NEWS: Quakes Academy Players Tomo Allen, Rohan Rajagopal Named to MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate

SAN JOSE, Calif. – MLS NEXT announced today that Quakes Academy Under-17 players Tomo Allen and Rohan Rajagopal have been named to the West roster of the third annual MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate. The match will showcase North America’s top young players in an East vs. West matchup at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, July 23, at 8:30 a.m. PT and stream live on MLSSoccer.com. Admission to the game is free, as fans in Columbus can watch the future stars of MLS take center stage during MLS All-Star Week.

“I am incredibly proud of Tomo and Rohan for being selected to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game," said Quakes Academy U-17 head coach Steven Sosa. “This prestigious opportunity is well-deserved, and they have truly earned it through their hard work and dedication. Their selection is not only a personal achievement but also a testament to the quality and strength of the San Jose Earthquakes Academy. Congratulations, Tomo and Rohan!”

Allen, 16, scored 26 goals this season as the team’s run ended in the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs Round of 16. A forward from Danville, California, he earned national attention in 2018 as a 10-year-old starting with the Quakes Academy’s U-11 team before playing two levels up with the U-12s. TopDrawerSoccer.com currently rates him as the No. 4 overall player in the Northern California/Hawaii region for the Class of 2025 and 61st overall nationally. Allen, who turns 17 on Wednesday, is slated to attend perennial college powerhouse program Stanford University in the fall of 2025.

Rajagopal, 17, was the captain of that U-17 team. A holding midfielder from Los Altos, California, he will now play for the Earthquakes’ second team, The Town FC, before becoming a first-team Homegrown Player effective January 1, 2026. Ranked by TopDrawerSoccer.com as the No. 1 overall player in the Northern California/Hawaii region for the Class of 2026 and 41st overall nationally, Rajagopal started his youth soccer journey at local club MVLA before transitioning to the Quakes Academy in 2018.

Among the 44 players who will compete in the match, more than half have played in MLS NEXT this season and progressed to sign Homegrown deals or appear in MLS NEXT Pro. Other notable Homegrown Players selected as 2024 MLS NEXT All-Stars include FC Cincinnati’s Stefan Chirila, the Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan and St. Louis CITY SC’s Tyson Pearce. Of the previous MLS NEXT All-Stars, more than 70% have gone on to be called up by their respective Youth National Teams and three have already made Senior National Team appearances – Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi (United States), the New England Revolution’s Esmir Bajraktarevic (United States) and Olger Escobar (Guatemala).

“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.”

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.

“We’re proud to support North American soccer’s top young talent,” said Dan Keats, director of sponsorships and engagement marketing at Allstate. “This event provides a platform for these rising stars to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level.”

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 NET Cup Playoffs and Showcase.

The two teams will compete in an East vs. West format at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the day before the MLS All-Star Game, Tuesday, July 23. Nine clubs had multiple selections, including the LA Galaxy, which had a game-high three selections, who were all members of their Under-17 side that won MLS NEXT Cup in 2024. For the first time in the game’s history, six different MLS NEXT Elite Academies will also be represented in Columbus: Albion SC Los Angeles, Barca Residency Academy, BW Gottschee, FC DELCO, Players Development Academy, and Strikers FC. FC DELCO has two representatives – Liam Briscoe and Michael Capretto – the first time an Elite Academy has had multiple selections in the same year.

MLS NEXT also advised on the selection of the coaching staff for both East and West teams. The head coach of the East team will be Columbus Crew director of player development Dan Lock. Lock joined Columbus in June 2022 and has served an integral role in the Crew’s player development pathway that has resulted in a 2023 MLS Cup, 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Cup and an appearance in the final of 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup. Prior to Columbus, Lock served as the academy manager and U-17 head coach for Charlotte FC from 2020-22 as well as in a variety of coaching roles with Seattle Sounders FC from 2016-20.

The West head coach will be LA Galaxy U-17 head coach Shaun Tsakiris, who recently became the first coach to win the U-17 age group of MLS NEXT Cup twice (2023, 2024). Through Tsakiris’ leadership, he has helped develop young Galaxy talents like Harbor Miller, Ruben Ramos Jr. and the joint MLS NEXT-record three players in this year’s game. Tsakiris, the father of Quakes first-team Homegrown midfielder Niko Tsakiris, was previously the U.S. U-16 Youth National Team head coach from 2016-18 and was an assistant for the U.S. U-20 Youth National Team until 2022.

Admission to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate at Historic Crew Stadium is free of cost. Fans are highly encouraged to park in the VIP lot (near Gate 4 and 5) and G Lot, and more information on parking directions can be found HERE.

About MLS NEXT

Launched in 2020, MLS NEXT is the most elite platform for youth player development in North America. With a commitment to innovation and providing access and representation, MLS NEXT players receive the best training and coaching as they prepare for their futures, both in soccer and in life. Throughout a season, MLS NEXT hosts four marquee events across the country, including the Generation adidas Cup, which features MLS academies playing against the top international clubs. Membership for the 2023-24 season included 29 MLS academies, 114 Elite Academies (143 total clubs), 677 teams and over 15,000 players across the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas, Allstate and DoorDash. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life’s uncertainties with a wide array of protection for autos, homes, electronic devices and identity theft. Products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.” For more information, visit www.allstate.com.