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By Jacob Sokol Ṥwiderski for Poland. Image courtesy of ESPN With the 2022 MLS season in the books, it is time to look ahead to the 2022 World Cup. 32 teams, from across the globe, will gather in Qatar at the end of November to participate in the World’s greatest tournament. With MLS growing every year, it is no surprise to see 36 players from the American league representing  their country. From Zimmerman to Swiderski, let’s take a look at each individual player and what we can expect to see from them in Qatar. USA Jordan Morris Current Team- Seattle Position- Forward Age- 28 Morris making the final USA roster comes as a surprise to some. The Seattle forward hasn’t scored in any of his 6 World Cup Qualifying appearances, and he only scored 7 times in 29 appearances for Seattle this season. With Morris narrowly making the final roster ahead of Ricardo Pepi, the most he is likely to see the pitch is as a late substitute. Jesús Ferreira Current Team- FC Dallas Position- Forward Age- 21 The young Texan striker has been lethal for FC Dallas this year, scoring 18 goals in 35 appearances. Ferreira’s season ended in the Western Conference semi-final by the hands of Texas rival, Austin FC. Ferreira is a player who can spark magic and miss an easy opportunity in the same match. His playing time in Qatar will come down to his current form. Kellyn Acosta Current Team- LAFC Position- Midfield Age- 27 With an MLS trophy in hand, Acosta will be heading to Qatar on a high. The midfielder has been vital to LAFC’s success and consistency, winning both the MLS cup and Supporter’s Shield. With a roster filled with strong midfielders, it is unlikely Acosta will be in the starting line up. Acosta would be valuable to the United States as a substitute to finish off matches with a positive score line. Cristian Roldan Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Attacking Midfielder Age- 27 Roldan has been a consistent part of Seattle’s squad this season. Berhalter has also regularly included the Sounders midfielder in his plans. With a roster of players like Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, Roldan will have trouble squeezing into the lineup. In case of injury, or to finish up a match, Roldan could come in handy. Aaron Long Current Team- New York Red Bulls Position- Center back Age- 30 Long has been consistent for club and country heading into Qatar. With 4 goals in 30 matches for New York Red Bulls this season, Long also offers an offensive presence. Although there is a lot of speculation around the USA starting lineup, Long has a good shot of starting against Wales on November 21. Shaq Moore Current Team- Nashville Position- Right back Age- 26 Moore has recently started playing for Nashville after enjoying several successful seasons in La Liga. His presence has been consistent for each club he’s been on, but his international appearances have been more sporadic, with only four in World Cup Qualifiers. It is unlikely we will see much of Moore in Qatar. DeAndre Yedlin Current Team- Inter Miami Position- Right back Age- 29 Having played for multiple English Premier League clubs, Yedlin is aware of what it takes to compete at the highest level. The 2022 MLS All-Star has been highly consistent this season with 35 appearances for Miami. With 9 appearances throughout World Cup Qualifiers, expect to see a lot more of Yedlin in Berhalter’s squad. Walker Zimmerman Current Team- Nashville Position- Center Back Age- 29 Zimmerman has been consistent for the United States throughout World Cup Qualifiers with 10 appearances and 1 goal. The MLS All-Star has 4 goals in 31 appearances for Nashville, showing off his aerial prowess. Alongside Long, the duo would be deadly off of set pieces. Sean Johnson Current Team- NYCFC Position- Goalkeeper Age- 33 Johnson has been one of the most consistent keepers in MLS for the last several seasons. With 14 clean sheets on the year, Johnson finished only second to MLS goalkeeper of the year, Andre Blake. The MLS All-Star will likely be viewed as third string, behind Horvath and Turner. Canada James Pantemis Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Goalkeeper Age- 25 With only 13 appearances for CF Montreal in 2022 and no appearances for Canada’s senior side, Pantemis will likely be on the bench unless injuries arise. Dayne St. Clair Current Team- Minnesota United Position- Goalkeeper Age- 25 At. Clair has been consistently starting for Minnesota this season, though he only managed 5 clean screens in 32 appearances. He will be viewed as the backup to Borjan in Qatar. Ismaël Koné Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Central Midfielder Age- 20 Koné managed to sneak onto the Canada World Cup roster thanks to a great season with Montreal. In 2022 he managed 3 goals and 4 assists with the Canadian MLS side. Koné has only managed 2 total appearances for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers. He is only 20, so this World Cup should be seen as a learning experience for him. It is unlikely he will see much, or any, playing time. Alistair Johnston Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Right back Age- 24 Johnston is known for his offensive abilities as a dynamic right back. With 4 goals and 4 assists, his dynamic runs paid off for a successful Montreal team in 2022. Having 19 appearances throughout World Cup Qualifying, Johnston is essentially a lock for a starting position in John Herdman’s lineup. Richie Laryea Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Right back/midfield Age-27 Like Johnston, Laryea is locked into a starting position under Herdman. With 17 appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, Laryea has been a consistent figure in Canada’s dominant run. With a short loan run at Nottingham Forest, Laryea has been matching up against World Class talent for both club and country. He ended the 2022 season back with Toronto. Kamal Miller Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Center Back Age- 25 Miller has been starting the last several matches in World Cup Qualifying for Canada. With 13 total appearances during qualifying, he is expected to continue his run of form in Qatar. The MLS All-Star has also proven himself as an offensive threat with 2 goals and 3 assists in 29 matches for Montreal in 2022. Joining Montreal from Orlando City a couple years ago was the pivotal move that changed Miller’s World Cup trajectory. Joel Waterman Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Center Back Age- 26 With no international appearances under his belt, Waterman is genuinely lucky to sneak into Canada’s roster. His World Cup call up comes off the back of his most successful professional season, logging 32 appearances for Montreal in 2022. Prior to 2022 Waterman was still working his way into Montreal’s lineup. With his lack of experience it is unlikely we will see Waterman on the pitch in Qatar. Mark-Anthony Kaye Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Central Midfielder Age- 27 Kaye spent most of the 2022 MLS season on the Colorado Rapids before moving to Toronto in the Summer to finish out the season. With 25 appearances across both MLS teams, Kaye has worked his way into a substitute role for Canada. He will likely be subbed in when Canada is controlling a match and needs to close it out. Jonathan Osorio Current Team- Toronto FC Position- Central Midfielder Age- 30 Osorio experienced a severe concussion during the 2022 MLS season. He was a regular part of Canada’s roster prior to the injury, both starting and coming off of the bench. It is unknown how much we will see Osorio in Qatar, but Herdman has said “feedback has been super positive.” The Toronto midfielder has 9 goals in 23 matches for his club this season. Samuel Piette Current Team- CF Montreal Position- Defensive Midfielder Age- 27 Piette has seen the field 8 times for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers. With a strong midfield, Canada will Piette as a good addition rather than a vital asset. In case of injury, Piette is a reliable player to fill a void. With 3 assists during the 2022 MLS season, Piette has also shown the ability to provide an attacking spark on rare occasions. Lucas Cavallini Current Team- Vancouver Whitecaps Position- Forward Age- 29 Cavallini managed 9 goals in 24 matches for the Whitecaps in 2022. With how difficult the season was for Vancouver, those are impressive numbers. The Canadian striker also managed 5 goals in 10 World Cup Qualifying matches. He most likely won’t make the starting lineup, but expect to see him come off the bench as a lethal late-game substitute. Mexico Héctor Herrera Current Team- Houston Dynamo Position- Central Midfielder Age- 32 Herrera has been making consistent appearances for Mexico throughout World Cup Qualifiers. He also started in a 4-0 friendly win against Iraq on Nov 9, getting subbed out at halftime. Herrera has been less consistent for Houston due to injury, only making 10 appearances this season. The former Porto Midfielder is likely to see plenty of playing time in Qatar, though he may be subbed out regularly in the second half. Ecuador Diego Palacios Current Team- LAFC Position- Left Back Age- 23 Palacios is coming off a championship season with LAFC, winning both the Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup. The MLS All-Star was consistent with 31 appearances for LAFC in 2022. He has only managed 3 appearances for Ecuador in World Cup Qualifiers. Palacios will most likely find himself on the bench in Qatar. Xavier Arreaga Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Center Back Age- 28 Arreaga has been in and out of the Ecuadorian lineup throughout World Cup Qualifying. With 9 appearances, often as a sub, his role in Qatar will likely be minimal. With 27 appearances for Seattle in 2022, he has shown he can be consistent if the time comes. José Cifuentes Current Team- LAFC Position- Central Midfielder Age-23 Cifuentes had a dominant season for LAFC as they won the Supporter’s shield and MLS cup. Cifuentes started nearly every match for LAFC, producing 7 goals and 6 assists. His impressive performances have allowed him to sneak into the Ecuadorian roster just months before Qatar. His first two international appearances came in Ecuador’s last two matches. With his current run of form, there is a good chance we see Cifuentes in the starting line up in the World Cup opener against Qatar. Jhegson Méndez Current Team- LAFC Position- Defensive Midfielder Age- 25 Méndez has been battling an injury during the 2022 MLS season with Orlando before making a move to LAFC. Making the move ended his season on a high as he lifted the MLS Cup with international teammate Cifuentes. Due to Méndez’s injury he was only featured 7 times during World Cup Qualifying. Even with injuries this season, he is likely to start in Qatar against the World Cup hosts. Switzerland Xherdan Shaqiri Current Team- Chicago Fire Position- Right Winger Age- 31 Shaqiri brings loads of experience to the Swiss locker room, having played in two previous World Cups. The right winger has also played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, from Liverpool to Bayern Munich. With six appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, there is a good chance we will see more of Shaqiri in the World Cup group stages. Cameroon Oliver Mbaizo Current Team- Philadelphia Union Position- Right back Age- 25 Mbaizo was an integral part of the Philadelphia Union’s dominate season, last playing in the team’s MLS Cup Final loss. Mbaizo has also managed to log 4 appearances for Cameroon during World Cup Qualifiers and 3 appearances during the Africa Cup of Nations. Mbaizo will get a warm up match when Cameroon plays Panama on Nov.18, just days before the World Cup. Nouhou Tolo Current Team- Seattle Sounders Position- Left back Age- 25 Tolo has come a long way since making his start at USL side, Tacoma Defiance. The right back has been a regular in the Sounders back line for the past several seasons now. He more recently has had success with Cameroon during World Cup Qualifiers, making 6 appearances. He is expected to see playing time in Qatar. Poland Karol Ṥwiderski Current Team- Charlotte FC Position- Striker Age- 25 Ṥwiderski has been a pivotal part