The third annual MLSsoccer.com 24 Under 24 — the ultimate ranking of the top young players in MLS — will return on September 10, with the #1 player being revealed on Friday, September 21. This year, we're letting you have your say in who that #1 player should be.
Beginning Monday, August 20, fans will have five days to complete the ballot, helping MLSsoccer.com to select the top players under 24 from clubs around MLS. Those votes will count for 10 percent of a player's ranking with the other 90 percent determined by the submissions of an expert media panel, including the editorial staff of MLSsoccer.com.
Brek Shea's monster 2011 season for FC Dallas put him in pole position and he ran away with the No. 1 ranking last year, following in the footsteps of Seattle's Fredy Montero, who was selected as the top Under-24 player in the inaugural 2010 edition.
Shea and 18 of the other 2011 finalists are once again in the running this year, part of 182 eligible players listed below. To be eligible, players have to be 23 years old or younger as of the end of the 2012 regular season on October 28, 2012.
Fans can get a head start and compile their cheat sheets ahead the opening of the polls on Monday.
SeanJohn comes up big vs. SJ
CHICAGO FIRE(7)
Alex, midfielder/forward
Orr Barouch, forward
Kellen Gulley, forward
Sean Johnson, goalkeeper
Hunter Jumper, defender
Victor Pineda, midfielder
Tony Walls, defender/midfielder
Agudelo opens Chivas account
CHIVAS USA(10)
Juan Agudelo, forward
Miller Bolaños, midfielder
Tristan Bowen, forward
Paolo Cardozo, midfielder
Jose Correa, forward
Marky Delgado, midfielder
Marvin Iraheta, midfielder
Cesar Romero, forward
Casey Townsend, forward
Jorge Villafaña, defender/midfielder
Cascio slices it in vs. Chivas
COLORADO RAPIDS(5)
Davy Armstrong, midfielder
Tony Cascio, forward
Shane O'Neill, midfielder
Martin Rivero, midfielder
Anthony Wallace, defender
Duka smashes an equalizer vs.Chicago
COLUMBUS CREW (11)
Rich Balchan, midfielder/defender
Dilly Duka, midfielder
Ethan Finlay, midfielder/forward
Kevan George, midfielder
Cole Grossman, midfielder
Aaron Horton, forward
Matt Lampson, goalkeeper
Justin Meram, forward/midfielder
Aaron Schoenfeld, forward
Ben Speas, forward
Tony Tchani, midfielder
DeLeon roofs it vs. Dallas
D.C. UNITED(8)
Raphael Augusto, midfielder
Nick DeLeon, midfielder
Bill Hamid, goalkeeper
Perry Kitchen, midfielder
Andy Najar, midfielder
Lance Rozeboom, midfielder
Conor Shanosky, midfielder
Ethan White, defender
Castillo finishes Ferreira pass vs. 'Caps
FC DALLAS(14)
Kellyn Acosta, midfielder
Fabian Castillo, midfielder
Matt Hedges, defender
Moises Hernandez, defender
Alex Lee, defender
Bryan Leyva, midfielder
Ruben Luna, forward
Hernan Pertuz, defender
Carlos Rodriguez, midfielder/defender
Richard Sanchez, goalkeeper
Brek Shea, midfielder
Jonathan Top, forward
Victor Ulloa, midfielder
Bobby Warshaw, midfielder
Bruin pulls one back vs. Toronto
HOUSTON DYNAMO(8)
Will Bruin, forward
Warren Creavalle, defender/midfielder
Alex Dixon, midfielder
Erich Marscheider, goalkeeper
Brian Ownby, midfielder
Colin Rolfe, forward
Kofi Sarkodie, defender
Josue Soto, midfielder
Juninho's lovely curler vs. Chivas
LA GALAXY(11)
Rafael Garcia, midfielder
Bryan Gaul, defender/midfielder
Hector Jimenez, midfielder
Juninho, midfielder
Jack McBean, forward
Tommy Meyer, defender
Brian Perk, goalkeeper
Brian Rowe, goalkeeper
Michael Stephens, midfielder
Jose Villarreal, midfielder/forward
