Rivalry week and the All-Star break are behind us. MLS will be stepping up for the final stretch, with all eyes on the playoffs. ESPN examines some of the most notable players and teams of this exciting season as we focus on MLS Cup and the playoff push.
Most disappointing sides
Stream FC Daily on ESPN+
- MLS on ESPN+ - Stream LIVE games, replays (U.S. Only)
BEST TEAM
The New England Revolution is a great team! The team is 4-1-1 even without Carles Gil, the MVP candidate and midfielder who is recovering from an injury. New England already has two double-digit goal scorers (Gustavo Bou and Adam Buksa), as well as Matt Turner, who is arguably the league's best goalkeeper. The Seattle Sounders are another team worth mentioning. They have been able to overcome the injuries of Stefan Frei, Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro, and remain the top-ranked Western Conference team. Jeff Carlisle
The Revolution holds a 14 point lead in the Eastern Conference. They have accumulated the most points (49), seven more than Seattle. It's reasonable to wonder how the Revs will fare in West with only a handful of non-conference matches. However, there's no reason to believe the results would be significantly different. Although the Supporters' Shield is not far away, it will be interesting for the Revs to determine how important that priority is in order to balance the chance to rest players heading into the playoffs. Kyle Bonagura
- The Revs have 49 points, which is enough to overtake LAFC's all time record of 72 in '19, and a.625% win percentage away from Gillette. However, the 2020 MLS Cup runner up Seattle Sounders has been just as impressive. They've only conceded 14 goals in their last four games, while scoring 33 in the rest. They defend like bulls. They rank third in the league for interceptions and tackling percentage. The Stefans, Frei and Cleveland, have also helped to achieve the fourth-best team save percentage (73.2%). -- Dan Hajducky
- Bruce Arena's Revs lost only three games before Saturday's 2-0 defeat to New York City FC. However, they remain in second place in the East. Buksa and Bou are dazzling in the goals. Gil has an MLS record 15 assists despite being out of action with injury, and Tajon Buchanan, a Canada international, has excelled on the wing in his second season. Despite their nine-game unbeaten streak, the Revs lost at Yankee Stadium. However, they are odds-on favorites for the club's first ever Supporters' Shield. --Gus Elvin
Can the New England Revolution continue to be successful in the second half? Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch - USA TODAY NETWORK
THE MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAMS
After his team had scored just five goals in their first ten matches, Chris Armas, then-Toronto FC's head coach, said that "it's a disaster." D.C. United threw a 7-1 defeat on Toronto four days later and Armas was sent to march. Toronto's struggles -- offensively and defensively as well as tactically -- have ruined a team that was once appointment-only. With Jozy Altidore, injury-reporter extraordinaire, gone for six weeks, and Ralph Priso, a blistering 19 year-old, done for the season after right ankle surgery, it will only get worse. Despite the fact that Toronto has reached the MLS Cup finals three times in the past five years, and boasts the league’s second-highest payroll, 13 losses is still a remarkable loss. -- Hajducky
Toronto FC failed to meet its high expectations this season, which led to Chris Armas' dismissal. Getty Images
- LAFC was the favorite to win MLS Cup before the season began. They wouldn't be even in the playoffs if it ended today. The production of a team with such attacking talent as LAFC has been disappointing. Diego Rossi, now playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey, was hoping to continue his Golden Boot-winning 2020 season. However, production dropped significantly (six goals in 19 games). Brian Rodriguez's two goals against the LA Galaxy was a highlight, but the star-studded team continues to languish at the bottom of the standings. Bonagura
LAFC looks like a contender for the MLS Cup. It features many of the same pieces as the team that won the Supporters Shield in 2019. LAFC is currently outside the playoffs and will be without forward Diego Rossi. LAFC has been terrible on both ends of the ball. The team's finishing has been an issue in the attack and the team's transition defense has been a problem. However, the loss of Eddie Segura, the center back, has made things worse. Toronto will also get votes in this category. While it is surprising that a team that won silverware last year is now dead last in MLS 2021, there was some recognition that the Canadian side was still in transition. Carlisle
There are many contenders for this questionable honor -- Inter Miami CF, Toronto Timbers and Portland Timbers are all candidates -- but the Columbus Crew, the reigning MLS Cup champion has been the most disappointing of them all. The Crew won seven out of 22 games at the All-Star break and scored just 25 goals. This is a disappointing total with a -4 goal differential. Although they won against FC Cincinnati in Ohio's "Hell is Real", derby, Lucas Zelarayan and co. still fall below the playoff threshold. They will need to improve their performance before it's too late. -- Elvin
