause is Coupland’s offensive output, which is extremely mid both in the expected and material realm. Even if we say his first month back from injury doesn’t count, because he was shaking out the cobwebs, his xG+xA/96 only jumps to about 0.53. In a high-scoring league like MLSNP, that just isn’t that high, especially for a player in his 20s.
To my eye, Coupland’s big limiting factor in the final 3rd is his decision making. He isn’t very efficient at turning advantageous situations into the best possible shots. But he does get into a lot of advantageous positions.
Ultimately, I am leaning yes on Coupland. If he’s the next Ali Ahmed, great! If not, the Whitecaps aren’t exactly short on attacking midfielders. He would be on the supplemental roster, so he wouldn’t hurt the cap at all, and if he truly isn’t up to the level, I imagine he would be pretty easy to loan to a CPL team to clear the roster spot.
Nikola Djordjevic/22/FB
Nikola Djordjevic turned in a strong season playing a mixture of fullback and winger. He popped in just about every attacking stat and was not a liability on defence. But the Whitecaps already have Edier Ocampo and Giuseppe Bovalina in the first team who fit that profile, and, being born in 2002, Djordjevic is older than both of them. Like Coupland, he sits in the corridor of uncertainty where his comparables include players went on to be genuine stars in MLS and players who flamed out of pro soccer entirely. If the ‘Caps send Bovalina on loan next year, I think I’d be comfortable with Djordjevic as Ocampo’s backup. But if a club comes in with a big offer for Ocampo, I would be very nervous about Bovalina and Djordjevic being the options as attacking fullbacks on the right side.
Cyprian Kachwele/20/ST/W
Cyprian Kachwele took some major strides in 2025. But, as an international, he needs to really go the extra mile to earn a first-team deal. I think it is safe to say he is not at that level yet, but if he continues this trajectory, it’s a possibility. 0.66 xG+xA/96 is pretty nice, almost double what Kachwele did in 2024. But there are some reasons for concern as well. Consider this assist on a Yuma Tsuji goal, for example:
Is he going to be able to do that in MLS? Kachwele is pretty reliant on having a significant speed advantage over his opponents. It isn’t the only way that he generates offence, but it is very clear that a lot of MLSNP defenders are very overwhelmed by facing a guy that is over 6’0 and very fast (remember, this is a league with an average age of 21). I am not sure that MLS defenders are going to be quite so overwhelmed by this. It’s possible Kachwele’s speed could scale up as he continues to develop physically. But if it doesn’t, he isn’t offering a whole lot else. His dribbling is not very good (I am not sure if the clip above counts as dribbling), and his off-ball-movement is solid, but I am not sure it is at an elite level.
If you do decide to keep Kachwele, there is also the question of where he goes next. Do you give him another year in MLSNP to see if he can become a dominant force? Or, do you send him on loan to a league where he can compete against players who can handle his physicality?
Kachwele is a lot of fun to watch in these MLSNP games. I also think there’s something to be said for showing that WFC2 is a viable path to a first team deal for foreign talents. So, I have to admit, I am pulling for Kachwele, but I have to squint a bit to see him as an MLS player.
Mihail Gherasimencov/20/FB
Gherasimencov spent the 2025 season on loan to Cavalary F.C, playing a mixture of fullback and winger. I mentioned in the previous report that I would like to see his in-possession stats improve. They certainly have, his xA, progressive passes, and progressive carries have all gone up since summertime. Sadly, the best11 app only lets you look at full seasons, not time frames, but one must assume, based on those improvements, that Gherasimencov’s final months of the season saw him putting up much bigger offensive numbers. He also made two senior appearances for the Moldovan national team.
All of this is generally encouraging, but is it encouraging enough for him to get an MLS contract next season? I’m not so sure. If it isn’t enough, I’d be interested to see how much longer the ‘Caps persist with Gherasimencov. They have obviously been very high on him in the past, but they tend not to keep prospects around if they aren’t ready at 20.
Group 2: Hot Prospects
These are young players are not in serious contention for first team minutes but are showing encouraging signs.
Johnny Selemani/17/W
Johnny Selemani is a winger who does a lot of dribbling but has not yet been able to turn that into a consistent end product. But, considering his age, I think the good dribbling is a much more relevant fact. Selemani was born in 2008, so he is a year younger than Rayan Elloumi. At this time last year, Elloumi had only played 100 pro minutes. Selemani has over 1500 minutes under his belt already. I think he is a player to watch for next season, when another year of physical development and experience should see him putting up much bigger numbers and maybe pushing for first team minutes.
Yuma Tsuji/17/CM/DM
Yuma Tsuji is also a 2008 born player, though notably he was born in August of 2008, so he only recently turned 17. Tsuji was genuinely good on the defensive side of things but offered very little in possession. But, considering his age, I will take that! Tsuji might be two years away from being in serious MLS contention, but I think he may be the most exciting player in the squad at the moment.
Adrian Pelayo/19/CB
Pelayo was snagged from Chivas and quickly established himself as one of WFC2’s most important defensive players, often playing in the centre of a back three. Pelayo popped in just about every defensive metric. He decidedly did not pop into possession. But his U.S citizenship, and therefore domestic status, works in his favour. Given Vancouver’s struggles with fitness in their centre-back group, a domestic player who wins all the defensive battles is a welcome addition, especially if Pelayo is able to improve on the ball next season.
Group 3: Long Term Projects
These players were…well not that good to be honest. But they are also all very young so hopefully this experience leads to better results next year.