Kenney Walker, midfielder
Nyassi rocket vs. New England
MONTREAL IMPACT(11)
Bryan Arguez, midfielder
Jeb Brovsky, defender
Dennis Iapichino, defender
Evan James, forward
Calum Mallace, defender/midfielder
Felipe Martins, midfielder
Miguel Montaño, forward
Sanna Nyassi, forward/midfielder
Karl Ouimette, defender
Zarek Valentin, defender
Andrew Wenger, forward
Rowe puts Revs up vs. Chicago
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION(10)
Blake Brettschneider, forward
Diego Fagundez, forward
Blair Gavin, midfielder
Dimitry Imbongo, forward
Sainey Nyassi, midfielder
Tyler Polak, defender
Alec Purdie, midfielder
Michael Roach, midfielder
Kelyn Rowe, midfielder
A.J. Soares, defender
Meara stones Revs' Brettschneider
NEW YORK RED BULLS(4)
Corey Hertzog, forward
Connor Lade, defender
Ryan Meara, goalkeeper
Victor Palsson, midfielder
Late Jack Mac header beats NE
PHILADELPHIA UNION(16)
Freddy Adu, midfielder
Danny Cruz, midfielder
Raymon Gaddis, defender
Cristhian Hernandez, forward
Chandler Hoffman, forward
Antoine Hoppenot, forward
Greg Jordan, midfielder
Zac MacMath, goalkeeper
Josué Martinez, forward
Jack McInerney, forward
Jimmy McLaughlin, midfielder
Amobi Okugo, defender/midfielder
Zach Pfeffer, midfielder
Roger Torres, midfielder
Sheanon Williams, defender
Krystian Witkowski, forward
Nagbe strike stuns RSL
PORTLAND TIMBERS(13)
Kalif Alhassan, midfielder
Joseph Bendik, goalkeeper
Jake Gleeson, goalkeeper
Ian Hogg, defender
Andrew Jean-Baptiste, defender
Ryan Kawulok, defender
Danny Mwanga, forward
Darlington Nagbe, forward
Charles Renken, midfielder
Brent Richards, forward
Sebastián Rincon, forward
Chris Taylor, defender
Jose Adolfo Valencia, forward
Gil pounces on rebound vs. Red Bulls
REAL SALT LAKE (7)
Eduardo Fernandez, goalkeeper
Luis Gil, midfielder
Kenny Mansally, defender
Enzo Martinez, midfielder
Nico Muñiz, midfielder
Paulo Junior, forward
Sebastian Velasquez, midfielder
Baca pulls Quakes level with NY
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES(6)
Rafael Baca, midfielder
David Bingham, goalkeeper
Sam Garza, forward
Jacob Hustedt, midfielder
Ike Opara, defender
Cesar Diaz Pizarro, forward
Rose finishes calmly vs. LA
SEATTLE SOUNDERS(8)
Cordell Cato, midfielder/forward
Andrew Duran, defender
Mario Martinez, midfielder
Bryan Meredith, goalkeeper
Andy Rose, midfielder
Babayele Sodade, forward
Daniel Steres, defender
Michael Tetteh, defender
Classy one-touch finish from Sapong
SPORTING KANSAS CITY(11)
Teal Bunbury, forward
Dom Dwyer, forward
Kevin Ellis, defender
Cyprian Hedrick, defender
Peterson Joseph, midfielder
Jon Kempin, goalkeeper
Kyle Miller, defender
Oriol Rosell, midfielder
Soony Saad, forward
C.J. Sapong, forward
Konrad Warzycha, midfielder/defender
Silva smoothness unstoppable vs. NEw England
TORONTO FC(13)
Oscar Cordon, midfielder
Richard Eckersley, defender
Doneil Henry, defender
Reggie Lambe, forward
Nicholas Lindsay, forward
Keith Makubuya, forward
Aaron Maund, defender/midfielder
Ashtone Morgan, defender
Joao Plata, forward
Quillan Roberts, goalkeeper
Luis Silva, midfielder
Matt Stinson, midfielder
Andrew Wiedeman, forward
Mattocks leaps over defender for goal
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS(9)
Bryce Alderson, midfielder
Caleb Clarke, forward
Greg Klazura, defender
Gershon Koffie, midfielder
Darren Mattocks, forward
Omar Salgado, forward
Brian Sylvestre, goalkeeper
Russell Teibert, midfielder
Tiago Ulisses, midfielder