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While City SC sits near the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings — it was briefly tied for last place over the weekend — City2, not just in the same building as City SC but in some cases in the same room, sits atop the MLS Next Pro standings. The team in the MLS developmental league set a league record Friday by winning its eighth consecutive game and while that streak ended and became a nine-game unbeaten streak with a 1-1 tie with Ventura County on Wednesday at Energizer Park, City2 has a nine-point lead on its closest Western Conference rival. City2 is averaging 2.22 points per game (out of a possible 3), while City SC is at .82, about a third of what City2 is getting.

While those points can’t be shared between the teams, players can. Six City2 players have suited up for City SC this season, with four getting into games and two starting. The most recent of those starters, 21-year-old left back Jaziel Orozco, has earned plaudits for his play in his two starts, and his second saw City SC snap a five-game winless streak. The week before that, 17-year-old Tyson Pearce made his first-team debut.

“Hopefully we can both keep on stringing some wins together,� City SC captain Gabriel Mikina said. “Whenever guys go up, I think they do well, I think Tyson’s done well. I think Jazi has obviously done amazing, and it’s great to keep seeing guys go up and win.�

Mikina is a player who has been instrumental to the club’s success, but also, at 24, not a player who would be considered a prospect. While the team has players like Mykhi Joyner, 18, tied for the Next Pro lead in goals and a regular first teamer sometime soon, those younger players give credit to the team’s “older� players (it’s all relative) for the team’s success.

“There’s obviously a group of older guys and a group of younger guys,� said forward Brendan McSorley, who is 23 but in only his second year pro so has a foot in both worlds, “and we try to lead them the right way. And they’ve been great as well. Some of these guys out there I think are 14, 15 so just try to help them, give them little tips here and there, but they’re also super talented. Not much to do.�

“The older guys need to be the most important mentors for the younger guys,� said interim coach John Hackworth. “I can be the best coach in the world — I think I am — but really it’s players when they play against each other in training, and if it’s an Eddie Niles (a 14-year-old about to make his City2 debut) or a Mykhi, and they pick up something from (Wan Kuzain), or they pick up something from Seth (Antwi) or Gabby (Mikina), Cam (Cilley), an amazing kind of leader by his actions, all these things. Emil (Jaaskelainen)’s helping Caden (Glover) so much right now, I think you have to have that balance.�

Ultimately, City2 is about developing players, not necessarily winning, but for Hackworth, who stepped in to run the team when David Critchley took over the first team after the firing of Olof Mellberg and upped the team’s defensive focus, winning is part of developing.

“We’re really proud of being able to take our player development pathway and align it with success on the field,� Hackworth said. “You need to win games in order to get some of that player development to happen to happen.�

“I like to win,� said McSorley. “Obviously getting better as a player is great, and I feel like that comes along with winning with this team. I’m learning from these guys every single day. So super lucky.�

MLS rules on callups from Next Pro limit how much first-team time these players can get. Joyner, Orozco and McSorley have already used up their allowed callups for the season — Joyner, with a first-team contract, can get six games, while Orozco and McSorley, with Next Pro contracts, can get four callups or two games — and can’t play anymore unless the team changes their roster status. Last season the team did that twice, with Michael Wentzel and John Klein, as injuries put the team in a desperate spot. Three other City2 players, Pearce, Jaaskelainen and Cilley, have suited up for City SC this season, though only Pearce got into a game.

Joyner is the player who has gotten the most attention. The 18-year-old has 11 goals this season, tied for the league lead with Nelson Pierre of Vancouver, though in about 500 fewer minutes. Joyner has a league-high six goals on penalty kicks. He started for City SC in its Open Cup win over Union Omaha.

“He’s ready,� said Hackworth, “but we need to be patient with him. While I think he’s doing great, he still has to keep making progress.�

“I’m just going day by day,� Joyner said. “I know I’ve used all my callups, but hopefully another opportunity will come up and I’ll make the most of it, but until then, I’m just gonna take it day by day, work as hard as I can.�

But being around would help in the race for the Golden Boot as the league’s top goal scorer. Joyner was second last season with 16 goals, two behind Chicago’s David Poreba, who played 700 more minutes.

“It would mean a lot,� he said. “It’s actually one of my goals. It’d be really nice to see the (championship) trophy as well as the Golden Boot, and it just means that all my hard work has come together.�

The win streak is nice, but winning the league is what they want. City2 has come close to winning the league title before. It lost in the final in 2022 and lost in the Western Conference final — to the eventual champion — in 2024.

“I know some people might be like, ‘Oh, I want to move up,’ � said McSorley, who has five goals and five assists, “but I’m content, because I want to win a championship here with this group of guys, and we’ll see what next season holds. But right now, I’m focused.