MVP
- Gil was once a threat to surpass Carlos Valderrama's single season assist record of 26, which he set in 2000. If he recovers quickly, he could still challenge that record. But Bruce Arena will be happy to have the Spaniard back in the field before the playoffs. This is how important the midfielder. Raul Ruidiaz, the Seattle forward, will also be considered for MVP. His 14 goals are the most in MLS. Sporting Kansas City's Daniel Salloi, who has 12 goals and five assists, is another option for an all-arounder. His total of 11 goals plus five assists makes him the top goal-plus-assists player in the league. Carlisle
- These were the three players that I considered: Gil, Ruidiaz and Salloi. Each of them has valid arguments and I don’t feel obliged to argue for any one of them at this stage in the season. Salloi's inclusion as a candidate makes him one of the best stories in the league. In the past two seasons, he had nearly as many goals as red cards and is now the league's leader in assists (17). Bonagura
Gil is still the frontrunner, though it's too early. His assist total (15) is half of "El Pibe Valderrama's 26-year-old record, despite his lengthy absence. The record-breaking run of the Revs is due to Valencia academy product and ex-Aston Villa player. With 38 goals from set pieces, he's had 86 chances to create -- 20 more than any other player. New England, a MLS first, is on track to win its first major trophy. We all know Foxborough's love for its hardware. -- Hajducky
Carles Gil is out of the MVP race due to an injury, but he remains a favourite. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
BEST MANAGER
Bruce Arena deserves a lot of credit for his work in New England. But Brian Schmetzer is putting the Sounders at the Revs' pace, and this has been achieved mostly without Lodeiro Frei, Morris, and Lodeiro. Schmetzer was very proud of the way Seattle beat Austin earlier in the summer with a starting lineup that included five teens. Bonagura
Arena and Schmetzer are serving the Lord in New England and Seattle. But Peter Vermes, the ever-steady coxswain in Sporting Kansas City, is doing the Lord's will. Gianluca Busio left for Serie A's Venezia, but SKC is riding a seven-game win streak to be among the best in West. They have a good team (53.8%, third in MLS), they create opportunities (244, also T-3rd), and concede sparingly (20 goals, fifth fewest), while having the 2nd-best tackling rate at 40.4%. -- Hajducky
Brian Schmetzer's Seattle team is on top, despite the absence of injured players. Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
- The award can be classified as the "most improved team performance" or if the team is so exceptional that it cannot be ignored. Robin Fraser, Colorado Rapids boss, will be my second choice. He led a team that was lacking stars but put the Rapids in the playoffs. Arena will be the most difficult to overlook if New England sets a record for the most points in one season. -- Carlisle
For his latest coaching masterclass in Pacific Northwest, Schmetzer wins by a hair over Phil Neville. Key players have suffered injuries that have left the Sounders devastated. Nico Lodeiro, goalkeeper Frei and Morris are both out of action. Morris is still not able to play due to an ACL tear sustained while on loan to Swansea City. Seattle is currently second in the league with 42 points and has an impressive road record, despite all this. Schmetzer did it again. -- Elvin
QU GOLAZO GOAL OF SEASON
- Even when there is no chance, the best strikers are able to spot one. Ruidiaz was victorious against Austin FC when he spotted Brad Stuver on his line and launched a rocket at 37 yards to score the game's sole goal. Quinn Sullivan of Philadelphia Union was the first runner-up. His bicycle kick against the Chicago Fire FC will be a memory he'll cherish for the rest his life. Carlisle
Herc Gomez, an ESPN analyst, was angry over Fourth of July weekend. Jakob Glesnes’ 93rd minute ballistic missile for Philadelphia wasn’t named our best goal so far this season. Herc, you have to give it to him: Glesnes put "glad" in the word "gladiator" with this miracle-strike. The Norwegian defender was able to go 35 yards out and leave Brad Guzan helpless. He also single-handedly took a point away from Atlanta United FC. Glesnes' upper 90 screamer is a masterclass in technique, power, and motion. It is divine. -- Hajducky
Seattle was waging war against Portland earlier in the month, when Jimmy Medranda blessed all of us with this strike that looks like a violation of physics. Bonagura
After years of being out in the wild, Rubio Rubin from Real Salt Lake made a comeback in May with an incredible bicycle kick against San Jose. The acrobatic finish alone was amazing, but the whole sequence is what makes the goal so special. A long throw, flick-on header and a Rubin controlled with his chest, followed by an overhead kick that sent the ball into the top corner of a net. It is simply amazing. -- Elvin
BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER
Cade Cowell, a San Jose Earthquakes youth, is just 17 years old. However, he's already shown glimpses of his superstar potential at various points this season. This pass is among the best in the league. Two other players have proven even more productive: Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas striker) and Buchanan (New England's, Club Brugge-bound). Both were able to play their way into the respective national teams of Canada and the United States and now they are ready for the crucial next step in their development. Bonagura
The 18-year old Ricardo Pepi is a star for FC Dallas. Pepi scored a hat trick in his pro debut as a USL League One player for North Texas SC. He hasn't stopped scoring since. Pepi was spot-started in 2020 and averaged 26 minutes per game. However, he has announced that he will be playing this campaign. Pepi, a dual-national, was born in El Paso to Mexican-American parents. He was also recently named to the U.S. national team roster. Pepi has scored 11 goals on 44 shots, which is 54.5% of all shots on target in MLS. This ranks him as the best player with at least 35 shots per game. You should enjoy him, people. -- Hajducky
During his second season, Tajon Buchanan has been one of the most exciting players in MLS and is a key reason why the Revs have emerged from the pack. Buchanan has contributed 10 goals (six goals and four assists) to 17 games this season. Buchanan missed the All-Star celebrations to fly to Belgium for Club Brugge. -- Elvin
- I have been impressed by Cowell but Ricardo Pepi's impact on Dallas is greater. He has not only pushed Franco Jara, a designated player striker, to the bench. But his 11 goals are what keeps Dallas in the playoff race. His recent call-up for the U.S. team has him set up for bigger and better things this season. Carlisle
Ricardo Pepi, a young FC Dallas player, continues to move forward. USA Today
BEST DEFENDER
- Although this selection is heavily influenced by his performance in the Gold Cup, Miles Robinson has shown that he is a true professional and deserves a European move. He will be returning to the U.S. team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Bonagura
Despite a recent mistake against Portland, Seattle boasts the league's most effective defensive unit. Yeimar Andrade, in a backline that is full of interchangeable parts has been a constant (despite the fact that he was not the best). He is solid in his game and a dominant player when it comes to winning the ball. He leads the league in interceptions (66), and has won 66.5% his duels. Walker Zimmerman is also a good player for Nashville's stingy side. Carlisle
New York Red Bulls' Kyle Duncan is a Swiss Army Knife this season. He has accumulated 60 tackles, 40 interceptions, and 75 aerial duels. RBNY may be 12th in East, but they have only conceded 25 goals in 20 games, five of which were in April's first two games. In the final season on his contract, Duncan is being pursued by clubs in France, Belgium, and Spain. Duncan could be outrighted if Red Bull Arena had more offensive firepower. -- Hajducky
Atlanta might be struggling, but Miles Robinson, defender, is doing well. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
BEST GOALKEEPER
New England's Matt Turner is currently the best keeper in league, and is front-runner for this award. However, William Yarbrough quietly performs at a high level for Colorado. His save percentage of 77 percent ranks third in league (min. His save percentage of 77 percent ranks third in the league (min. 11 appearances) and his 8 clean sheets rank second. He's also played a significant part in Colorado's rise to become an MLS Cup threat. Bonagura
The choice is between Blake of the Philadelphia Union and Turner of New England. Despite Turner's fantastic summer for club and country, Blake wins the nod. According to ESPN Stats, Blake's save percentage (77.3 percent to 75% percent) and his goals prevented mark (6.19 vs Turner's 4.09), respectively. -- Carlisle
Despite being one of the newest sides in MLS, Philadelphia Union is still in the hunt for the Eastern Conference. Andre Blake is the main reason. Jamaica's No. Blake is the Jamaica No. 1 goalkeeper with eight clean sheets and ranks third among goalies who have played over 15 games in terms of save percentage (76.7%). The 30-year-old is a consistent goalkeeper in MLS and could win a record third MLS Goalkeepers of the Year Award in 2021. -- Elvin
There are biases. First, recency. Turner's Gold Cup exploits are fresh in my mind. There is no MLS backstop preventing Turner from scoring more than 15.01 goals since 2020. The second is more general: Turner was an outstanding player at Fairfield University, where my MFA was obtained. Go Stags. Blake has had a great season. He allowed 18 goals, prevented 7.27 goals (best in MLS), and had a 76% save rate. He also tied for second with eight clean sheets. Blake was awarded the 2020 title and would have another to add to his collection, breaking the all time record. This is a fitting tribute to one of the league’s greatest players. -- Hajducky
