Competitive games involving MLS teams have already kicked off for 2015, and we've already met one potential young breakout player in the Montreal Impact's Cameron Porter.
Hyperbole? Sure. But where's the fun in taking a patient approach to hype?
Anyway, let’s start thinking about something else. Like who the top five players are going to be in the 2015 edition of 24 Under 24.
1. Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire
Yeah, that’s right. Harry Shipp, the second-year midfielder is our No. 1 prospect for this season’s 24 Under 24. That’s because Harry Shipp is magic. In his rookie season, the former Notre Dame standout scored seven goals and added six assists, which is not an eye-popping total until you realize that the Fire only won six games and scored the fifth-fewest goals in the league. The Fire have assembled a pretty explosive attacking group this campaign, assuming those DP signings come good, which will take some pressure off Shipp and allow him to do his thing: pull strings and score goals.
2. Wil Trapp, Columbus Crew SC
If the only thing you saw were his stats – one goal in 44 games – you wouldn’t think much of Wil Trapp, but we know better than that. At just 21 years old, Trapp was named vice captain of the Crew and wore the captain’s armband a few times in 2014. What we’re saying is that he’s the quintessential midfield general, and Columbus leaped from cellar-dwellers in 2013 to a top-three finish last year in no small part because of his contributions in the middle of the park. Trapp was rewarded with a USMNT call-up in January, and if he’s already complete enough to merit a look from Jurgen Klinsmann, you just can’t help but dream about what he’s capable of in 2015.
3. Fabián Castillo, FC Dallas
There are things not to like about Fabián Castillo. Here’s an example of one of them. Yes, one lowlight does not a career unmake, but while we’ve always known that Castillo was obnoxiously fast, he’s never really been able to figure out what size his goal-scoring shoes should be. Last year he finally figured it out. Castillo bagged 10 goals in 2014, albeit on 74 shots, which confirms the belief that his finishing could use some work, he finished No. 3 in the 24 Under 24 polling last year, he just signed a five-year deal with FC Dallas, and we don’t see him getting any worse in 2015. Just check out the visualization of one of his goals against San Jose last season. The kid is direct. And that makes him a nightmare for defenders.
4. MatÃas Laba, Vancouver Whitecaps
Defensive midfielder is not a position where you’re allowed to make very many mistakes or lose your focus even for a moment. So it’s a testament to Laba’s composure that he can play the position so well at such a young age. We think this is Laba’s year to really shine, and he’s going to get plenty of opportunities to show how good he is with so many of Vancouver’s attacking players pre-programmed to fly up the field like bats out of hell. It’s a big jump from the No. 15 spot he occupied last year, but in his second full year with Vancouver, Laba should be more comfortable controlling the Whitecaps’ midfield.
5. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas
It doesn’t hurt that the maybe-Canadian, maybe-American striker is 6-foot-1, 170 pound and fast like the wind. But what separates Akindele from the pack is his ability to flat-out finish. Akindele took 30 shots in his Rookie of the Year campaign last season, put 16 of them on net and converted seven of those opportunities. That’s not a bad record, particularly for a first-year player. That said, the last time Akindele scored a regular-season goal was a hat trick – in August. He’s not going to sneak under anyone’s radar this season, so the FC Dallas’ forward phenom needs to rise to the challenge of Year 2.