of Charlotte FC during their inaugural season in MLS. Scoring 10 goals in 30 games, Ṥwiderski was the club’s top goalscorer. With 5 goals in 9 games during World Cup Qualifiers, the polish striker has proven lethal for his country as well. He is expected to be in the starting line up next to Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski. Wales Gareth Bale Current Team- LAFC Position- Winger Age- 33 Bale is heading to Qatar off of a fresh MLS Cup victory. It is true, Bale did not play much during his first season with LAFC, but it is likely he will be an integral part of the Wales roster during the 2022 World Cup. With 6 goals in 7 World Cup Qualifying matches, Bale is a dominate force for his country. He will be paired up against the United States in his opening match, November 21. Costa Rica Daniel Chacón Current Team- Colorado Rapids 2 Position- Defensive midfielder Age- 21 Chacón plays for MLS NEXT side, Colorado Rapids 2, but has been on loan to Costa Rican club, Cartaginés. While being consistent for his club side, Chacón hasn’t been able to regularly play for Costa Rica. With only a handful of appearances for Costa Rica during World Cup Qualifiers, it is unlikely he will have a major impact for his country. Bryan Oviedo Current Team- Real Salt Lake Position- Left back/Left midfielder Age- 32 Oviedo brings experience to the Costa Rican locker room. Having played in the English Premiership for both Everton and Sunderland, Oviedo will be familiar with the caliber of player that competes in the World Cup. With consistent appearances in World Cup Qualifiers, it is likely we will see more of Oviedo in Qatar. Rónald Matarrita Current Team- Cincinnati FC Position- Left back Age- 28 Matarrita underwent ankle surgery in April which kept him out of Cincinnati’s lineup for six months. The Costa Rican left-back managed to start the last game of Cincinnati’s season, a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia. Being out of form, it is hard to tell what role he will have at this year’s World Cup. Australia Miloš Degenek Current Team- Columbus Crew Position- Center Back Age- 28 Degenek played 28 matches for Columbus Crew during their 2022 campaign. The Columbus Crew defender has also played for his national side 38 times, scoring once.  Degenek was a constant presence during World Cup Qualifiers, appearing 12 times. He has been an unused substitute in certain matches though, so it is uncertain what his role will be in Qatar. Uruguay Martín Cáceres Current Team- La Galaxy Position- Center Back Age- 35 Cáceres brings a veteran presence to the Uruguay squad. Having played in England and Italy, he’s aware of the type of talent that will be displayed at the World Cup. The La Galaxy Center back managed 11 appearances during World Cup Qualifiers, though he is unlikely to see much playing time in Qatar. The following World Cup teams do not have any MLS players on their rosters. France Senegal Denmark Croatia Japan Brazil Qatar Netherlands England Iran Argentina Saudi Arabia Tunisia Spain Germany Belgium Morocco Serbia Portugal Ghana South Korea Sources are listed below. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/fc-cincinnati-fullback-ronald-matarrita-out-6-months-after-ankle-surgery https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/world-cup-call-up-columbus-crew-defender-milos-degenek-joins-australia https://twitter.com/michaelsingh94/status/1587833431269982208?s=46&t=EP_rtMgUp77th6uaK7L11A

By Vaughn Pollman and Brian Maurer Earlier this week, we outlined our predictions for who Charlotte FC will look to protect in the upcoming St. Louis City SC Expansion Draft, on November 11th. Now let’s dive into the players we think could be left unprotected and why that decision may be made by the club. First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the decisions that clubs have to make in who they do and do not protect in the expansion draft have real ramifications both on and off the pitch. How a club delivers the news and justification to a player of why they are left unprotected is highly important in managing the long-term morale and performance of that player within the organization. By being left unprotected a player and their family is subject to being out of control of their future home, which is part of the business of being an athlete, but is a consideration that clubs, players, and fans must all keep in mind in making these difficult decisions. In selecting who we feel the club should or should not protect we had to take into account many factors, as the club will, including a player’s contract length and status, position on the club depth chart, past and future investment of assets in the player, trade and/or transfer value, and the net loss or benefit to the club if that player is ultimately selected. As a reminder, if a Charlotte FC player is selected by St. Louis City SC, the club will receive $50,000 GAM (General Allocation Money) and exemption from having any more players selected when MLS inevitably expands to 30 teams in the future. Below we’ve tried to provide context and justifications for each of the players that we collectively predict could be left unprotected. Jordy Alcívar The primary reason to leave Alcívar vulnerable is that the team would gain considerable roster building flexibility if he were selected by St. Louis. Since he occupies a Young Designated Player Spot, we would open up that roster spot as well as an international roster spot. Zoran Krneta has stated that Alcívar’s contract can be bought down, meaning the team can apply Allocation Money to change Alcívar’s roster designation status. The team also could be working to clear his international status by helping him acquire a green card. There is investment in that process as well. If the team is unsuccessful in acquiring his green card, or other player’s green cards, the club may need to spend the going rate of approximately $250,000 GAM to acquire additional international roster spots later this offseason. If Alcívar finds himself off the roster via Expansion Draft selection, the club could save and reinvest somewhere between $150,000 to $300,000 of Allocation Money that they could otherwise be on the hook for if he is on the roster at the start of the 2023 season. Alcívar is one of the young players on the Charlotte FC roster who could also end up being picked up by St. Louis in the draft depending on their strategy. An expansion draft is an ideal opportunity for new clubs to take a bit of a riskier chance on a player because the transfer is free. Alcívar did not have a standout inaugural season with Charlotte FC, but his potential absolutely showed in flashes. St. Louis could be interested in finding out if those flashes can become more consistent by taking a chance on him and his growth potential in the expansion draft while maintaining the salary cap budget benefit if he remains classified as a Young Designated Player. McKinze Gaines Gaines is a difficult call because we all witnessed his progress as a player, especially late on in the season, as he worked his way into serving a serious role in the club in both starting minutes and as a bench threat to stretch the field and challenge opposing defenses. Leaving him unprotected boils down to Vaughn’s belief that the club will look to protect their investments in three other wingers in Kerwin Vargas, Kamil Jóźwiak, and Andre Shinyashiki. Those three are on long-term contracts whereas Gaines has one remaining club option for 2024. Brian’s belief, in a similar vein, is that Charlotte will have likely spent at least four protection slots on the attack, making it difficult to justify another on Gaines. With that being said, if Gaines were selected, Charlotte would actually net a positive return and not compromise their overall long-term squad depth. Gaines’ pace is something that St. Louis would likely covet, but they would need to decide if they want to take him on as an unfinished, developing player project. ESPN analyst, Alejandro Moreno, discussed Gaines’ potential on a broadcast when Charlotte FC played the New York Red Bulls. On the broadcast he mentioned how good a player Gaines could be if he could figure out the final third production. In Gaines’ last ten appearances of the season he played 539 minutes* and had five goal contributions (1g/4a) in that time. Gaines may have found his stride in the final third in MLS. It’s a small sample size, but again, expansion drafts are an ideal time to take a risk. Gaines is another player that St. Louis could be willing to take that risk on. Daniel Ríos Oh Danny boy, what do we do with you? Ríos showed towards the end of the season how impactful he can be in MLS. He played his way into having his club option picked up and can easily be viewed as a 1500+ minute player for Charlotte. He may not make the Brandon Vazquez jump that FC Cincinnati enjoyed this past year, but Ríos is in the prime years of his career and performed at a high level in Charlotte’s system, especially down the stretch. His trade value is suppressed a bit by the fact that he is on an expiring contract, so St. Louis may be hesitant to pull the trigger on selecting him for that reason, but leaving Ríos unprotected would be enticing both for St. Louis and other teams looking to grab him via trade. Karol Ṥwiderski and Vinicius Mello will be more likely protected due to their long-term contracts, budget friendly deals, and significantly higher transfer values compared to Ríos. When a team can only pick 12 players to protect out of a possible 22 some good players in their prime are going to be available. Ríos fits that bill for Charlotte. He is a player that Charlotte FC cannot be faulted for being left unprotected and yet he is also a player that could be selected by St. Louis, as many teams in MLS are constantly looking for more attacking options. Joseph Mora Mora was selected by Charlotte FC in their expansion draft, so he clearly fits the profile of both a player to be left unprotected and to be selected in large part due to his 100+ games of MLS experience. In Vaughn’s prediction, he has Charlotte leaving both Mora and Adam Armour unprotected, exposing our already thin left-back depth. The club has been pretty open about wanting to add to its left-back core in the offseason, which indicates that Mora and Armour should not be viewed as shoe-in top-of-depth-chart players for Charlotte heading into 2023. If Charlotte were to lose one of them, left-back is one of the positions in MLS that you can most easily fill via trade, without destroying your Allocation Money budget, or can draft a pro-ready starting-caliber player in the MLS SuperDraft. Leaving Mora unprotected on expansion draft night could lead to a nervy time for the Charlotte FC Front Office if they do not have some other options at left-back lined up. Losing Mora in the expansion draft could mean that when the transfer window opens the only left-back on the roster is Armour. If this is the case, Charlotte could find themselves going from being a team shopping for a left-back, to a team that is in desperation mode and getting price gouged for one. If Mora is unprotected Charlotte will need to have a strong alternative plan in place to fill the gap on the roster so that they are not a desperate team looking for a last minute spot starter. Andre Shinyashiki In Brian’s prediction he left Andre Shinyashiki unprotected, electing to protect Mora for left-back preservation. As Brian highlighted, we have considerable winger depth that could see players like Gaines or Shinyashiki being left as the “odd man out”. With Shinyashiki’s recent contract extension, if left unprotected, he could be viewed as a “no-brainer” pickup for his value on and off the pitch. St. Louis could make a big mistake if they miss on grabbing him to either slot in as a veteran MLS starter or to trade him for considerable GAM as we did with Tristan Blackmon and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi as part of our Expansion Draft. The one caveat to that is that Colorado retained 50% of his trade-on rights as part of our acquiring him. If Charlotte FC or St. Louis were to ever elect to trade Shinyashiki, his value as a trade asset is cut in half, which may make selecting him a bit less appealing. There is one other point regarding