Who is the best boys soccer player from North Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities.
These are our selections for the boys soccer players who defined North Jersey. The players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and professional levels.
We even saved a spot for you to write-in a candidate that we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.
Alecko Eskandarian, Bergen Catholic (Class of 2000)
Eskandarian is widely regarded as the greatest finisher in Bergen County history, ranking No. 1 all-time with 154 goals to go with 60 assists. He shattered the single‑season record with 66 goals as a senior, lifted Bergen Catholic to county and state titles that year and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. His career continued with two MLS All‑Star selections.
Chris Karcz, Clifton (Class of 2001)
Karcz rewrote Clifton’s record book with 54 goals as a senior and 118 for his career while helping the Mustangs become the first team to win four straight Passaic County titles. The striker earned three All‑County and two All‑State selections. He later starred at Rutgers before being picked in the MLS Supplemental Draft.
Wojtek Krakowiak, Clifton (Class of 1995)
Krakowiak made an immediate impact after immigrating from Poland, scoring 79 goals with 21 assists in just two seasons at Clifton. The Mustangs’ forward led the state with 49 goals as a senior on an unbeaten team and was later named The Record’s Passaic County Boys Soccer Player of the Decade for the 1990s. His rise continued at Clemson, where he captured the Hermann Award as the nation’s top Division I player.
Teddy Niziolek, Clifton (Class of 2003)
Niziolek was named North Jersey’s Boys Soccer Player of the Decade for the 2000s after steering Clifton to three county championships. A three‑time All‑County pick, he shifted from sweeper up to offense as a senior and erupted for 27 goals and 11 assists before being drafted by the Columbus Crew. He went on to start four years at Seton Hall and now coaches the Verona girls program.
Randi Patterson, Bergen Catholic (Class of 2003)
Patterson was one of the state’s most explosive scorers, finishing with 89 goals and 33 assists despite missing half his senior season with an MCL tear. He led New Jersey in scoring as a junior and was named The Record’s Player of the Year in 2002. Patterson later became a first‑team All‑American at UNC‑Greensboro.
Neil Stam, Hackensack (Class of 1960)
Stam was a rugged, stay‑at‑home defender who anchored Hackensack’s back line and earned All‑State honors. His career continued at Springfield College before he captained the U.S. national team and competed in the 1972 Olympics. He was later selected to The Record’s Bergen County All‑Century team.
Kazbek Tambi, Ridgewood (Class of 1979)
Tambi was a midfield maestro who served as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. He notched 12 goals and 12 assists as a senior at Ridgewood before going on to Columbia, where he captained the Lions to the NCAA Final Four. His professional career included a stint with the New York Cosmos.
Jimmy Taranto, Ramapo (Class of 2005)
Taranto was a three‑year force for the Raiders who totaled 71 goals and 56 assists while leading Ramapo to three straight sectional titles. His signature moment came in 2002, when he buried the double‑overtime winner in the Group 3 state final. An All‑State and All‑American senior, he spent his college career at Virginia and Lehigh.
Matt Turner, St. Joseph (Class of 2012)
Turner has gone from Montvale to the highest levels of soccer, starting for the U.S. in the 2022 World Cup and becoming only the second American to record two shutouts in a single edition of the tournament. His professional stops span MLS, France’s Ligue 1 and the English Premier League with Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. In high school, the Park Ridge native was a two‑year starter and flew largely under the radar.
Jesse Van Saun, Pascack Valley (Class of 1994)
One of the fastest forwards of the early 90’s, Van Saun picked up 33 goals and seven assists as a senior after a 23‑goal junior season. He earned All‑State honors and later helped lead St. John’s to the 1996 NCAA Division I championship. His career continued on the MLS level with the New England Revolution.