The 2014 "24 Under 24," presented by adidas, is just around the corner. Our annual series exploring player development and ranking the top 24 young players in MLS will take place September 22-26.
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the "24 Under 24." So we thought we'd take a quick look back at the previous rankings and get you caught up.
2010
- #1: Fredy Montero, Seattle Sounders
- Complete ranking
Colombian goalscorer Montero -- now starring for Sporting Lisbon -- was a unanimous choice for the voting panel in our first edition of the 24U24 ranking. Not surprising considering his talents and production. (Ed. Note: We'll have a lot more on Montero during this year's series.) Also included was a strong contingent of future league mainstays, such as Omar Gonzalez, Marco Pappa, Chris Pontius, Tony Tchani, and Dax McCarty.
Also on the list were a few players who struggled to make their impact, including Philly's Danny Mwanga (traded twice, currently on loan with 2nd-div. New York Cosmos) and KC's Ryan Smith (traded, now in Greece).
2011
1:
Brek Shea
, FC Dallas
After coming in 7th the previous year, Shea took top spot thanks to a scintillating season that saw him finish with 11 goals, 4 assists, and an MVP runner-up tag. A big group of young attackers loaded with potential got into the act in 2011, too, including Juan Agudelo (#2), Fabian Castillo (#7), Darlington Nagbe (#10), Camilo (#13), and Jack McInerney (#23).
2012
1:
Darren Mattocks
, Vancouver Whitecaps
Although Mattocks took top honors, this was the year of defense. Chicago's Sean Johnson (#4) was the highest-ranked goalkeeper ever, and the top 10 included three holding midfielders, Felipe (#4), LA's Juninho (#5), and D.C.'s Perry Kitchen (#8). And two outside backs, New York's Connor Lade (#17) and Philadelphia's Sheanon Williams (#18) made it, too.
2013
1:
Darlington Nagbe
, Portland Timbers
Last year was about young goalscorers, starting with Nagbe, who had 9 goals that season. Also part of the ranking were Philadelphia's McInerney (#4), New England's Diego Fagundez (#5) and Agudelo (#6), and LA's Gyasi Zardes (#7) and Jose Villarreal (#11).
D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid once again made the cut, making him the only player to appear on all four previous 24U24 lists.
