MLSsoccer.com kicked off its annual “24 under 24” series, presented by EA SPORTS, today featuring a list of the best players in Major League Soccer aged 23 or younger.
Today, they unveiled Nos. 24-16.
And coming in at #18 was Vancouver Whitecaps FC centre back Tim Parker.
“I think he's one of the most underrated centre backs in the league,” one technical staffer told MLSsoccer.com. “I think for a guy who's in his second year, he wins everything in the air, good 1-v-1 on the ground. He's an underrated passer.”
Parker, 23, was selected 13th overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.
Since then, he has started 39 of his 40 MLS regular season appearances. The Hicksville, New York native also made history with the ‘Caps on a pair of occasions, scoring the club’s first-ever goal in the CONCACAF Champions League and finding the scoresheet as they won their first-ever Voyageurs Cup in last year’s Amway Canadian Championship Final vs. Montreal Impact.
MLSsoccer.com’s 24 under 24 countdown will continue throughout the week, culminating with an announcement of the top five players on Thursday.
Evaluation Criteria
All MLS players aged 23 or younger before October 23, 2016 were eligible for consideration. The final list of 24 players is determined by a panel made up of top soccer media members and the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff. The panel ranked the eligible players based on the following criteria:
- Technical: first touch, dribbling, shooting, heading
- Soccer IQ: positioning, reading game, situational understanding, tactical awareness
- Physical Attributes: balance, agility, speed, endurance, strength, vertical leap
- Personality: attitude, marketability, media savviness, charisma, intangibles
- Potential: improvability, ceiling, national team potential, potential transfer value
Voting media members
Jeff Carlisle (ESPN.com)
Andy Edwards (NBC ProSoccer Talk)
Thomas Floyd (Goal.com)
David Gass (ExtraTime Radio host)
Kristan Heneage (freelance journalist)
Cobi Jones (MLS & US Soccer legend)
Kurt Larson (Toronto Sun)
Patrick LeDuc (RDS)
Kyle McCarthy (freelance journalist)
Will Parchman (TopDrawerSoccer.com)
Paul Tenorio (FourFourTwo.com)
Jonathan Yardley (MLS broadcaster)
MLSsoccer.com:
* Benjamin Baer (Associate Editor)
* Simon Borg (Editor-in-Chief)
* Matt Doyle (Senior Editor)
* Alicia Rodriguez (Contributor)
* Nick Rosano (New Media Editor)
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver. Get 12 per cent off 2017 Whitecaps FC Full Season Tickets from Sept. 22 - Oct 3. Click here for more information.