Shinyashiki to keep in mind as the Expansion Draft approaches. Shinyashiki made one start in the last seven games after receiving his new contract. Whether we like it or not, this is a cutthroat business where harsh decisions are made regarding individual players to help preserve the betterment of the club. Charlotte was willing to sign a player to a new contract and not utilize his services extensively as a starter. They will likely consider leaving him unprotected if the club feels a greater need to protect other players who we hold 100% trade right for, or positions lacking depth. While Shinyashiki absolutely has value as an asset, that value is cut in half by his trade-on, and diminished by his role status. Yordy Reyna Reyna, like Mora, is a player with a lot of MLS experience that has proven to be an effective MLS player in the right system. Reyna, like Gaines, is a winger who is further down the depth chart than Vargas, Jóźwiak, and Shinyashiki. Reyna, like Alcívar, is occupying an international roster spot and is on a TAM-level contract that already requires the club to spend allocation money to buy down his nearly $800,000 cap charge. If selected, there is a considerable relief to the club in shedding his contract that probably outweighs the benefits of keeping him. This is also why St. Louis or any other club would be hesitant to absorb his contract, so I expect him to be left unprotected, unselected, and part of Charlotte FC in 2023. George Marks, Pablo Sisniega, & Adrían Zendejas We are lumping all three of these guys together for natural reasons. We expect the club to protect at least one Goalkeeper, and it would be a surprise if our current starter, Kristijan Kahlina, is not that one. Yes, St. Louis already has Roman Bürki, and yes, they are tight on international spots, but among our four Goalkeepers, Kahlina is the one that holds the most trade and transfer value by a long shot. Among our other three Goalkeepers, Sisniega is the only one with serious MLS minutes while at LAFC. While he is serviceable in net, he has not proven to be a consistent match winner in this league. If we were to lose Kahlina, we would have an unnecessary additional hole in our roster with Sisniega and Marks likely viewed as a stopgap to another future replacement signing. Jan Sobociński Simply, Sobociński is an unlikely candidate to be selected in the expansion draft. His salary is at a level that he should be getting spot starts and would not be considered a budget pickup for St. Louis. There will be other center-backs available in the expansion draft and free agency that will be more enticing for either salary reasons or for MLS experience. With his limited opportunities thus far he also does not hold much trade or transfer value, yet. Lastly, like with our wingers, Sobociński will be the odd man out with Guzman Corujo, Adilson Malanda, and Anton Walkes more likely to be protected ahead of him. Center-back appears to be a position that has had a bit of an inflating value within MLS of late. Aaron Long, for example, appears to be capable of getting a big deal in free agency even though he has been less than his former self of late. Charlotte FC received 400k in GAM, with the potential for more in the future, by trading Christian Makoun to the New England Revolution even though he had lost considerable playing time here. Valuations of center-backs are clearly trending up league-wide, but it is unlikely that that will be enough for Sobociński to be on St. Louis’ radar. Adam Armour Armour is coming off a serious injury and has very limited minutes in MLS. While he did find the back of the net in his limited minutes, it would be a considerable risk and going out on a limb for St. Louis to pick him. Armour also holds little trade value within MLS. It would be a big surprise to all of us if he were protected and an even bigger shock if he were to be selected. *All stats were found on FBref.com

By Jacob Sokol Image courtesy of Atlanta United In the 128th minute of the 2022 MLS Cup Final, Gareth Bale equalized the match with a header to the top corner. LAFC would ultimately defeat the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout 3-0. The Welshman showed up in the final seconds and delivered, creating a true Hollywood moment for LAFC as they claimed their first MLS Cup. With Bale, the 5 time Champions League winner, clearly capable of such class, it makes you wonder where he was the rest of the season. Prior to the MLS Cup Final, Bale had played 347 total minutes across 12 games, scoring twice. For a player who used to score regularly for Real Madrid, these statistics can be seen as underwhelming. In the 2017/18 season, Bale scored 16 times in 26 games in La Liga, as well as 3 goals in 7 Champions League matches. Some looked at these numbers with high expectations for Bale to dominate MLS without acknowledging his most recent season at Real Madrid, where he played only 5 matches in La Liga, scoring just once. The “Retirement League” is the most common phrase used to describe the phenomenon of European superstars giving Major League Soccer their last few seasons before retirement. Bale’s signing was the latest example of the “Retirement League” moniker being tested. With Bale finding himself on an MLS bench the majority of the season, perhaps it is time we reevaluate and eliminate the term “Retirement League” from our rhetoric. “Retirement League” to Aspiring League On July 1, 2007, history was made in Major League Soccer. David Beckham had just announced a lucrative five-year contract with the LA Galaxy under the new Designated Player (DP) Rule created prior to the start of the 2007 season. The contract guaranteed Beckham $6.5 million a year and set a new precedent in MLS. This was now a league that could showcase global stars. Fifteen years later, with the clarity of hindsight, it is easy to say the signing of Beckham is one of the most important moments in the growth of MLS. There are now many designated players spread across Major League Soccer, which has elevated the level of play and profile of the league. Beckham, and those who followed in those initial years, would have more difficulty competing today in the environment they’ve helped to build. Bale, Giorgio Chiellini, and Lorenzo Insigne are among the recent players who still fuel the Retirement League stigma. They all left top European clubs after age 30 to come to Major League Soccer. It is important to note that only one of these three had a highly successful first season in MLS. In 11 matches the 31-year-old midfielder, Insigne, managed 6 goals and 2 assists. That is because Insigne does not seem to have come to MLS with the same outlook as Bale and Chiellini. Insigne had just come off of a 3rd place finish in Serie A with Napoli, producing 11 goals and 9 assists. He was, and is, still capable of playing at the top level in Europe. Bale and Chiellini were both on the brink of actual retirement. They came to MLS and gave neutral fans the sense that the MLS may still be a “Retirement League”. However, they have found themselves mostly on LAFC’s bench while the rest of the team achieved so much success. The DPs of today are different from what we are accustomed to in the past. Instead of Beckham, Thierry Henry, and David Villa, we are now looking at Karol Ṥwiderski, Thiago Almada, and Federico Bernardeschi. Players in their 20’s who have a strong desire for success and playing time that have now realized the benefits MLS has to offer. As a DP, you are automatically intended to be the star of the team, which comes with matching monetary benefits. For Ṥwiderski, DP status has also helped maintain a national team position with Poland. The European striker notched 10 goals for Charlotte FC this year as the club’s top goal scorer. We can expect to see him playing alongside Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski, at the 2022 World Cup. Dániel Gazdag does not have DP status but is still worth mentioning as an example of what MLS can offer to players looking for a national team spot. Gazdag has been receiving regular call ups for Hungary lately while also narrowly losing the Golden Boot race in MLS. New MLS Incentives For Roster Building Back in 2012, the MLS made a rule change to the DP rule to help incentivize teams to sign younger players. They created a young DP spot which would take a smaller cap hit than veteran DPs. This led to the league signing some very promising young players such as Miguel Almirón, Diego Rossi, and more recently players like Talles Magno, Facundo Torres and Cucho Hernández. The most recent roster incentive that MLS has implemented is the U-22 initiative, which started in 2021. This rules MLS clubs with three more roster spots to sign players under 22 years old to lucrative deals that would affect the salary cap less. Besides the reduction in the salary cap hit, these players keep their U-22 initiative status until they are 25. This provides clubs with the time to allow these young players to develop. This initiative is just beginning to take root but the league is already reaping some of the rewards from this new incentive structure. José Cifuentes is the first name that comes to mind as he has become a vital part of the LAFC squad that just won the MLS Cup. Another U-22 initiative that broke out this year was LA Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljić. While he never secured a starting role this season, he seemed to always find the net off the bench. This initiative could also develop into a way for MLS teams to retain their academy starlets for longer. This is already starting with players like San Jose’s Cade Cowell and LA Galaxy’s Efraín Álvarez. Overall, this initiative has added a new way to incentivize clubs to grow their rosters younger, with the intent of developing talent. Recent Exports Recently, MLS has shown an ability to sell young developing players on to other leagues. Over the last few seasons the league has broken several of their outbound transfer records time and time again. Here is a list of some of the more recent outbound transfer examples: Paxten Aaronson is set to join Eintracht Frankfurt in January for a deal worth around $4 million, after being featured in this year’s 2022 MLS Cup Final. He follows his brother, Brenden, to Europe with this move. The U20 Concacaf Golden Ball winner and Philadelphia Union Academy product is the latest trade, showing the class of Major League Soccer’s youth. Eighteen-year-old Goalkeeper, Gabriel Slonina, was purchased for $15 million by Chelsea earlier this year to break a Chicago Fire transfer record. Slonina has been consistent for Chicago all season, playing 32 matches. Real Madrid also showed interest in the young goalkeeper, which brought the initial bid of $5.8 million to $15 million from Chelsea. He also is now the 5th highest outgoing transfer fee for MLS as a whole. New England Revolution’s Adam Buksa was traded to RC Lens for $6 million this year. Buksa scored 17 goals in 32 matches in 2021, and 7 goals in just 10 matches in 2022, before transferring to RC Lens. Buksa has also scored 5 goals in 6 matches for Poland during World Cup Qualifiers. Taty Castellanos is enjoying a loan spell at Girona with NYCFC seeking a $15 million sum for the rising star. Palmeiras in Brazil and River Plate in Argentina both made bids for Castellanos, with neither matching the sum NYCFC hoped for. Premier League sides have also shown interest. Castellanos’s loan to Girona could be to show he can succeed in Europe and merit the high price tag. Tajon Buchanan was transferred for $7 million to the Champions League club, Club Brugge, after the 2021 MLS season. The price tag looks like a steal in hindsight with the 23-year-old becoming a regular for Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League and the Champions League. Buchanan has also been consistent for Canada during World Cup Qualifiers and the Gold Cup. Miguel Almirón, a former Atlanta United midfielder, has been one of the best players in the English Premier League this season, scoring 8 goals for Newcastle United. Almirón produced 21 goals and 28 assists in 62 matches for Atlanta United, and won the MLS Cup in 2018. Almirón headed to Newcastle the following month, and now holds the record for highest MLS transfer fee at $26 