#17. Perry Kitchen
Pos: D | D.C. United | Age: 19
- Last year on "24 Under 24": N/A
- Fan Ranking: #15
- Castrol Index (Aug): #121
Little would Kitchen have imagined that he’d be manning the right back spot for D.C. United when they drafted him with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2011 SuperDraft. A central defender and holding midfielder prior to going pro, he has showcased every bit of the skill and personality that made him a prized talent in the SuperDraft. He has quietly become a fixture of DC’s starting lineup, only missing time for USA Under-20 World Cup qualifying. It remains to be seen if manager Ben Olsen will decide to move the steely 19-year-old to his more natural position next season.
What the TDs and coaches say: "Solid player. He’s gotten better as the season has gone on and he sees teams for the second time. Shown good mentality and that he’s not afraid. Earlier this year he scored an own goal that hurt his team and came right back and played well the next week … Right back has been a good spot for him because he has more time on the ball … Sitting midfielder is perhaps a better spot because of his passing and his ability to read the game … Good leadership abilities, and at 20 there’s a lot of time left for him … Competitive. He doesn’t get rattled too much and he doesn’t back down from a challenge. I think he’s good with the ball and with his age he’s only going to get better."
Tale of the Tape
- Matches played: 22
- Matches started: 21
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 0
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