The candidates for U.S. men’s player of the year feature some that came into 2021 as leaders of a young U.S. national team, and a few that came in without any expectations at all. Sam Stejskal is here to break down the candidates’ cases, and takes his best guess at who will win.

How Brendan Aaronson's career started flying: https://theathletic.com/2949381/2021/11/11/hes-ruthless-man-how-brenden-aaronsons-career-started-flying-with-union-salzburg-and-usmnt/

The 'Man In The Mirror' Game: https://theathletic.com/2953151/2021/11/13/the-man-in-the-mirror-game-usmnt-delivers-composed-and-confident-performance-in-2-0-win-over-mexico/

Matt Turner's strange path to the USMNT: https://theathletic.com/2694293/2021/07/08/usmnt-matt-turner/