million. Alphonso Davies made his start at the Vancouver Whitecaps and is now considered one of the best in the world at his position. The left back has won the Champions League and multiple Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. He is the second most valuable transfer out of MLS, behind Almirón, at $22 million. With over 100 appearances for Bayern Munich, he is arguably the most successful player to come out of Major League Soccer Daryl Dike enjoyed a loan spell at Barnsley in 2021, scoring 9 goals in 21 matches. Dike returned to the English Championship after West Brom offered Orlando City a $9.5 million transfer sum. Dike scored 19 goals in 41 matches for Orlando. Unfortunately he has been injured for West Brom so he has only managed 3 appearances so far. Brendan Aaronson, brother of Paxten, joined Leeds this year for a transfer fee of approximately $30 million, and has been essential to the club’s battle to stay out of relegation. With that transfer finalized, the Philadelphia Union ended up with $14 million for Aaronson because of prior negotiations with RB Salzburg. This makes him the 6th most valuable outgoing MLS player, just behind Slonina at $15 million. Aaronson is expected to be featured by the United States in the 2022 World Cup. Ricardo Pepi started a bidding war amongst Wolves, Augsburg, Wolfsburg, and an undisclosed Premier League club in the Winter of 2022. Augsburg eventually came out on top with a $20 million bid, making Pepi the 3rd most valuable outgoing transfer in MLS history. Djordie Mihailovic has been transferred to Dutch club, AZ Alkmaar, for January 2023. Mihailovic was in the running for MLS MVP during the early part of the 2022 season. He ended 2022 with 11 goals and 5 assists in 29 matches. At only 23 years old he has a bright future ahead in Europe. There is example after example to show the class of player being produced, developed, and maintained in Major League Soccer. Young players like Davies, Buchanan, Slonina, and both Aaronson brothers are being developed into top talent capable of competing against the best clubs on the planet. Major League Soccer is becoming a league where players can count on developing their potential. Players like David Beckham and those who followed hold an important part in the history of MLS. These stars attract buzz, sell tickets, and heighten the profile of the league. The more the league heads towards sustainable success, though, it is expected that these types of veteran players will be less of the lifeline of the league as they were in times past. If you come to MLS, today, expect to compete against young and hungry up-and-coming players. Major League Soccer has too many aspirations of developing stars to play the role of a retirement home. Here is a list of sources used for this article: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/nycfc-loan-striker-taty-castellanos-to-girona-fc https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/top-10-most-expensive-outbound-transfers-in-mls-history https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/11/30/david-beckham-departs-mls-after-earning-255-million/amp/

By Tyler Trent Image courtesy of Racing Club Charlotte FC are interested in adding Argentine forward Enzo Copetti this transfer window. The 26-year-old currently plays for Racing Club who finished second in the Argentine Primera División with Copetti scoring 11 goals and adding 4 assists in 25 matches. Until 2021, Copetti played with Atlético de Rafaela mostly in the Primera Nacional, the second division of Argentina. Racing Club acquired Enzo Copetti on loan for the 2021 season, before purchasing him for around $700,000 going into the 2022 season. Copetti’s stock has rapidly been rising with his continued importance for Racing with an estimated value of 5.3-million-dollars. It’s easy to see why Charlotte FC would be interested. According to TyC Sports both Charlotte FC and Atlanta United have made offers for Copetti with the Argentine club looking to sell for a price similar to his 10-million-dollar release clause. Copetti has been at the end of threats from “supporters” of Racing as well after the club conceded the title to Boca Juniors this season. Many fans blamed Copetti for not taking a late penalty versus River Plate in their final match which was ultimately missed by his teammate. This reaction could have the player even more open to a move abroad. After receiving abuse and threats, Copetti shared the following to his Instagram story. Which translates as, "I did a thousand things right and no one said anything, I did one thing wrong and now I'm the worst person in the world" While a 10-million-dollar price tag is high for a player that was sold for only $700,000 earlier this year, Copetti has a lot of tools in his game that could make him an extremely good player in MLS and in Charlotte. Copetti has primarily played as a centre-forward for Racing in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, two formations often used by Lattanzio this past season. However, he is capable of playing as a right winger as well. Copetti is best used inside the box where 14 of his 15 goals for Racing have been scored including 7 headers and 7 goals with his strong right foot. Copetti is strong on the ball and a very good finisher who loves to play inside the 18. However, Copetti is an active player across the entire attacking half capable of dropping a little deeper similar to Świderski to fight for the ball and create attacking opportunities with his work rate. While Enzo Copetti is clearly a talented player, how does he fit in this Charlotte FC team? It’s an interesting question. With Świderski moving to a role as an attacking midfielder later in the season, does Charlotte see that as his permanent position for the team with Copetti playing in front or does this signal that Charlotte is planning for a replacement for Świderski up front? I think Charlotte likely see Copetti able to fulfill a role regardless of the outcome of Świderski’s situation, but with hopes to see Świderski playing as a number 10 with Copetti a potential upgrade on Daniel Ríos up front. If Świderski stays with Charlotte for next season, having Enzo Copetti has his main man up front could be huge for Charlotte’s offensive consistency. Having a strong goal poacher playing in front of Świderski with wingers who really upped their game as the season started to close is very promising. Add in a potential additional signing for a new winger and the Charlotte FC attack could be on a new level.

By Brian Maurer and Vaughn Pollman On November 11th, St. Louis City SC will be allowed to pick up to five players in the expansion draft. November 10th is the deadline for teams to decide who they are protecting on their rosters. Who Is Protected? Charlotte FC will have all of their players who are signed to homegrown contracts and their Generation Adidas pick, Ben Bender, protected in the expansion draft. Charlotte is then allowed to choose to protect twelve of their remaining 27 players* on the roster to protect in the expansion draft. Who Does Charlotte FC Protect? Charlotte will have to pick 12 of their remaining 22 players who they can protect. They will likely take resources spent and international roster spots into consideration when deciding who they will protect. Brian’s Predictions Karol Ṥwiderski (DP) Kamil Jóźwiak (DP) Kerwin Vargas (U-22) Kristijan Kahlina Adilson Malanda Nathan Byrne Nuno Santos Guzmán Corujo Anton Walkes Brandt Bronico Vinicius Mello (U-22) Joseph Mora There are several players that are for sure locks. The current designated players (DPs) as well as the U-22 initiatives are all on this list based on the investment of resources in these players. Also the new summer additions are all locks for this list. Brandt Bronico is locked in as he is set as an important piece in this team with his new extension. Guzmán Corujo and Kristijan Kahlina are also locked in as they have been regular starters all season. Anton Walkes, for me, has to be protected. He was way too valuable an asset for Atlanta to allow to be available last season and Charlotte should not make that same mistake as their southern rivals. If Christian Makoun was sold for 400k in GAM then Walkes is likely a far more valuable asset. Letting that value go for free would be a major loss. The last spot was difficult. I ended up going with Mora and my reasoning is pretty simple; with Christian Fuchs’ option getting declined Mora is one of only two left back (LB) options on the roster. If Mora is unprotected and picked up by St. Louis then Adam Armour would be the only LB on the squad. Obviously Charlotte could sign a new LB, but as we have seen in the past, these transfer windows are no guarantee of a replacement. If the team were left with only Armour at LB to start the season that would be a major gap in the roster going into 2023. Things can change and a new LB could be acquired during the trade window before the draft which would change my draft prediction. At this point, given what we know about the current state of the roster it makes sense to protect Mora to help secure a semblance of depth at LB. A few players on Charlotte FC’s roster that I think could get nabbed are Jan Sobociński, Yordy Reyna, Andre Shinyashiki, and Jordy Alcívar. Reyna, and Alcívar would likely be trade assets as their styles of play do not necessarily fit with what St. Louis City is reportedly planning on playing, but they could be traded if a team is interested since they both have decent trade value. Sobociński has shown an ability to hang in as a starting center back (CB) this past season. Since Charlotte FC will likely have to protect three CBs already Sobociński will likely be available and I could definitely see St. Louis taking a stab on a player like him as they could be getting a starting CB for free. Shinyashiki is another player who could get picked as he is a hard working forward who is willing to press and defend, which would likely fit with St. Louis’ style. He could also end up being a trade asset if he was picked. For Charlotte FC, I do not think losing any of these players would end up being too big a setback going into 2023. If they were to lose Sobociński, Reyna or Alcívar, Charlotte would have an international roster spot opened up, giving them more flexibility in the winter transfer window. Losing Shinyashiki would be losing a fan favorite, but Charlotte also has depth at his position. Losing him would likely feel like a loss to many fans but, overall, there are plenty of others on the roster capable of playing at his level. Vaughn’s Predictions Karol Ṥwiderski (DP) Kamil Jóźwiak (DP) Kerwin Vargas (U-22) Vinicius Mello (U-22) Kristijan Kahlina Guzmán Corujo Anton Walkes Nuno Santos Nathan Byrne Adilson Malanda Andre Shinyashiki Brandt Bronico The under-contract players I would leave unprotected for various reasons and justifications are Jordy Alcívar, Jan Sobociński, McKinze Gaines, Daniel Ríos, Yordy Reyna, Joseph Mora, George Marks, Pablo Sisniega, Adrían Zendejas, and Adam Armour. Really the tough call for me comes down to our wingers and do you protect Gaines or Andre Shinyashiki? The recent contract extension for Shinyashiki paired with the allocation money Charlotte paid to acquire him forces the decision to leave Gaines vulnerable. Considerations for leaving guys unprotected include their contract status both in terms of dollars, international status, as well as number of years and option years remaining on their contracts. For example, Charlotte FC’s decision to pick up the final club option year for Daniel Ríos means that at the end of the 2023 season, he will be out of contract. If Saint Louis were to select him in the expansion draft, they run the risk of that player and pick only lasting for one season on an expiring contract compared to the benefits of selecting a player on a longer contract or a player who holds greater trade value to other teams within the league, as was the case when Charlotte selected and traded Tristan Blackmon and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. St. Louis City SC Draft Strategy? To make these predictions it is also important for us to evaluate St. Louis’ current roster, positions of need, and their overall strategy going into the Expansion Draft. As their