By Favian Renkel and Justin Ruderman
Welcome back to Justin and Favian’s Weekly MLS Awards where SBI staff writers Justin Ruderman and Favian Renkel bring you a glimpse at the best of Week Four in MLS.
This week featured chaos in several matches, a coaching debut, and the Windy City living up to its nickname. Let’s dive in!
Player of the Week
Justin Ruderman: Giorgos Giakoumakis
I challenge you to find a goal-contribution combination as impressive as what Giorgos Giakoumakis produced on Sunday in Atlanta. At the heart of each goal in the Five Stripes’ 2-0 win over Orlando, the Greek international began by playing a stunning outside-of-the-boot pass into space for Saba Lobzhanidze to run onto and open the scoring inside ten minutes. He created the opening goal early and finished the dagger late. Just over 70 minutes in, the 29-year-old had a hit from the top of the box, smashing the underside of the crossbar as he netted his Golden Boot-tying fourth goal of the early season.
We all expected Giakoumakis to be in that Golden Boot race (as he was last season) but his performance on Sunday was that of an MVP-caliber player. He only mustered two direct assists last season which is what limits one of the league’s top scorers to a poacher reputation. If Giakoumakis can add assists to his stat sheet this year, there’s no reason he can’t be an MVP candidate akin to Cucho Hernández. For now, he’s outshining Thiago Almada as Atlanta United’s best player at the beginning of this 2024 season.
Favian Renkel: Luis Suárez
I mean, there was a clear first choice this week, followed by three very close second options. On the day it was officially announced that Messi would not be playing in the international friendly, Luis Suárez won the official MLS Player of the Week for his performance with a Messi-less Miami. What we learned this week is that Suárez can be an MVP-caliber player even without the world’s best player.
In just 28 minutes, Luis Suárez made a significant impact against DC United, scoring two goals in DC. I haven’t seen this type of impact in the MLS since Zlatan Ibrahimović. The Swedish legend has this league in a chokehold and it seems that Suarez is well on his way to having a similar grip.
We all might have forgot that Suarez is another legendary player, and not having Messi for a couple of games will demonstrate to the entire league, and indeed the world, that this 37-year-old still has that ‘it’ factor.
Young Player of the Week
JR: Jack McGlynn
In a 2-2 draw in Austin, Jack McGlynn didn’t contribute to a goal for the Philadelphia Union yet he was still the best player on the pitch. Often games with this description won’t have the stat sheet for evidence. McGlynn’s does.
In his 90 minutes on Saturday, the Union homegrown had a 90% passing accuracy (44/49), 75% long ball accuracy (6/8), created 4 chances (most) with 7 passes into the final third, had one successful dribble (most), won 86% of his tackles (6/7; most), won 89% of his ground duels (8/9; most), made 5 recoveries, and didn’t get disposessed once, per FotMob. A stat sheet like that doesn’t come around every day.
You don’t need to get on the scoresheet to get recognition from me. 20-year-old Jack McGlynn was the best player on the pitch at Q2 Stadium on Saturday and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the rest of the season now that he’s locked down a starting spot in the Union midfield.
FR: Julian Fernandez
NYCFC secured their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC, where Julian Fernandez stood out remarkably. He delivered what could be called the assist of the year with a stunning outside-of-the-foot cross pass. At just 20, the young Argentine impressed with his skill.
Executing a pass like that is no small feat, yet Julian made it appear effortless. Amidst a league of young, talented players, his exceptional pass distinguished him from the rest this week.
Goal of the Week
JR: Alan Pulido
Returning readers may notice a pattern developing. Bangers are fun, but I love team goals.
On Saturday, Sporting Kansas City created the best team goal thus far in 2024, ripping through the San Jose Earthquakes back to front with gorgeous patterns of play.
The move began as benign as any with center-back Daniel Rosero on the ball for SKC. Then, as midfielders are always looking to do, the game sprung to life as Erik Thommy broke the lines. Dropping underneath to receive from an attacking position, Thommy dragged ‘Quakes CB Bruno Wilson 15 yards into the SKC half while playing a one-touch, line-breaking pass into Alan Pulido. Continuing through the midfield circle, Pulido pushed the ball along for Daniel Salloi who sprayed the ball to their third attacker on the right wing, Johnny Russell. Approaching the San Jose box now, Russell played a give-and-go with the underlapping run of Jake Davis, opening the space for a cutback cross to a wide-open Pulido at the penalty spot. On the volley, you can guess what the Mexican striker did from there.
