The end of Major League Soccer’s regular season can be viewed as the start of the business end of the campaign — the MLS Cup Playoffs — but in terms of judging overall, consistent performance, the regular season is the most accurate measure. This is why the Supporters’ Shield should be considered the most prestigious award in MLS, and also why the regular season comes into its own when using data to measure performance. The variables and variety of opposition allow players to show their quality over long periods and in different scenarios.
That’s not to discount the importance of the playoffs and the intrigue and entertainment they provide, but the end of the regular season feels like a good time to look at the standout performers in this unique year of league football. This particular XI will look at those who have set off alarms in the stats bunkers across the world of football — those who have excelled in certain areas of the game, posting good numbers in key metrics for their position. A lot of this comes down to what you want, or expect, from each position, and this will vary depending on the system being played, the tactics, and, especially in such a fragmented season, the opposition.
An XI based on data could be seen as objective, but the prioritising of certain stats for certain positions, and choosing which data points are more useful than others, is in itself subjective. Nevertheless, it could still be an interesting exercise.
One thing we’re looking for from all players is a decent amount of minutes on the field —