roster stands today, St. Louis has 9 players under contract with 7 of those players currently occupying international roster spots. All MLS sides start with 8 international spots in 2023 and they may acquire additional spots via trade, as we did ahead of our Expansion Draft. Of the players under contract for St. Louis, it looks like they have at least 1 starting center back in Joakim Nilsson, two starting midfielders in Tomáš Ostrák and Eduard Löwen, a starting forward in João Klauss, and a starting goalkeeper in Roman Bürki. Both Löwen and Klauss are Designated Players and St. Louis City’s Sporting Director, Lutz Pfannenstiel, has already stated publicly that they don’t intend to add another Designated Player before the season starts. With that evaluation being done it is likely that St. Louis will be going into the Expansion Draft looking for domestic talent, wide players, roster depth, trade assets, and salary cap friendly contracts. It’s important to note that Head Coach Bradley Carnell comes from the Red Bull system and is an advocate of gegenpressing, or counter-pressing, which requires a team to quickly pressure the opponent and the ball when an offensive player loses possession. The goal of this tactic is to win the ball back quickly after losing it to catch the opponent off-guard in the transitional phase of play. To be frank, Charlotte FC does not have many players whose preferred style of play matches that tactical approach. It should be noted that a lot can change between now and the Expansion Draft. Trades can be made during the brief 2-day trade window between November 7th and 9th and St. Louis’ roster situation could look vastly different closer to draft day. Our approach to who is left unprotected will be dictated by many on and off field factors, including our own offseason player strategy, that may be in better focus closer to November 10th. * At this point we are assuming the roster stands at 27 players instead of 30 as Christian Fuchs and Harrison Afful got their options declined, and Charlotte FC have yet to announce a decision regarding the options of Quinn McNeill and Koa Santos. Brian Romero is also signed, but it has not been announced how he fits on the roster.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Austin FC Austin FC have made a strong run throughout the 2022 MLS season which has continued into the postseason. They are now in the Western Conference finals where they will face off against Supporter’s Shield winners Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). Here is a look at how expansion teams since 2015 have fared from their inaugural season through their second season. All stats found on either FBref.com or SofaScore Austin FC’s Historical Second Season Jump Austin FC has had a larger points per match jump (+.74) from their inaugural season than any MLS expansion team since 2005, when expansion teams became a regular occurrence. What has made their run this season so remarkable is how they finished in their inaugural season. Austin FC had the second worst inaugural season since 2015, only better than the historically poor FC Cincinnati expansion. Being projected by many MLS pundits to be near the bottom of the Western Conference for a second straight campaign, Austin instead went on to challenge for the Supporter’s Shield for large parts of the season, and can make an MLS Cup final with a win on Sunday. Other Notable Expansion Season Jumps Atlanta United and LAFC both should be recognized for the improvements that their teams made in their second seasons. They are, currently, the only expansion teams since 2015 to win trophies in their second season. LAFC claimed the 2019 Supporters Shield, while Atlanta United claimed the 2018 MLS Cup. Both of these teams had successful playoff qualifying inaugural seasons, but even with that initial success going on to win trophies the next year is a noteworthy improvement. New York City Football Club (NYCFC) also had a remarkable second campaign, climbing from near the bottom of the table to 4th in the Supporters’ Shield standings. The major shift that occurred for NYCFC was the coaching change. Patrick Vieira made his head coaching debut for NYCFC’s second season, helping them jump 17 points higher than their inaugural season. Nashville SC With A Little Jump, But Lots Of Consistency Nashville SC’s second year jump was small compared to the other teams previously mentioned, but it should be noted that they were one of the few expansion side’s to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season. In fact, with Atlanta United and the Seattle Sounders missing the playoffs this season, Nashville SC have become the only expansion side to have never missed the playoffs. This is a small three year sample size currently, but still fun to note and to keep an eye on. While Nashville’s jump was small, they have proven to be able to maintain a steady consistent pace that finds them in playoff contention year after year. The Early Expansion Woes FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Minnesota United, and Orlando City all struggled, for various reasons, throughout the early parts of their expansions. It should be noted that all four of these teams qualified for the 2022 MLS playoffs. While it was a struggle for these teams to work out their team build initially, they have all shown the ability to improve and grow into more competitive teams within MLS. *Stats that occurred during the 2020 season, when schedules were greatly altered due to COVID-19

By Tyler Trent Earlier this season, I spoke with Charlotte FC’s fans who have traveled to away games about their experience and the hospitality of the fans outside of Charlotte, but what experience have away fans had on their trips to Charlotte? I had the privilege to chat with Vas from the Soccer Subs Podcast and Blake from MLS Gone Wild about their experience traveling to the Queen City and the origin of their fandoms. Vas Vas has been a fan of the New York Red Bulls since their MetroStars days, so he’s been to quite a few away days in his time. However, his trip to Charlotte as an away fan was a little different because his team wasn’t even playing. Vas made the trip for Charlotte FC’s historic inaugural home game against the LA Galaxy as a member of the media for Soccer Subs. “It was the Soccer Subs first venture as media members and it opened up the door for us to our local market as well I'd say to attend games as part of the media for both New York teams respectively.” Vas was able to make it to the Supporters Tailgate Lot to kickstart his experience in Charlotte. “I enjoyed my time eating incredible food, familiarizing myself with songs and chants with the diehard fans, and I even got to meet the man himself, David Tepper.” “Everyone was having a blast and the diverse styles of support from the more South American style with the Blue Furia to the Charlotte FCASU to the Carolina Hooliganz, it truly made for a unique pre-game experience and one heck of an away day activity that's a must whether you're supporting an away team or just visiting to watch Charlotte FC.” Vas really enjoyed being able to attend an inaugural home match for a team in MLS and being able to experience the historic night as a fan of MLS and US Soccer. “From meeting Woody (Wilder) personally and seeing the likes of Jessica Charman hustling like a busy bee, and Jorge representing what this team is and needs on and off the field in terms of covering the team and being a passionate fan.” Vas also enjoyed the press box food at Bank of America Stadium. A highlight for Vas was walking out of the player tunnel into a record-breaking crowd before kickoff and getting to soak in the amazing atmosphere. We hope to see Vas back in Charlotte when the Red Bulls come to town in the future! Blake Blake from MLS Gone Wild also had a pretty unique experience in his travel to Charlotte. A lifelong Columbus Crew fan, Blake had previously only traveled to three away matches, but has plans to work on those numbers. With previous trips to the Carolina Challenge Cup vs. Atlanta United, a match versus DC United in 2019, and a trip to Philadelphia in 2021 where Blake stated “the cheesesteaks were better than the soccer” after the Crew lost 3-0. Blake and his girlfriend traveled to Charlotte to take in an exciting matchup and meet some online friends. However, the game was delayed for hours due to lightning and eventually postponed with only 15 minutes of the game being played. Despite that, it didn’t dampen Blake’s trip. Previous to coming to Charlotte, Blake had the opportunity to get to know Jorge and Brian from TopBin90, Lee from CLTFCFanTV, and Vaughn Pollman. “Charlotte is lucky to have such passionate and knowledgeable folks covering their team. Those guys are great.” Blake and his girlfriend were able to make the tailgate and were invited to take a picture with one of the supporters groups at the tailgate. At the tailgate, Blake traded scarves with Vaughn, did a pre-match interview with Jorge, and participated in some friendly banter along the way. Blake came to the Queen City with gifts as well. “I brought some Charlotte FC Topps cards to the game and handed them out to fans. I remember waiting in the long line to get into the team shop and as I got to the door, I struck up conversation with one of the team shop employees. We chatted soccer for a moment and before we departed, I asked him who his favorite player was. Cristian Fuchs was his response, so I handed him a 2022 Topps Christian Fuchs card. Made his day.” After continued lightning delays crowded inside the stadium concourse, Blake found a good place to give out the rest of the cards he brought. “During the rain delay, I handed out the rest of my cards to three kids who seemed to be getting a little restless. They spent the next hour or so reading the stats on the back and proposing trades for each other’s cards. That, to be honest, was probably the highlight of my trip.” While Blake didn't get to have much of a soccer experience, he did enjoy his time meeting people and exploring uptown Charlotte. “In addition to all the great things I have already said about my experience, the uptown area of Charlotte was beautiful (when it wasn’t raining). The greenery in the uptown area made it feel like I wasn’t surrounded by skyscrapers. The people were awesome - so welcoming and friendly. I’d highly recommend the away day to any fans thinking of traveling. 10/10 experience and they only played 15:58 of soccer.” Blake recognized Charlotte fans as by far the most welcoming of his four away days, with the Philadelphia Union fans a close second. Blake was unable to make it back to the rescheduled match, but we can't wait to have him back in Charlotte soon! Away Days vs. Home Games While it’s hard to beat the feeling of watching your team at home, there’s always some aspects of away days to look forward to. Vas and Blake shared their thoughts on what was so special about away days. Vas really enjoyed his trip, but paid homage to his home city as well. “Harrison is like my own little slice of heaven, but I love experiencing the diverse venues that MLS has to offer. As a bit of a US soccer nerd and as I've gotten older, I've really gotten to appreciate not just the game day experience itself, but the cities where I'm visiting. Charlotte was definitely one for the record books - you felt the entire city anticipating the day for Charlotte to finally be on the pitch at the Bank. The events around the city were all enjoyable, the launch of a beer for a supporters group was one, another highlight was the pubs to view not just MLS games but EPL action with a solid list of beers and good vibes to go along with them and even having found the Moonlight Diner on a quest for a late night meal. Blake made the most of an unfortunate day of soccer by reveling in what can make away days and soccer in general so special. “I love seeing new things and meeting new people. Soccer unites us all and I grasp that more every time I travel to an away stadium. The love for the game and league is growing and seeing that passion first hand, no matter where you go, gives me goosebumps.” Be sure to check out Vas at the Soccer Subs Podcast and Blake at MLS Gone Wild, you can also find them here at TopBin90 from time to time!

