Cover photo belongs to Tim Heitman / USA TODAY Sports
It's only two years until the 2018 World Cup and the US might need to turn to some rising talent to advance out of the group stage in Russia. Here are twenty-four names to keep an eye out for down the line. Some share dual-citizenship with another country but until they're officially cap-tied, they'll stay on the list. Specifically Sanchez, Gonzalez, Romero (Mexico), Sylvestre (Haiti), Danny Rogers (Ireland), and Machini (Spain, Netherlands).
24 Under 24
1. Ethan Horvath (Molde FK / Norway.1) - 21.1
2. Richard Sanchez (Tigres UANL / Mexico.1) - 22.3
3. Jon Kempin (Swope Park Rangers / USA.3) - 23.3
4. Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas / USA.1) - 21.2
5. Brian Sylvestre (Carolina RailHawks / USA.3) - 23.6
6. Zack Steffen (SC Freiburg / Germany.1) - 21.3
No surprise that Horvath tops the list. Sanchez has been awfully quiet in Mexico. He was called into Mexico's U23s in February and hasn't made news outside of a pretty adorable coaching video. Kempin just recently notched a 1-0 shutout last week (some nice saves here). Gonzalez has had an up and down season with FC Dallas. Sylvestre only has three starts with Carolina this year while Steffen earned 14 with Freiburg's reserve squad.
7. Cody Cropper (Free Agent / None) - 23.4
8. Alex Bono (Toronto FC II / USA.3) - 22.3
9. Abraham Romero (Pachuca / Mexico.1) - 18.4
10. Danny Rogers (Aberdeen FC / Scotland.1) - 22.3
11. Eric Klenofsky (Monmouth / USA.N) - 21.8
12. Jeff Caldwell (Virginia / USA.N) - 20.4
Still no word on Cropper and where he'll land. Some say Atlanta while others are hoping he returns to Minnesota. Bono has most recently taken over for an injured Clint Irwin with Toronto FC's first squad and earned his first MLS start last week. Romero was with Mexico's U20s in June but appears to have picked up a injury. Rogers, who shares Irish nationality, started for premier Scottish club Falkirk 35 times last season. Klenofsky and Caldwell are spending the summer with the New York Red Bulls U23s and the Seattle Sounders U23s, respectively. Caldwell was coincidentally named a top PDL prospect by the PDL themselves.
13. Devin Perales (Rio Grande Valley FC / USA.3) - 23.3
14. Benjamin Machini (RCD Mallorca B / Spain.3) - 19.8
15. Wade Hamilton (Portland Timbers / USA.1) - 21.8
16. William Pulisic (Duke / USA.N) - 18.3
17. Tyler Miller (Seattle Sounders II / USA.3) - 23.3
18. JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown / USA.N) - 19.2
Perales is splitting time in Rio Grande Valley after a good season with Austin. Machini helped Mallorca get promoted to Spain's third division after winning their league. Both Hamilton and Miller are getting groomed by their respective clubs with plenty of time with the USL reserves and making the bench on MLS game days. Pulisic has signed with Duke but will train with Dortmund. He will either look to sign overseas or return to Duke a year late, in the fall of 2017. Marcinkowski is currently with the US U20s and is entering his sophomore year at Georgetown.
19. Austin Rogers (Besa Kavajë / Albania.2) - 20.9
20. Alec Ferrell (Wake Forest / USA.N) - 22.3
21. Matt Bersano (Seattle Sounders II / USA.3) - 23.8
22. Mason Stajduhar (Orlando City SC / USA.1) - 18.6
23. Justin Vom Steeg (UC Santa Barbara / USA.N) - 19.3
24. Kevin Silva (UCLA / USA.N) - 18.5
Rogers had a successful season overseas in Albania and somehow ended up in Mongolia's premier league all-star game. Ferrell enters his senior year at Wake Forest. Bersano and Stajduhar have yet to make the field this season but are likely in the plans down the line with their respective clubs. Vom Steeg is spending his summer with Ventura Fusion before starting his sophomore year at UCSB. Silva looks to solve UCLA's goalkeepers woes for this next fall.
Best of the Rest
25. Keith Cardona (Indy Eleven / USA.2) - 23.7
26. Andrew Tarbell (San Jose Earthquakes / USA.1) - 22.8
27. Alexandros Tabakis (Charleston Battery / USA.3) - 23.6
28. Paul Blanchette (Burlingame Dragons FC / USA.4) - 22.3
29. Travis Worra (DC United / USA.1) - 23.3
30. Brenden Alfery (Pittsburgh Riverhounds / USA.3) - 22.2
31. Arie Ammann (Penn State / USA.N) - 19.8
32. Tomas Gomez (Rochester Rhinos / USA.3) - 23.2
33. Matt Turner (Richmond Kickers / USA.3) - 22.1
34. Luis Barraza (Marquette / USA.N) - 19.7
35. Bobby Edwards (Saint Joseph's / USA.N) - 20.5
36. Nathan Steinwascher (Detroit City FC / USA.4) - 23.5
37. Ricky Brown (Colgate / USA.N) - 21.5
38. Jeff Gal (Lidköpings FK / Sweden.4) - 23.3
39. Grayson Rector (Belmont / USA.N) - 21.9
40. Mauricio Vargas (Pittsburgh Riverhounds / USA.3) - 23.9
41. Austin Aviza (Syracuse / USA.N) - 19.4
42. Bennett Sneddon (Los Angeles Galaxy II / USA.3) - 19.3
43. Nick Ciraldo (Cleveland State / USA.N) - 21.3
44. Charlie Horton (Richmond Kickers / USA.3) - 21.8
45. Lee Johnston (San Antonio FC / USA.3) - 23.7
46. Colin Hanley (Niagara / USA.N) - 19.7
47. Ben Lundgaard (Virginia Tech / USA.N) - 20.8
48. Jonathan Klinsmann (California / USA.N) - 19.4
49. Josh Cohen (OC Blues FC / USA.3) - 23.9
50. Paul Christensen (Portland / USA.N) - 20.3