VANCOUVER, BC – The shortlist for Major League Soccer’s annual “24 under 24” series is out and six Vancouver Whitecaps FC players made the list, which is tied with FC Dallas for the most from one team.
Striker/winger Erik Hurtado (23), midfielder Gershon Koffie (23), midfielder Matias Laba (22), winger Kekuta Manneh (19), striker/winger Omar Salgado (20), and midfielder Russell Teibert (21) are each among the 50-player shortlist selected by a preliminary panel of MLSsoccer.com editors and external constituents.
A larger panel then rated the 50 players based on five different criteria (technical, soccer IQ, physical attributes, personality, and potential) to establish a final 24-player list that will be unveiled from September 22-26.
Major League Soccer’s 24 under 24 series, which is now in its fifth year, ranks the best young players under 24 in the league. In 2013, three Whitecaps FC players made the final list: Teibert 10 at 10th overall, Darren Mattocks at 12th overall, and Koffie at 17th overall.
Laba, a member of Toronto FC at the time, came in at 21st last season.
Which ‘Caps players deserve to be on the final list this season? Should any of them crack the top five? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
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