According to Colombian news outlet Blog Deportivo, Charlotte FC has made an offer for the Colombian playmaker whose contract with River Plate expires at the end of the year. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently playing with River Plate, but has saw time in Italy, Portugal, and France previously. This season for River Plate, he has started 10 out of 19 games scoring 1 goal and adding 5 assists. Quintero won the 2018 Copa Libertadores and the 2018 Supercopa Argentine with River Plate. According to the report by Blog Deportivo, River Plate have been trying to renew the contract of Quintero, but Charlotte FC has put in a better economical offer to the player and Quintero is reportedly interested in playing in MLS. In his most recent match, Quintero received a red card for pushing the referee which could see him receive an additional suspension from the Argentine Primera División further putting the renewal of his contract in doubt and could potentially follow him to another league. The incident can briefly be seen in the video below. Quintero has been capped by the Colombian National Team 31 times scoring 4 goals in those appearances. He has represented Colombia at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup. He was the first Colombian player to score in two World Cups. At River Plate, Quintero has often played on the right of a midfielder three in a 4-3-1-2 formation. However, he has typically played in the attacking midfield role for previous clubs and for Colombia. He often takes corner kicks and set pieces.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC announced yesterday that they were exercising the options of four players for 2023: Daniel Ríos, McKinze Gaines, Derrick Jones, and George Marks. These signings have provided some insight into how the winter window may look for Charlotte FC. Getting these deals done now also reduces the amount of deals that need to be done as the various deadlines approach in November. Defenders Christian Fuchs and Harrison Afful had their options declined, opening up at least two roster spots. Here is the list of the remaining players that are on expiring contracts: Koa Santos - There is a 2023 option on his contract. This option would need to be picked up by November 14th. This decision will likely be pushed back until after the Charlotte Independence’s season ends, which will be at least another week longer as they qualified for the playoffs this past weekend. Quinn McNeill - There is a 2023 option on his contract. This option would need to be picked up by November 14th. This decision will likely be pushed back until after the Charlotte Independence’s season ends, which will be at least another week longer as they qualified for the playoffs this past weekend. Charlotte FC have 26 of their 30 roster spots accounted for. The decisions on the Santos and McNeill options are likely to happen after the Charlotte Independence season ends. If their options do not get exercised one possible scenario is their options could get declined but that they could receive contracts for the MLS NEXT Pro team. We will likely have to wait another couple of weeks to get a final update on them. What the front office's decisions show is two fold: One, they are confident in the roster they have going into 2023. Two, that this roster needs around two more signing upgrades to make the jump into a playoff spot. If Santos and McNeill do not get their options picked up Charlotte could have a little more roster flexibility to work with in the winter. As of now Charlotte FC for sure has two roster spots open, and they are both domestic slots. This means that both MLS free agency and a blockbuster trade from within MLS could both be in the cards during the winter. If Charlotte want to bring a roster upgrade from abroad they will likely need to shop one of their current international players.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images With MLS Playoffs just a day away. Here are some predictions from the TopBin90 team and some of our content creating friends from around MLS: Jorge @topbin90 MLS Cup Winner: Montreal- One of the best teams in MLS this season. A team that had the second most wins in MLS and has shown to be strong both home and away (only three losses at home and two away). A strong midfield with the likes of Wanyama, and an MLS all star this season in Djordje Mihailovic, you add a striker who has been underrated this season in Romell Quioto (15 goals and 5 assist) they have a lot of ingredients of an MLS Cup Champion team. Montreal's biggest hurdle will be getting over Philadelphia Union, a team they weren’t able to beat this season but in my opinion Montreal are now a team that are more compact and have enough weapons to get them over the line. Dark Horse Team: Nashville. Without a doubt a big factor for Nashville will be how well Hany Mukhtar can be for them this postseason. With 34 goal contributions, Nashville will be looking at Hany to take them to glory and I think he’s a player that has proven he could do that. Not talked about enough is the fact that Nashville moved from the east to west and finished 5th. A team that will stay defensively compact and rely on the individual brilliance of a player like Hany is the perfect combination to cause upets in a one game playoff style tournament like MLS playoffs are. Player of the Tournament: Romell Quioto. Maybe a little Honduras bias on my end but I think Quioto will have a spectacular postseason. The Honduran has registered his best season in MLS in Montreal boasting 15 goals and 5 assists. Recently being named captain of Honduras and also becoming more of a veteran player with Montreal I think are important reasons for Quioto to transition from being a player that can contribute to a leader and a guy that Montreal look for in this post season. Brian @BAMaurerMedia MLS Cup Winner: Philadelphia Union - It just feels like it’s their time. Philadelphia has been historically good this season, and seem primed for another deep run. The difference this year to past campaigns is that they have a plethora of attacking options. Not only will the Union be defensively sound, but they will also be capable of putting multiple goals up on any opponent they face. Philadelphia should be able to return to the Eastern Conference Finals, the issue for them will be getting over the Conference Final hump mentally and pushing themselves into the Cup Final. Dark Horse Team: FC Cincinnati - Staying in the Eastern Conference with this one. If Cincinnati can get past the New York Red Bulls Pat Noonan will then likely go up against his former team, Philadelphia. A Cincinnati versus Philadelphia matchup could be incredible. Both teams have shown an ability to score a ton of goals all season. FC Cincinnati’s main three attacking options Brenner, Brandon Vazquez, and Luciano Acosta have combined for 46 goals this year. Cincinnati’s weaker defense has also made for some very entertaining high scoring affairs and against Philadelphia this would be no different. Plus you add the history Jim Curtin and Noonan have with working together in Philly and this makes for a fun potential matchup with storylines both on and off the pitch. If Cincinnati can outscore Philadelphia and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals that would be a major accomplishment for a team that just a year ago was a wooden spoon regular. For me they are a primed dark horse candidate because they have several playmakers who are in form and scoring goals, while they are lacking a bit defensively, they should be able to compete with anyone they face because of their ability to put goals in the back of the net. Player of the Tournament: Dániel Gazdag - Philadelphia have shown the ability in the past to stay defensively sound and keep games close. The difference in this Cup run and past seasons will be if their attack can stay hot and continue to score goals to get them across the finish line. If Philadelphia do indeed win their first MLS Cup then their playmaker Gazdag will be a key contributor to getting them there. Tyler @TTrent4 MLS Cup Winner: FC Dallas Dark Horse Team: FC Dallas Player of the Tournament: Paul Arriola I went full FC Dallas on this one. They have a perfect mix of veteran leadership, strong goalkeeping, and powerful attacking talents. Maarten Paes has been excellent in goal for Dallas and a strong defensive line in front of him, led by Matt Hedges, has led Dallas to concede the second fewest goals in MLS only behind the Philadelphia Union. The Dallas 3rd place finish could easily have been higher, with 11 draws on the season. In crunch time of the playoffs, being able to grind out results and keep games close is key. FC Dallas should be able to do that and they have several capable goal scorers to finish the chances they get with Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola, and Alan Velasco. Player of the tournament will probably come down to whoever is the difference maker in the final, so I went with Paul Arriola on a whim. However, I think Brenner from FC Cincinnati could have a big tournament on the Eastern Conference side of the bracket as well. Regardless of the outcome, I have a feeling that the Western Conference is going to take the Cup this season. Pierce MLS Cup Winner: LAFC - I hate to pick the odds-on favorite, but they are favorites for a reason. They are filled with star power, sure, but what makes them so good is their depth. When your players start to get tired, they can bring in guys off their bench that are just as good, if not better than your starters. LAFC are lethal up front and seemingly always attacking. This season, they were 2nd in the MLS in touches in the attacking third, 1st in touches inside the opponents penalty area, and 1st in both shots on target and xG. While their form towards the end of the season was shaky, they only lost 9 games all year, and 7 out of those 9 losses were decided by just one goal. This is the most talented team in the MLS this season and will have the trophy to show for it. Dark Horse Team: Cincinnati - I’m going to go with a pretty big underdog here and take Cincinnati. They were top 5 in the league in Goals, xG, % of shots on target, and chance creation. Do I think Cincinnati will win the cup? No. Do I think they will make a deeper run than they are expected to? Yes. It is their first playoff appearance in club history, so I expect the players to be extra motivated and their fans to travel well. They open up with New York Red Bulls, who have lost in the first round of the playoffs 3 years in a row. Cincinnati matches up nicely against them, as shown evident by them forcing draws in both meetings this season. I like Cincinatti to pull off the upset in the first round and potentially give Philly a hard time as well. Player of the Tournament: Sebastian Driussi - Driussi was runner-up to Mukhtar in the MLS Golden Boot race, but actually finished with more non-penalty goals than the leading marksman (Driussi 18, Mukhtar 17). He also created the 5th most chances in the league this season. I think he puts the team on his back and leads the tournament in G+A. He’ll help them cruise to the Western Conference Final and If anyone can take down LAFC, I think a Driussi-led Austin FC has the best chance. Lee @cltfcfantv MLS Cup Winner: CF Montreal Dark Horse Team: Austin Player of the Tournament: CF Montreal wins it all. Looking back over the last 6 games at least in the east and