Finn Sundstrom is a 19-year-old versatile defender who played for North Carolina FC last year. After a standout season, the U20 international for USA was nominated for the USL Championship Young Player of the Year Award and earned a transfer to Philadelphia Union at the very end of 2025. Sundstrom feels most comfortable as the right central defender in a back three, but shows an ability to adapt to different styles of play.

At 1.83 m, Sundstrom hits the sweet spot, combining adequate height and notable strength without compromising mobility. He has a lean and athletic frame, mixing an explosive edge with a long stride that provides solid recovery pace and a strong reach for tackles. Sundstrom looks nimble when moving across the pitch. His twitchy muscles provide him to turn quick when covering space behind the line, defending 1v1’s or escaping pressure from the back.  Although he’s more on the shorter side for a center back, his position as a right-sided defender takes full advantage of his blend of athleticism and mobility. Aerially, he has a good leap but can be hesitant to fully commit his body. Overall, he possesses a promising physical profile.

Sundstrom is a tough defender with the right mentality. He already has a solid defensive foundation, which is quite remarkable given his age and the fact he played as an attacking player during his youth years. Sundstrom shines when defending large spaces, using his speed, awareness, and body shielding to neutralize danger in behind. When defending in his own box, he’s generally well-positioned to clear crosses and block shots. Sundstrom is aggressive and tenacious in pressing forward. He shows good timing and is clean in his tackles, using his strong body and stiff arms to win back possession. As a young defender he’s inevitably prone to error. He can sometimes be too easily turned on in 1v1’s, slow to react and is still inconsistent in deciding when to step out of his defensive line.

Sundstrom’s ball playing ability is still underwhelming. He proactively prevents pressure by picking up intelligent positions and adjusting his body quickly when receiving on the turn, aided by his top-level agility. Sundstrom is a fast distributor from the back, using both feet, but he lacks composure under pressure. This results in playing it safe too often. Even given time and space he’s reluctant to progress play by line-breaking passes or switches of play. This is mainly due to a lack of confidence in his technical abilities. Sundstrom’s ground covering mobility gives him potential to carry the ball, but this is restricted by poor close control and composure, especially when operating higher up on the pitch.

With his move to Philadelphia Union, Sundstrom made a smart step in his development. He should thrive in their high, aggressive pressing system, where he will be able to fully use his mobility to cover wide spaces. The team’s emphasis on simple, vertical build-up should mask his shortcomings on the ball.