As Major League Soccer awaits the arrival of Argentina’s World Cup winning captain and talisman Lionel Messi, fans of the league, and especially those of Atlanta United are already enjoying the performances of another Argentine World Cup winner.
Thiago Almada leads the way in our Player Power rankings for Matchday 22, amid a number of outstanding performers represented in both the team of the week and our five standout picks.
As is often the case in MLS, there are plenty of attacking midfielders among the league’s most eye-catching players, and Matchday 22 was one of those weeks where a number of creative, inventive attacking talents excelled for their respective teams.
By James Nalton, MLS expert
Thiago Almada (Atlanta United)
When Argentina lifted the trophy in Qatar last December, Almada became the first active MLS player to win the World Cup.
As is the case with many players of his age range, stature, and quality in this league, Almada is constantly linked with a move away from it.
This was the case for another former Atlanta star, Miguel Almirón, who left for English Premier League side Newcastle United in 2019, having been part of Atlanta’s MLS Cup win in 2018.
Atlanta have struggled since that early success, but in Almada, they have a player who could steer the team to play-off glory in 2023 – IF he stays until the end of the season.
His performance against Philadelphia Union this weekend was far from his best in an Atlanta shirt, but it was still at a level to make him one of the standout players of Matchweek 22. His normal, regular level being so good is why he stands out so much in this league.
He opened the scoring for United from a free-kick situation. His shot from the set piece rebounded off a busy wall, but he was on hand to steer the rebound home, showing good technique to get over a bouncing ball and scythe it into the net from just outside the area.
Almada also gets the assist for his side’s second goal, spotting the run of right-wing-back Brooks Lennon down the right and making it easy for his teammate to double the lead.
Almada leads the league for assists with nine, big chances created (14) and expected assists per 90 (0.37).
Emanuel Reynoso (Minnesota United)
Another Argentine attacking midfielder has returned to the league in recent weeks having resolved some personal, family issues, back home.
Reynoso missed the first few months or so of the 2023 season, but on his return looks comfortable in the team, comfortable with his situation in Minnesota, and in good shape to make a difference for Adrian Heath’s side.
“His attitude since he has been back has been absolutely first class,” Heath said last month.
“There’s intensity in every session he’s done and he looks great physically. He put himself in a position where we could start him [in games] if we wanted.”
And Reynoso has started the last two games, scoring once in the tie with Real Salt Lake last week and twice in the 4-1 rout of Portland in Matchday 22.
His first against the Timbers was an “Olimpico” i.e., scored directly from a corner kick, and his second was a tap-in at the far post assisted by the next player up in our Player Power rankings.
Reynoso also attempted 10 dribbles in this match, completing just four of them, but demonstrating his desire to make things happen and push this team forward.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota United)
As Reynoso deservedly takes the headlines, it might be easy to overlook the contribution of South African winger Hlongwane to this game, and to any success this team could have and is having this season.
The 23-year-old is fifth in all of MLS for expected goals (7.8) or fourth for this particular stat if penalty kicks are removed from the equation.
His expected assists total of 3.8 puts him among the top players in the league for goalscoring and creative metrics combined and suggests there is much more to come from a player who has five goals and one assist from these underlying numbers.
The return of Reynoso and the addition of Teemu Pukki in the upcoming summer transfer window could see Hlongwane add to his tallies.
“I’ve been watching him since I was young,” Hlongwane said of Pukki, speaking to Sota Soccer. “The only thing we need to do is pass him the ball. He can score, he’s a good striker with experience from Europe.
“I know him from Norwich in England. He played very well there and I have been watching him since I was young.”
Hlongwane’s cross from the right put the ball on a plate for Reynoso to score the team’s fourth goal against Portland. The convincing win keeps Minnesota well and truly in the race for the playoffs, and maybe even primed for a surge to the top of the table in what is a tightly-packed Western Conference.
Facundo Torres (Orlando City)
Orlando’s Uruguayan attacker continued his goalscoring spree with a brace in a 3-1 win against Chicago Fire on Matchday 22.
The 23-year-old now has four goals in his last four games having only scored twice in his previous 13 appearances this season.
His first in this game came from a header following a nice cross from the right from full-back Kyle Smith, before adding his side’s second by sending a penalty kick straight down the middle.
Torres will be key for Orlando and will need to keep up this goalscoring form if they are to join the chasing pack behind FC Cincinnati in the East.
He’s getting in the right areas to do so, as shown by the header, and looks safe from the spot so far having scored 7/7 in his career.
Randall Leal (Nashville SC)
Nashville’s versatile attacking midfielder may have missed out on a place in Costa Rica’s Gold Cup squad, but he showed them what they are missing with a standout performance in a 2-0 win against DC United.
He became the latest player to take advantage of Tyler Miller’s hit-and-miss sweeper-keeping when he rounded the stranded DC goalie on the edge of the area having been put through by a great pass from deep by Hany Mukhtar.
Leal was then on hand to take advantage of more confused DC defending, somehow ending up with the ball despite being surrounded by three or four opposition players before firing past Miller from the right.
This made it two goals from two shots on the night for Leal, who is back in the team following time out through injury earlier in the season, taking some of the weight off Mukhtar’s shoulders as Nashville continue to chase down FC Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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