Montreal are the team in form. The added fact that Philly while winning the east there current form looks a little suspect to be able to carry it all the way through. Montreal also has a decent away record and should they run into Philly along the way I doubt that Philly has enough in the tank to beat out Montreal. Montreal have scored 63 goals this season which is the 4th best in the MLS while also boasting the best away record. The pressure to win out is more on Philly and LAFC. Montreal takes Austin in the final. Dark horse I am going with Austin. I think these are the guys Charlotte will look towards at least for the first few seasons to emulate.. To go from 2nd from bottom in the West to 2nd this season is impressive in itself plus I have a soft spot for these guys. Do they have enough in the tank to beat out LAFC? Probably not but they did take it to them during the season. The only concern I have for them is that the form seems to be dipping when it's most crucial. Shout out to the weareaustintv boys! Vaughn @vipollman MLS Cup Winner: CF Montreal Dark Horse Team: “Texas” Player of the Tournament: Romell Quioto History shows it is very hard for a team with regular season dominance to carry their success over to postseason glory. Let’s put it this way: Only once since 2012 has a #1 seed even made it to the final. That team was the 2017 Toronto FC side that won the domestic treble, winning the Supporter’s Shield, Canadian Championship, and MLS Cup. Last year saw the 4-seeds square off in the Final. So, odds are not in LAFC or Philadelphia’s favor. For that reason, I have selected Club de Foot Montreal as my pick to lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, or “MLS Cup”. Montreal has 1 loss since mid-July. Since then, they have gone 11W – 1L – 3D. As the two seed in the East, they will have the advantage of playing all of their playoff games at home unless they run into Philly. If they do, Montreal boasts the best road record in MLS, earning a post-shootout era record 35 points on the road in 2022. They are a tough team to beat, they routinely shred teams tactically, and if they go on the deep run I predict, Romell Quioto will be a big part of their success as he sort of quietly contributed 15 goals and 5 assists in the regular season. To choose a dark horse contender is really like shooting fish in a barrel. I’m going to cheat a little bit by selecting “Texas” as my dark horse front runner. While Austin and FC Dallas are the Western #2 and #3 seeds, respectively, I think they qualify as dark horse candidates as they are underrated by most, and they have to go through The Mighty Black and Gold, LAFC. For Austin they have the capability to follow the path laid by Atlanta United to become the 2nd team to win MLS Cup in their 2nd season. Sebastián Driussi can be “that guy” who can single-handedly carry a team to a trophy. Thanks in large part to his goal scoring prowess, Austin actually finished the season 3rd in the league with 65 goals scored, behind only Philadelphia and LAFC. If they can score while defending pragmatically, the Cup will not be out of their reach. Now, if you had to guess which team had the second fewest goals conceded during the 2022 MLS season you probably would not guess that it was FC Dallas. They say that defense wins championships, and FC Dallas is a team that has gone well under the radar for how good their defense has been, conceding a mere 37 goals, one fewer than LAFC. Their road record leaves a lot to be desired, and their offense doesn’t evoke fear in their opponents, but that’s why they are an ideal dark horse candidate because no one thinks they will realistically win the Cup, especially when you consider they’ve failed to win the Cup in their first…..26 seasons. Maybe this is the year they get the proverbial monkey off their back. Blake @MLSGoneWild MLS Cup Winner: Philadelphia Union- The Union are good at soccer. I should just leave it at that but that wouldn’t do their 2022 season justice. With a roster that consists of homegrown contributors, international bargains, and intra-league steals, they will go down as one of the best teams in MLS history. Defensively, their 26 goals conceded set an All Time MLS record for fewest goals conceded in a single MLS season. Offensively, they became the 1st team in MLS history to win 4 games by 6 or more goals. 49 of their 72 goals were scored at Subaru Park which ties the all-time MLS record for most home goals in a single season. Oh, and they were undefeated at home in 2022. I guess now would be the perfect time to mention they will have homefield advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs unless they match up with LAFC in the final. Notice I haven’t mentioned a single name yet? This is a team effort. Head coach, Jim Curtin, has this team bought in and playing one of the most distinct and efficient styles in all of MLS. They press from the front, are tough to break down, force you into mistakes, and are absolutely lethal in transition. Was that convincing enough? Dark Horse Team: FC Cincinnati & Real Salt Lake- Look, I know you just spent a minute or so reading why the Philadelphia Union were going to win MLS Cup but I failed to mention that there is a good chance they will have to go though the only Eastern Conference playoff team to beat them in the regular season to do so; FC Cincinnati. Former Union assistant and 1st year head coach for FCC, Pat Noonan, has transformed the 3x Wooden Spoon winners into the number 5 seed in this year's MLS Cup Playoffs in just 1 season. They added 29 points on to their 2021 total, conceded 18 fewer goals, increased their front 3’s goal contributions from 19g/15a in 2021 to 46g/22 in 2022, and rank 3rd in points v. EC playoff teams this season. But Blake, they’re going to be playing away for the majority of the playoffs! They earned 25 away points this season which is good for 4th in the Eastern Conference. If FCC are to make a run, every game is going to be an absolute shootout, but that’s exactly what we like over here at MLS Gone Wild. The saying usually goes, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships” but in FCC’s case, that defense isn’t going to win them anything. Their playoff success relies heavily on Acosta, Vazquez, and Brenner outscoring the opposition. Watch out, Philly. My Western Conference Dark Horse is a team that has played this role a number of times over the past half decade. As the 7 seed last year, RSL went on to take down 2 seeded Seattle and 3 seeded SKC on their way to the Western Conference Final. In 2018 as the 6, and last, seed in the Western Conference, they advanced over 3 seed LAFC. If they were to defeat Austin on Sunday afternoon, RSL will become the lone MLS side to advance in 4 of the last 5 postseasons. Not only does this team have a history of playing spoiler, they have playoff experience as they have 6 of their starters returning from last year’s playoff run, they split points with Austin this season, they understand that they don’t have to dominate a game to win it, and head Coach Pablo Mastroeni has this team believing. I didn’t pick the upset, but I won’t be surprised if it happens and you shouldn’t be either. Player of the Tournament: Andre Blake- I’ve got to go with my name partner Andre Blake on this one. He is 1st in MLS in clean sheets, 1st in save percentage, concedes the fewest goals/90, and has prevented the 2nd most goals in all of MLS with 10.7 goals prevented. The 2022 Union have been historically good defensively and a lot of that credit falls to the Jamaican international. If Philly do, like I predict, go on to win this year’s 2022 MLS Cup, I believe Andre Blake will join the likes of Tony Meola, Nick Rimando, Stefan Frei, and Sean Johnson as the 5th goalie to win the prestigious MLS Cup MVP award. Vas @boredastorian94 MLS Cup Winner: Nashville SC Dark Horse Team: New York Red Bulls Player of the Tournament: Hany Mukhtar Hernan @WeAreAustinTV MLS Cup Winner: LAFC, they have been the team to beat since early on this season. With a front three of Gareth Bale, Chicho Arango & Carlos Vela it’s hard to say that they will choke once again. I have my doubts on Gareth and how sold he is on helping LAFC win MLS cup but LAFC has an insane squad with tremendous amount of depth. Let's give credit to Cifuentes, a lowkey hero for the black and gold this season with 7 goals & 7 assists he's surely to pick up Bales slack going into the playoffs. Not only have they been solid in the attack, LAFC has only lost 3 points from a winning position, so if anyone lets these guys score first good luck on coming back. 38 goals conceded, 9 clean sheets, Giorgio Chiellini & Crepaeu yeah good luck. LAFC my winners for 2022. Dark Horse Team: AUSTIN FC, Why does it feel wrong typing this out? From bottom of the Western Conference in 2021 to 2nd seed in the Western Conference in 2022, Austin has shown that it can compete with the elite MLS clubs. A team that finds itself playing its best football when the media is against them has once again been “doubted” by the MLS experts. Lets not forget ATX has the Golden Boot & MVP runner up Sebastian Driussi who is looking to cement his name in MLS history, plus a hungry Diego Fagundez who is reminding the league just who he is with 15 assists and 6 goals in 2022. Austin has a home match vs RSL this sunday and if they win that then a home match vs Dallas/Minnesota will follow. Q2 will be packed to the rim and cheering on the Verde team, beware of this team when they are in full force. Player of the Tournament: Cristian Arango

Image courtesy of Charlotte FC What makes a successful season? Is it playoffs? Is it a championship? Is it the comradery? It depends who you ask. With a hard-fought 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew, Charlotte FC was officially eliminated from playoff contention. This team’s goal from the start was to host a home playoff game in their first season. They fell short of the playoffs altogether, but this year was still a success to most. It was a turbulent season for Charlotte that saw many highs and some lows, but it was still one to be proud of and build on. From the team’s first official MLS match in DC, the highest attended MLS game in history, an early coaching change, a last gasp playoff push, and everything in between – Charlotte made it a season to remember. Friendships were born and strangers became family. Although the season is over for Charlotte, the comradery will continue and soccer will continue to grow in the Queen City. The Supporters When Charlotte was announced as the newest MLS expansion team in 2019, no one expected that the team would get a delayed start in 2022 due to the COVID Pandemic. However, that only let the excitement continue to brew in the Carolinas until it was ready to explode in the inaugural season. That excitement helped lead to Charlotte FC setting the MLS attendance record with 74,479 fans in their first ever home game against the LA Galaxy. Moments before the game, a new tradition was born when the national anthem performer, Michelle Brooks-Thompson, microphone cut off early in the song. However, the supporters throughout the stadium were there to finish it together and continued to do so for the rest of season. The supporters showed out for every single game despite numerous rain delays to cheer on their team for 90 minutes and sometimes even more. Hours were poured into writing songs and creating tifos to cheer on the team and