“It was a beautiful goal,” manager Peter Vermes beamed with pride. “It’s the kind of thing that you work on tirelessly, and then when you see it happen like that you’re pretty pleased.”
FR: Santiago Rodriguez
What more can be said about the standout Uruguayan player shining in the Big Apple? It almost seemed as if Santi channeled his inner Lionel Messi, curving that free kick into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper without a chance. That stunning goal by the NYCFC star paved the way for their first win of the season.
Goals like these leave soccer fans in awe. His might just be the season’s best free-kick goal, outshining even Luciano Acosta’s impressive effort this week, due to the sheer beauty of Rodriguez’s strike.
Team of the Week
JR: Minnesota United
Four matches into the season, Minnesota United sit atop the Western Conference with ten points. I bet you didn’t see that coming.
The Loons began the year with interim head coach Cameron Knowles in charge as they completed the signing of a permanent manager which many expected could lead to a slow start. Anything but has happened. New head coach Eric Ramsay took the reigns in the Twin Cities this weekend, inheriting a 2-0-1 (w-l-d) record as star playmaker Emanuel Reynoso returned to the bench.
Sure LAFC wasn’t at its best, but Ramsay had never taken charge of a match as a head coach before and earned a relatively comfortable 2-0 win over the reigning Western Conference champions. It’s an ideal start to Ramsay’s coaching career and a promising sign for what’s to come at Allianz Field.
FR: Columbus Crew
What can I say about the former champions? Wilfred Nancy has the Black and Gold team excelling consistently; their synergy on the field is nothing short of incredible. With a dominant 3-0 win on the New York Red Bulls, a team that several pundits have to be in the playoffs, the Crew look like they can win another Championship this season against whoever. It almost doesn’t really matter who they play, they will still play their style of play and completely dissect opponents.
They’re even replicating the goal-scoring prowess that led them to the MLS Cup last year, with the club humorously branding it as “Vintage Crew Soccer” in a highlight reel featuring an Amundsen-to-Yeboah pass, culminating in Cucho’s effortless finish. The same type of setup that Crew had against LAFC in the final last season.
Every MLS fan should have their eyes on the Crew. They’ve earned their place atop everyone’s power rankings and seem poised to hold that position, especially with a highly anticipated match against Inter Miami on the horizon. This Ohio team is on a streak of emphatic wins, proving to be a spectacular watch. Appreciating Nancy’s genius is a must, as a tenure in Europe seems inevitable given his current success with the Crew.
Best Thing We Saw This Week
JR: Kellyn Acosta winner
A hail mary at Soldier Field!
Kellyn Acosta intended to give the Chicago Fire one last chance on goal in stoppage time as he sent the ball upfield from within Chicago’s half. What Acosta didn’t know was that he was the only chance they needed. The Windy City provided an assist for the newly-minted Fire midfielder he saw his long ball get caught up in the Chicago wind, take a sharp turn to the left, and fly over the head of Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois for a jaw-dropping winning goal.
Acosta had no intention of scoring and wouldn’t be able to reproduce his effort with 100 more attempts but that only makes my nomination more definitive. We may never see anything like this ever again.
FR: Luis Suarez get a huge reception as he’s subbed in at DC United
It’s nice to see Luis Suarez getting his flowers.
Often overshadowed by the best player in the world, many fans overlook what an absolute force Luis Suarez is. With Lionel Messi not playing in DC, the spotlight shifted to Inter Miami’s number 9, Suarez, as the next big attraction for fans.
Initially, there was skepticism around Suarez’s move, as players of his age don’t typically have a significant impact on the league in terms of production. However, the Uruguayan is proving the doubters wrong.
It’s a beautiful sight to see other MLS fanbases acknowledging the talent and the season that Suarez is currently enjoying. It highlights the savvy of MLS fanbases in recognizing greatness as it graces the pitch even if it isn’t the home fans team. “El Pistolero” returned the admiration by delivering a pair of goals and a player of the matchweek performance in just 28 minutes.
Even in the absence of Lionel Messi, fans attending the Inter Miami away games are focusing on the positives, finding ways to enjoy it no matter what.
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
