Orlando City B’s Pierre Da Silva had an eye-catching first professional season in 2016, which earned him the No. 15 position in the inaugural USL 20 Under 20.

Now, having already surpassed his assists total from a season ago while becoming one of the top young creative forces in the league, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the U.S. U19 international has risen to the top of the rankings this year.

“The biggest difference is that last year was my first as a professional, so I was kinda adapting to the way the league is, how intense the games are,” said Da Silva. “This year, I’m more confident, I’m more comfortable.”

Da Silva’s six assists have placed him two off the league-lead, while his 25 Key Passes lead OCB by a sizeable margin. But in addition to the creativity and flow he brings to Orlando’s attack as it looks to earn a second consecutive place in the USL Cup Playoffs, the other aspects of his game are what have the potential to elevate him to higher levels still.

“He’s got a lot a little chip to him, he’s got a little bite, which I really like,” said OCB Head Coach Anthony Pulis. “He works hard off the ball. He’s not like the typical wide players that don’t really want to work, who doesn’t really want to put his foot in, he likes that part of the game as well, and this year he’s added assists and end product, which is one of the things we wanted to see.”

As quickly as Da Silva is rising, it’s likely we’re going to see a lot more in the years to come.