View From The Shires: MLS Mid-season Best XI

In a league with such parity, it’s never easy to pick a Best XI, and even harder when the season is only at the midway point.

A futile task some would say, but there’s simply no denying the popularity of such exercises and the debate they conjure.

Of course, not every star performer so far this season can be included and there are bound to be a handful of deserving candidates omitted, especially at some of the more ‘stacked’ positions across the league. Nevertheless, I thought I’d give it a good go and the following is my attempt and picking MLS’ Best XI for the season so far.

In contrast to what you often see with so many of these articles, there’ll be no shoe-horning of players into this team either: we’re not having three defenders, two midfielders, and five forwards – this is a balanced formation which, in an ideal word, would be the side picked to take on AS Roma in the All-Star game on July 31.

With the genuine All-Star gameday roster also announced on Wednesday, I’d like to think this article provides a useful point of comparison to those wondering whether the voters, as well as All-star manager Peter Vermes and commissioner Don Garber, ultimately got their choices right.

Therefore, without further ado, here is your MLS mid-season Best XI:

Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Goalkeeper was an especially difficult position to choose this year. There have been a whole host of excellent performers in 2013 and one can easily make a case for a number of different candidates here. To emphasise, here are a few of the other names who I certainly couldn’t argue against being included: Raúl Fernández (FC Dallas), Donovan Ricketts, (Portland Timbers), Bobby Shuttleworth (New England Revolution), Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA) and you can probably add a few more names to that list too! However, I’ve opted for the sturdy and ever-reliable veteran, Nick Rimando, who currently boasts the best save percentage (79%) and goals against average (0.82) in MLS for any goalkeeping with more than 180 minutes played.

Right back: Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake)

In contrast to the goalkeeper position, the list of viable candidates for this spot in the team is relatively sparse. One can make a case for Sheanon Williams (Philadelphia Union) or Hassoun Camara (Montreal Impact) but neither has had a truly standout 2013. I was very tempted to put Seattle Sounders youngster DeAndre Yedlin here, who, in his first year as a professional, has been somewhat of a revelation for Sigi Schmid’s side. However, I’ve ultimately opted for another important piece of the Real Salt Lake backline, Tony Beltran, who now finally appears to be breaking into the national team setup, after years of steady MLS performances.

Left back: Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo)

Again, there isn’t a bounty of intriguing names to choose from here but the likes of Chris Klute (Colorado Rapids), Chris Tierney (New England Revolution) and Todd Dunivant (LA Galaxy) would all be in the discussion. It’s the Dynamo’s diminutive Corey Ashe though who (no pun intended) stands head and shoulders above the rest to get the nod here. Much like Beltran, he’s another player who attracts few headlines but whose impressive MLS displays have seen him enter the national team picture in recent months.

Centre backs: Matt Besler (Sporting KC) and José Goncalves (New England Revolution)

Besler, now a first-choice option with the US, has been remarkably rock solid in 2013, as has former Hearts player Goncalves – arguably the league’s most impressive overseas signing during the offseason. That’s not to say other familiar names like Jámison Olave (New York Red Bulls), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City) and Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake) haven’t enjoyed notable campaigns so far but the cold, hard reality is that we’ve only got two spots to fill, meaning some established players are going to miss out.

Holding midfielder: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)

The third Real Salt Lake player to make the lineup, Kyle Beckerman is our man to shield the back four. One of the league’s most reliable veteran stalwarts, Salt Lake’s dreadlocked-captain may not be the flashiest of players but if you’re looking for someone who consistently produces year-after-year, with a solid, no-nonsense commitment, then he’s undoubtedly your guy. The likes of Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders), Michel (FC Dallas) and Diego Chará (Portland Timbers) may feel aggrieved to have missed out on this role but none can argue that Beckerman isn’t a worthy winner.

Central midfielders: Graham Zusi (Sporting KC) and Will Johnson (Portland Timbers)

Timbers captain Will Johnson has been one of the league’s leading MVP candidates over the first half of the season, proving a crucial factor in the team’s resurgence under new head coach Caleb Porter. Let go by Real Salt Lake last December, due to salary cap issues, the signing of Johnson now looks to have been a master stroke by Portland, as the Canadian midfielder has duly become the heart and soul of his new side. All in all, it’s tough to argue that anyone has meant more to their team over the first half than him.
As for Zusi, he has carried on from where he left off in 2012, consistently producing impressive performances and driving KC’s midfield. Zusi’s versatility is a huge asset to both club and country and there are serious grounds to suggest that he may just be the best domestic talent in the league – having leapfrogged Landon Donovan for the title. Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact) and Marcelo Sarvas (LA Galaxy) are two other names who would be in the discussion any other year but, with Johnson and Zusi as impressive as they have been this year, there’s simply no room for them. I couldn’t even find a place for personal favourites of mine, Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) and Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), who have generally been fixtures in these sides over the years.

Forwards: Mike Magee (Chicago Fire), Marco Di Vaio (Montreal Impact) and Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union)

This is where it becomes exceedingly difficult. It pains me to leave off one of MLS’ most exciting young talents, Diego Fagúndez (New England Revolution), as well the league’s top scorer, Camilo Sanvezzo (Vancouver Whitecaps), but in the end I just couldn’t justify picking them over any of the three names I’ve gone for. Magee is right up there alongside Will Johnson in the MVP race, while the 37-year-old Di Vaio is proving age is no barrier to success, sitting just behind Camilo in the scoring charts, with 11 goals netted so far this season. That’s one more than the Union’s young striker McInerney who, at 20 years of age, is currently enjoying a breakout season and looking as though he may be the next ‘big thing’ for both MLS and the US national team. There are some big-name players like Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) and Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) left off here but Magee, Di Vaio and McInerney all deserve their dues. One could make an argument for the Timbers’ Rodney Wallace being included on the left-hand side of the attack, having reinvented himself playing in a more forward role this year, but he’ll have to settle with being named mid-season Comeback Player of the Year by me.