Once again, weāre back to ranking things. Once again, we all agree Carles Gil is good at soccer. For the first time, weāre pretty sure Hany Mukhtar is also good at soccer.
And, once again, someone is going to blame Tom Bogert specifically for anything they disagree with in these rankings even though the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff collectively voted on this. Itās me. I blame Tom Bogert. For so, so many things.
Anyway, hereās how the Landon Donovan MLS MVP race (kind of) stands as we head into the final month of the 2021 season.
Daniel Salloi (SKC), Andreu Fontas (SKC)
Itās the same thing with Fontas every time we do this. Heās still leading the entire league in metric. Heās still a crucial part of one of the best teams in the league in a position where they really needed someone to step up and put in consistently solid performances. Instead, they got someone putting in the best performances of any center back in the league. He may not be the best defender among his peers, but no one is better on the ball out of the back. Heās in the 99th percentile among the leagueās center backs in passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90 minutes.
Salloi has also been a steady presence in these rankings. He just went a bit quiet over the last month, scoring once in the four games since the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. Thatās not really that quiet, itās just that it left a little bit of room for some other players to pass him in a subjective power rankings vote. Heās fourth in the league among attacking players in goals added, and his 19 goal contributions this season have him tied for fourth-most in the league with Carles Gil, who, again, we all agree is really good at soccer.
By the way, if you really want to make a concerted argument for Salloi as MVP, your best bet is to probably point out he leads the league in non-penalty goals.
When youāre the top scorer on one of the two best teams in the league, youāre bound to get some MVP votes. Ruidiaz is second in the league in goals scored, just two behind the impossibly hot (and somehow seven-time scorer from the penalty spot) Ola Kamara. Heās third in the league in non-penalty expected goals and remains the purest goalscorer in the league.
Like Salloi, heās also scored just once since the All-Star Game, and that came in the Leagues Cup. He also has just one assist on the season compared to Salloiās six and is second in the league behind Salloi in non-penalty goals scored and his goal added total is in the negative very much unlike Salloi. Iām going to be honest with yāall: I voted for Salloi.
NYCFC have been struggling as of late, but thatās not on Castellanos. Heās second in the league with 20 goal contributions this year and is third in the league in non-penalty goal contributions behind Salloi and another player featured later in the rankings. Heās scored 10 non-penalty goals while contributing seven assists. And heās fourth in the league in goals added.
Thatās all pretty good. He could and probably should have even better numbers, though. Heās still leading the league in non-penalty expected goals plus assists by a considerable margin. All things equal heād be leading the league in goals plus assists by four. Even still, despite a combo of bad luck and maybe not so great finishing ability, his numbers are among the best in the league.
And now weāre to the part of the month where we remind you that Joao Paulo is really, really good at practically everything youād want someone to be good at on a soccer field. Among midfielders, heās in the 89th percentile or higher in [ahem] assists, expected assists, shot-creating actions, passes, progressive passes and tackles. To name just a few.
Itās highly likely heās been the most complete midfielder in the league this season. Do that on one of the leagueās two best teams and youāre going to get a good chunk of MVP votes. Joao Paulo has become the pick that proves you watch and understand soccer. And for good reason. That will take you far among media types and message board posters.
Finally, Some new blood in this thing.Ā
Not going to lie, Iām pretty stoked itās Mukhtar. Nashville on the whole havenāt gotten enough attention for what theyāve done this year. Mukhtar is a massive part of that. Heās your league leader in non-penalty goal contributions with 20. Nine of those contributions are assists. Heās averaging a goal contribution nearly every 90 minutes. That leads the league among players with more than 1,200 minutes played. By the numbers, there hasnāt been a more complete attacking player in the league this year.
Were you expecting someone else?
Heās first in the league in assists and key passes, plus every other relevant creative stat on what could finish as the best regular-season team in MLS history. Look, weāve been at this for months now. We can probably wrap this up.