MLSsoccer.com will unveil this year's edition of "24 Under 24" a week from today for the sixth annual recognition of the top young players in Major League Soccer. The rankings are determined by a panel of soccer media members across the United States and Canada based on five criteria:
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Technical (first touch, dribbling, shooting, heading, etc.)
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Soccer IQ (positioning, reading game, situational understanding, tactical awareness, etc.)
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Physical Attributes (balance, agility, speed, endurance, strength, vertical leap, etc.)
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Personality (attitude, marketability, media savviness, charisma, intangibles, etc.)
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Potential (improvability, ceiling, national team potential, potential future transfer value, etc.)
Among the 181 active MLS players born after October 25, 1991, a preliminary panel narrowed the field to a 75-player short list of individuals eligible for consideration. Two from Sporting Kansas City made the cut: homegrown defender Erik Palmer-Brown (18) and first round SuperDraft selection Amadou Dia (22).
Dia is the only rookie defender on the list, while Palmer-Brown is the second youngest player up for the distinction. Four different KC players have been featured on the "24 Under 24" rankings since their inception in 2010:
Oriol Rosell (#14 in 2013)
C.J. Sapong (#2 in 2012, #15 in 2011)
Teal Bunbury (#5 in 2011, #17 in 2010, #20 in 2012)
Ryan Smith (#12 in 2010)
