Under-the-Radar MLS Players Who Will Be Household Names by 2016
Everyone across the globe is aware of the star power that graces the Major League Soccer rosters. The likes of Robbie Keane, Sebastian Giovinco, Obafemi Martins, Clint Dempsey and others are on highlight reels week after week.
Due to the decent number of superstars in the league, some productive players fly under the radar of the casual fan. Whether the cause is playing in a small market, starting for a struggling team or featuring in an unpopular position, certain players do not receive the attention they deserve.
With that in mind, we prepared a list of 10 under-the-radar players who have the potential to be stars by the time the 2016 season begins.
Continue reading on to see which 10 players we selected to become household names over the next 12 months.
Tony Tchani, CM, Columbus Crew
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Many around MLS have oozed with compliments about Columbus central midfielder Wil Trapp. But his partner in front of the back four deserves plenty of attention as well.
Tony Tchani has combined with Trapp to form one of the top defensive midfield pairings in the league. Their control of the possession battle rivals that of any midfield pair in MLS, and it allows the dynamic attackers in the Crew lineup to fly forward in search of chances.
With Trapp out of the starting 11 early in the 2015 season, Tchani has delivered a few fine performances. But because of the explosive nature of the club's forwards, he barely gets recognized on a weekly basis.
Raymon Gaddis, RB, Philadelphia Union
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Due to the messy situation surrounding the Philadelphia Union, we rarely speak of the positive aspects of the club.
One of the few standout players in the lineup since the start of the 2014 season has been Raymon Gaddis, who shifted to right-back from left-back ahead of the clash with Toronto FC in Week 9.
While he may not shut down every single attacker he faces, Gaddis does put opposing wingers under stress for most of the match.
If the Union ever figure out their goalkeeping situation and string together a stretch of positive results, we will mention Gaddis' name more in 2015.
Andre Blake, GK, Philadelphia Union
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While we're on the topic of the goalkeeping mess at PPL Park, it's worth mentioning the potential Andre Blake carries with him.
The No. 1 pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft played in just one league match in 2014, and his presence on the pitch has been halted by injury problems in 2015.
Once he fully recovers and earns consistent playing time, Blake should solidify the position that has experienced its share of blunders over the last 12 months.
If he is able to bring stability to the tumultuous situation in between the pipes, he could gain attention from Europe. However, all of the words we just typed about him will be thrown out the window if his body can't heal correctly.
David Bingham, GK, San Jose Earthquakes
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When experienced goalkeeper Jon Busch left the San Jose Earthquakes after the 2014 season, many fans questioned who would fill the major void left open by the league veteran.
Through nine games this season, 25-year-old David Bingham has answered the call. Bingham is tied for the league lead in saves, with 29. And he has won four of those nine contests.
Since this is his first year as a starter, Bingham will run into some growing pains, especially as San Jose adjusts to Dominic Kinnear's system.
But if Bingham's progression continues in an upward fashion from now until October, Earthquakes fans should have little worries about who their starting goalkeeper will be in the future.
Alvas Powell, RB, Portland Timbers
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Both full-back positions are considered the worst in regard to depth across the league.
However, there are a few defensive wingers worthy of praise they don't usually receive. Portland's Alvas Powell is near, or at, the top of that list at the moment.
In successive weeks, Powell has shut down Seattle's Lamar Neagle and Vancouver's duo of Pedro Morales and Darren Mattocks.
If he keeps up his current form, Portland could have one of the top defensive units in the Western Conference with the reliable Nat Borchers and Liam Ridgewell in the middle.
Axel Sjoberg, CB, Colorado Rapids
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Another young Western Conference defender who is impressing early on in the 2015 season is Axel Sjoberg of the Colorado Rapids.
The 24-year-old Swede out of Marquette found himself in Pablo Mastroeni's starting lineup on the first day of the season, and he has made four additional starts since.
What stands out right away about Sjoberg is his height. The 6'7" rookie has used that to his advantage, as he leads MLS in clearances per game, with 13.8, per WhoScored.com.
While the Rapids might not be a contender in 2016, Sjoberg could certainly put his name into the discussion of best young defender in the league if he continues to thrive in front of the Rapids net.
Matt Polster, CM, Chicago Fire
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After nine weeks of play, Matt Polster has distanced himself from the other first-year players in the Rookie of the Year race.
The midfielder, who was unexpectedly drafted with the No. 7 pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, has impressed many with his composure in the middle of the park.
With the Olympic qualifying tournament just a few months away, the 21-year-old Chicago Fire player could be set for a United States call-up at that level.
Given his performances over the first two months of his professional career, Polster has a chance to be a major contributor in Brazil next summer.
Khiry Shelton, FW, New York City FC
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Another U23 player forcing his way into his club's starting lineup is New York City FC's Khiry Shelton.
The Oregon State product started the season on the bench, but he quickly found himself in Jason Kreis' starting 11, thanks to his pace and ability in the final third.
While his finishing is still a work-in-progress, Shelton has the speed to fool any defender on his best day. If he can find a way to net a few goals over the summer in MLS, Shelton could be one of the starting forwards for the United States during the Olympic qualifying tournament.
It also doesn't hurt that Shelton is learning under David Villa in preparation for a potential spot on the Olympic roster in 14 months.
Russell Teibert, CM, Vancouver Whitecaps
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The Vancouver defensive midfielders may be the most underrated position group in all of MLS.
Matias Laba proved that in 2014, when barely anyone paid attention to his stellar season outside of British Columbia. The same may happen with Laba's midfield partner Russell Teibert in 2015.
The one thing Teibert has in his favor in regard to attention is his nationality. Since he is a young Canadian playing on one of the three Canadian teams in MLS, Teibert receives a decent amount of attention from the fans north of the border.
For him to win over more fans from coast to coast this season, Teibert needs to play strong defense in games in which the deadly Vancouver attack struggles.
Ignacio Piatti, AM, Montreal Impact
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An argument can be made that Ignacio Piatti is already on the radar of many MLS observers. But he hasn't had the chance to fully break through into the mainstream just yet.
Piatti, who was acquired by the Montreal Impact last summer, has five goals in nine career league matches. Due to the lack of exposure the Impact have had early on in the 2015 campaign, Piatti may have drifted off the radar of some.
During the Impact's run to the CONCACAF Champions League final, Piatti displayed his special talent in the final third. If that translates to league play, which we think it will, Piatti could find his name in the conversation of the league's best players by the end of 2015.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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