As the 2024 Major League Soccer season resumes following a mid-season break, here are some of the players to look out for as teams battle for a place in the playoffs, including some new signings, MVP candidates, and future stars.
By James Nalton
The New Faces
The MLS Summer 2024 transfer window closed on August 14, and by that time several clubs had made moves that could change the outlook of their 2024 campaigns, while others began to plan for 2025.
Both Los Angeles clubs made older, big-name signings from Europe this summer. Marco Reus joined LA Galaxy and Olivier Giroud signed for Los Angeles FC. The local rivals are battling it out at the top of the Western Conference, and each will hope this extra experience and quality, and the extra buzz such players attract, will give them the edge.
Charlotte added a veteran player in a different mould with the signing of Tim Ream. The 36-year-old defender joined from Fulham in the twilight of his career but remains one of the best American centre-backs around.
Alexey Miranchuk could be an inspired signing for Atlanta from Atalanta as the Russian is a creative machine at any level of the game. He might not do much else, but if you can complement him with players who can get on the end of chances and others who can do other kinds of midfield work, then he could be highly effective. At 28, he is also at a peak level age-wise so he is likely to hit the ground running, or rather, passing.
New York Red Bulls went for a midfielder in a similar age range in Felipe Carballo. Though still technically gifted, Uruguayan is more on the dynamic end of the midfield spectrum compared to Miranchuck.
Several other signings joined the league as Designated Players this summer including Osman Bukari at Austin FC, Kelvin Yeboah at Minnesota United, Ezequiel Ponce at Houston Dynamo, Pep Biel at Charlotte, and Diogo Gonçalves at Real Salt Lake.
St. Louis City have struggled in their second season in the league, but the signing of Marcel Hartel, who scored 17 goals from a left-sided attacking midfield position in the 2. Bundesliga for St. Pauli last season, could help their campaign look more respectable come the end of the season.
The MVP Candidates
Given that he has not played for Inter Miami since June 1 and looks set to be out for a little longer with an ankle injury suffered at the Copa America, it is unlikely that Lionel Messi will be in line for the MLS’s MVP award in 2024.
Even if he returns to the Miami side and drives them singlehandedly to MLS Cup success, the award is handed out prior to that game, so players who featured more regularly for their team throughout the regular season will be the most likely contenders.
Which of the several standout players in Messi’s absence is considered the best so far this season, probably depends on which team you support.
For fans of one of the most eye-catching teams on the continent, Columbus Crew, there is no doubt the best player operating in these parts is Cucho Hernández. The Colombian’s combination of creativity, ingenuity and goalscoring adds a cutting-edge and final third quality to Columbus’s lauded play. They are well-positioned with games in hand to make a challenge for the Supporters’ Shield.
Last season’s MVP Luciano Acosta is also in the mix once again. He has already reached double figures for goals and assists this season, and Cincy will be hoping to have their captain fresh and firing as the season restarts having lost three matches on the bounce prior to this mid-season break.
Speaking of double figures for goals and assists, the only other player along with Acosta and Messi to have achieved this feat so far this season is Evander of Portland Timbers. The fact his team sits in midtable might see him outside the conversation as a genuine MVP candidate at the moment, but Portland are just as capable of mounting a winning run that propels them towards the top of the conference as they are of dropping out of the playoff picture. If the former happens, then Evander’s stock will rise.
At the top of the goalscoring charts sits Cristian Arango of Real Salt Lake, and just behind him is LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. Both will be in the running for the overall individual award as well as the goalscoring one and will play a big role in whether their respective teams can turn a good season into an exceptional one.
A good end to the season from LA Galaxy could see Gabriel Pec or Riqui Puig in contention. At the other end of the scale, Christian Benteke has stood out for DC United but the team’s position means he is unlikely to be in the final conversation, despite challenging to be the league’s top scorer.
The Young Players To Watch
Each year, MLS compiles a list of the best players under the age of 22, so this seems like a useful definition to use when picking out the best up-and-coming players to watch as the league reaches the business end of the season.
Even with Messi missing there is still plenty of entertainment at Inter Miami. As well as the likes of Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba, there are also young players to look out for. 21-year-old Diego Gómez is the standout, and the midfielder has already been recognised with a move to Premier League talent spotters Brighton set for January.
They also boast the talented deep-lying midfielder Federico Redondo. The 21-year-old is the son of Fernando Redondo and will be looking to kick on as a regular in the team after coming back from a knee injury.
Earlier this season Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player ever to appear in MLS. The 14-year-old will join Manchester City when he turns 18, further highlighting how highly rated he is, and could see a handful of minutes here and there as the season winds down.
One player who will feature more regularly for the Union is 21-year-old Jack McGlynn — a cultured left-footed midfielder who has a great passing range and accuracy from set pieces and in open play. Watch out for his shots from long-range, too.
Like McGlynn, Diego Luna is another young star playing a key role for his team. He’s part of that enterprising RSL attack along with Arango and might have even more responsibility following the departure of Andrés Gómez — another standout 21-year-old who left for Rennes in Ligue 1.
Elsewhere, 17-year-old left-back Christian McFarlane is highly regarded by City Football Group and has started to get some game time for New York City, while across the Hudson River at the Red Bulls, 21-year-old attacking midfielder Wikelman Carmona is worth looking out for.
As Andrés Gómez’s move to Ligue 1 and the Premier League interest in several of these players shows, MLS is increasingly becoming a league that boasts young players with the quality to make the next step.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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