Sahil Deo/17/FB
Sahil Deo played a mixture of fullback and winger. He was clearly still adjusting to the pace of professional football, but showed some signs of optimism. Being G+ positive in both dribbling and passing is nice. 0.08 xA/96 is not spectacular, but it’s not nothing.
Carson Rassak/17/CM/DM
Carson Rassak is essentially a less good version of Tsuji. Passable defensive metrics, but offering very little in possession. But, one x-factor that Rassak has going in his favour is that he is much taller and broader than Vancouver’s other midfield prospects. If he can develop into a physically big destroyer, that would certainly be an interesting profile to add to the Whitecaps, who have been quite a slight team for some time now. Of course, that’s heavily reliant on him getting a lot better at moving the ball forward.
Luca Chen/17/FB
Luca Chen did not turn the ball over very much. Other than that…he didn’t show very much. Chen’s 2025 season is actually a tad disappointing, considering he already got some decent minutes in 2024. But, at this point, he has not been able to take the next step. The best case scenario for him is probably as a defensive fullback who gives you some ball progression through passing. He is still only 17, so maybe 2026 is the year he takes flight.
Mateo Clark/18/ST/AM
I can’t lie, that’s a tough radar. Clark played a mixture of striker and various attacking midfield positions; his best role is probably as a box-crashing #10. He is not unskilled, but he just has not been able to consistently produce (or do anything else, really) at the MLSNP level yet. Now that he has turned 18, I suspect the NCAA beckons. He’s way too young to write him off, but he is pretty clearly the weakest prospect in this group right now.
Group 4: Other Leagues Beckon
MLSNP is a very young league and as a result players in their early 20s are naturally going to look good in it. Therefor, anyone 21 or older really has to go above and beyond to earn an MLS deal. These players did not do that.
Mark O’Neill/23/CB
Mark O’Neill scored 9 goals from centre-back this season. That is pretty incredible. The Whitecaps signed O’Neill to a first-team deal on deadline day, with centre-back depth looking desperately thin. But every time the Whitecaps have had to choose between playing O’Neill or playing Ralph Priso, they have gone with Priso. I propose to you that if O’Neill is not the choice over a 5’7 midfielder, then O’Neill will not be the choice in any situation. Even at the MLSNP level, where O’Neill has major physical advantages, I think he is just too frail when it comes to the actual defending part of being a defender. A possession-dominant USL team could really use him, but I don’t think he has an MLS future.
Jackson Castro/22/CM
Jackson Castro is probably an MLS level passer. But I don’t think he’s MLS-level at anything else. For me, 22 is just barely too old for me to want to see more. Like O’Neill, he could certainly have a good career at a slightly lower level, but MLS probably isn’t on.
Deylan Vellios/23/FB/CB
Deylan Vellios is plus passer who can play anywhere along the backline. But for a 23-year-old that just isn’t enough. His defensive versatility probably makes him a reasonable target for CPL clubs looking to add depth but I would be shocked if he ever takes the field in MLS.
Daniel Russo/23/FB
There isn’t too much to say here. Russo just did not hit the heights that a 23-year-old would need to hit in order to be considered for an MLS deal.
Nicholas Fleuriau Chateau/23/ST
NFC spent the season on loan in Finland. He showed well in MLS cameos, so I was expecting pretty big things from him in a fairly squishy European league. Man, he did not deliver! His team, VPS, did not have a particularly good season, but even still, this is a league that an MLS level player should be dominating. With the emergence of Rayan Elloumi and Nelson Pierre, I don’t see much of a future with the Whitecaps for NFC.
Bits, Bobs, and Oddities
Dembo Saidykhan/21/CB
Dembo Saidykhan is the only player in this section who cleared 500 minutes. He disappeared midway through the season, presumably with an injury. For an international player who is going to be 22 next year, I don’t think he showed enough for another look.
Liam Mackenzie/18/CM: Dropped an incredible performance in the first MLSNP game of the season, got called up to the first team, and looked like a player who was decidedly not ready for that level yet, and then got injured for almost the entire season. He made a few appearances down the stretch and looked ok, but didn’t hit the heights of that magical first game. The Whitecaps still signed him to an MLS deal, so clearly they are high on him. He is definitely a player to watch in 2026.
Max Anchor/21/GK: Started the season on loan at Pacific and was not very good. When it became clear that Pacific had no interest in playing him anymore, the Whitecaps recalled him, and he went right back to being pretty good for WFC2. So maybe Pacific just has bad vibes, I don’t know. Anchor is 21 now and has just had the first big setback in his development. It will be interesting to see if the ‘Caps persist with him.
Isaac Francour/17/GK: Francour fell just short of the 500-minute cutoff. He wasn’t that great in his minutes, but he is very young, and he did save a penalty. How many WFC2 minutes are available to him next year probably depends on what the ‘Caps do with Anchor.
Finn Linder/21/CB: Showed some promise in previous seasons, didn’t even dress this season despite signing a new contract and still being listed on the website. I have to assume that’s a major injury. I don’t know where he goes from here.
Similarly, Danny Flores/23/CM, signed a contract, made a late sub appearance, and then was never heard from again.
Tyler Brown and Ryder Sewell are two 2009 born players (a striker and a winger respectivly) who come with some hype out of the academy. Both made cameos in MLSNP this season; they are probably the newcomers to watch next season. Antonie Nehme only played 25 minutes this season, but has gotten some Canada U-17 call-ups, so he might be worth keeping an eye on as well.