Players of the MLS Matchday 18 - ranked
By Alex Windley
Matchday 18 in Major League Soccer saw plenty of exciting attacking action on the pitch.
From Carles Gil tearing up a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami to Facundo Torres once again, showing his class for Orlando City, the five players on this list showed out in Week 18. As the league enters the summer, the players on the pitch will only continue to raise their level as we reach the mid-point of the season.
Here are the top five players from week 18...
5. Facundo Torres
Facundo Torres carries Orlando City to their seventh win of the season with his Man of the Match level performance against the Colorado Rapids.
Entering the game with four goals on the season, the young Uruguayan added to his offensive output, netting once and assisting as the Lions roared past a faltering Rapids side.
Torres was quite active in Orlando’s attacking third of the field, ending the match with two chances created, four total shots, and an xG tally of 0.32.
4. Mason Toye
CF Montreal has turned it around!
Despite starting the season with six losses in their first seven games, the Canadian side has looked solid as of late, most recently beating Minnesota United 4-0.
Mason Toye made the headlines for the men in blue and black as he put two past his former club to lead Montreal to their seventh win of the season.
The 24-year-old ended the match on a high note, with an xGOT (expected goals on target) tally of 0.94, three total shots on just 23 touches.
3. Raul Ruidiaz
Welcome back, Raul Ruidiaz.
The Peru international looked spry as he returned to Seattle’s starting eleven after suffering a right hamstring injury on matchday eight.
Despite the long layoff, Ruidiaz put two goals past Charlotte FC in their 3-3 draw over the weekend.
Although based on comments from head coach Brian Schmetzer, the men in rave green were disappointed with the draw - they were more than happy to see their talisman back on the pitch after a long injury layoff.
2. Carles Gil
“Where is Messi?”
That’s what the New England Revolution crowd was chanting as their talisman Carles Gil put on a brilliant performance that saw him power his team 3-1 past a limping Inter Miami.
The 30-year-old ended the match with one goal and two assists as the Revolution looked to keep themselves in the hunt for the top spot of the Eastern Conference.
1. Alan Pulido
Despite links to a move away from Sporting KC, Alan Pulido blocked out the noise and put on an incredible game for his team as they beat Austin FC 4-1.
Pulido was an offensive menace, finishing the match with two goals and one assist. Like other clubs around the league, Sporting started the season slowly, with zero wins in their first ten matches.
Peter Vermes’ men quickly got it together, with the help of Pulido, to go on a run that now sees the Kanas-based team in ninth place in the Western Conference.
After sitting out the entire 2022 season due to a knee injury, the 32-year-old soccer player returned in April of 2023, playing in Sporting’s 0-0 draw vs. the Philadelphia Union.
With Pulido finally back in full form, expect Sporting to climb the table quickly.