create an atmosphere everyone could be proud of. Supporters put in hundreds of hours of community service and fundraising efforts to benefit the community and will continue to do so through the offseason. Finishing with the second highest attendance of the season with 35,260, the fans were always there to back the team. That didn’t just happen at home either, Charlotte was well represented throughout the season by our passionate fans in enemy territory as well! Image courtesy of Charlotte FC The Players No one could have predicted the difference between the roster that started in Charleston for preseason compared to the team who finished the season in New York on Sunday. Charlotte first-ever signing Sergio Ruiz didn’t make it through the full season along with Alan Franco, Christian Makoun, and Titi Ortiz. However, along the way Charlotte was able to add some quality players to the lineup including Derrick Jones, Kamil Jóźwiak, Quinn McNeill, Kerwin Vargas, Andre Shinyashiki, Nathan Byrne, Adilson Malanda, and Nuno Santos. The importance these players played throughout the season should give a lot of hope to fans of the black and blue as they all played very key roles throughout the season while being thrown into a somewhat difficult transition for a team. While we lost some players along the way, this squad will forever be Charlotte FC’s first and the fight the team provided down the stretch will be remembered forever. The progression of the squad throughout the year and especially Brandt Bronico, Karol Świderski, Derrick Jones, Adilson Malanda, McKinze Gaines, and Daniel Ríos down the final stretch was immense and the team is trending upwards heading into year two. By the end of the season, you could really see the roster beginning to take shape. With a few key additions in the offseason, this team should be fully capable of meeting their year one goal of hosting a playoff game. TopBin90 will be doing a breakdown of the roster, expansion draft, transfer targets, and contract situations during the offseason to keep the fans up to date on the latest squad information! Image courtesy of Charlotte FC The Team Behind the Team The people behind the club who have helped to connect the supporters to the club have been irreplaceable. Whether it be the beloved Digital & Creative team that used their skills to capture the emotions of the players and fans throughout the season, the broadcast team of Lloyd Sam, Eric Krakauer, and Katie Witham, the Chief Fan Officer Shawn and Fan Experience Coordinator Nezzie, or any of the other departments that helps to make the club run and shine behind the scenes, Charlotte was overflowing with off-the-field talent this year. The importance of the team behind the team can never be understated and everyone is so thankful for them. Often times, these talents aren't recognized, but the Charlotte fanbase has done a great job recognizing and applauding them throughout the year for their efforts to help build and connect the players, supporters, and outside community with the magic of the Queen City and Charlotte FC. The Future Thank you so much to everyone who has supported TopBin90 and Charlotte FC this season! The offseason will seem long, but the wait will be worth it. TopBin90 will be keeping you up to date on the latest transfer news and speculation, MLS Playoffs, World Cup content, and much more as we move toward an even better year two. If you haven’t, be sure to take a moment to watch this beautiful season recap video shared by the club as well!

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Derrick Jones has emerged as a pivotal piece of Charlotte FC’s midfield over their final stretch of games. Throughout the course of the season Charlotte have lost the midfield battle consistently. Charlotte’s head coach, Christian Lattanzio, opted to add Jones to play alongside Brandt Bronico seven games ago against NYCFC and he has not looked back. Jones has appeared to be a missing piece that has helped Charlotte actually take control in the middle of the park more regularly. In a few of Jones’ recent performances there are several traits he has that stand out as to why he has been such a key performer for the Black and Blues. Anticipation Jones’ ability to anticipate opposing teams’ movement both defensively and in possession is one of his skills that stands out the most. Against the Chicago Fire, Jones consistently had a read on where they were trying to move the ball, and used his positioning and long frame to intercept multiple passes and to poke heavy touches. He would do this by subtly shifting with the play and scanning for who the nearby passing options are and then waiting for the ball to be passed and then jumping in the passing lane to disrupt the attacking build up. Time and time again he did this against Chicago and against Toronto FC. Jones’ anticipation makes him a very efficient defender, which can be observed both when watching him play, and in several defensive statistics. Jones’ successful pressure rate is 38.2%*, which is the highest among all regularly contributing Charlotte FC midfielders. His ability to time his tackles against dribblers is also astoundingly high at 80%. His overall tackles won rate is 60.9%. Jones’ defensive efficiency has made him a regular standout performer since being added to the starting lineup. His efficiency does not stop with his defensive abilities. Jones also uses his anticipation when Charlotte FC are in possession as well. He scans well and notices how the opposition is marking and pressing to help him predict where the space is going to open up so that he can then shift his body into those spaces to make himself available for passes from his centerbacks. He does this with very little movement, often only needing to take a step or two, because he notices when and where the space is going to open up before it does so he can make his way over to it efficiently. Possession Skills When Jones is in possession of the ball he also has several skills that help him maintain possession and progress the ball forward. He uses his body extremely well to help him keep control of the ball, often shrugging off defenders when they attempt to press him when he’s dribbling. He uses a combination of his strength and ball handling skills to turn and carry the ball forward into attacking areas and away from the opposition’s press. While he does not take defenders on often, when he does he is very good at doing so, as he has a successful dribble rate of 80%, showing his efficiency on the ball. This rate leads all regularly contributing midfielders. He is also clever in receiving the ball. Part of this is his anticipation, as discussed earlier, as he is good at figuring out where the space is going to open up during build up play. He also uses his strength to shield defenders away from the ball and technique to keep his touches close, making it very difficult to take the ball off of him when he is receiving a pass. Jones’ receiving success rate is 97.2%, and is also the highest among regularly contributing midfielders**. Size and Strength It would be ridiculous to ignore the fact that Jones is a massive midfielder, and it is definitely an asset. However, this is the third trait on this list because it is his technique and awareness that are what make him so good. He uses his size and strength to then enhance his technique to make him even more difficult to play against. For example, his technique allows him to keep the ball close to his body and is able to help him maintain possession of the ball and to carry it forward. He then makes his possession of the ball stronger by using his frame to shield defenders away, and his longer legs to give himself a reach advantage over other smaller attacking midfielders, who are regularly the ones pressing him. The other asset with his size is that he is strong in the air both on long balls in the middle of the park, and on set pieces. Again, in aerial duels, it's not just his size that makes him an asset. On a corner kick against the Chicago Fire Jones put a header off the post, missing a goal by inches. He created the separation from his defender by alertly seeing the space open up on the back post. He then shook his defender with a shifty move. His size did not play a role until his diving lung towards the back post. Up until that point he had already anticipated the space that was opening up and craftily found a way to beat his defender to that space. His lunge and strength at the end of the play is where his size then comes into effect. The point again here is that he is big, and strong. That is obvious by just looking at him. But what is most important to understand is that he uses these physical attributes to enhance his other ball playing skills. What Has He Done For Charlotte Lately Since earning the starting job in New York, Jones has become a mainstay in Charlotte’s starting lineup. Here is a look at some of his underlying numbers in his past seven starts and a comparison of how he has done during that stretch of games compared to other Charlotte FC midfielders. Passing Possession Defensive If there is one trend that sticks out the most across all three of these categories it is that Jones is a very efficient player for Charlotte FC when in possession and defensively. My personal speculation as to why he is more efficient than any of Charlotte’s other midfielders is because of his anticipation and his ability to read the game. When watching Jones play he is constantly scanning for positions to set himself up to make a defensive play or to receive a pass. This attribute is, to me, what separates him from the rest of Charlotte’s current midfield options. He is an efficient ball player in both attacking and defensive phases of play, which is what Charlotte FC have lacked for most of their season until the last few weeks. Which is when Jones was given the starting position. Team Impact Another area that can be looked at to help understand Jones’ impact on the team is seeing how well the team has performed overall since he took over a regular starting role. In Charlotte FC’s past seven games that Jones has started, the team’s expected goal difference (xGD) is +2.3. In the previous 25 games the team’s xGD is -6.3. To put those numbers into a game-by-game perspective, when Jones became a starter, Charlotte’s xGD improved by more than half an xG per game (from -.25 to +.33). Obviously, Jones is not the only factor that has changed the results of Charlotte’s form, but it can definitely be considered one of them. A New Feel in Midfield For the past few games Charlotte’s midfield has looked quite different than it did early on in the season. Jones, Bronico, and Karol Świderski have been the midfield trio of late. This change has shown an improvement in technicality in the middle of the park, as well as an ability for Charlotte to impose their will centrally at times. Something they could not do for most of the season. Bronico and Świderski have both gotten a lot of respect and admiration for their work throughout the course of the season, as they should. But it should not go unnoticed how big of an impact Jones has been in several facets of the Black and Blues' recent games. He will most likely continue to play a major part in Charlotte’s last ditch playoff run, and could force the hand of the Charlotte FC front office to exercise the option in his contract through his exceptional play to end the season. * All stats found on FBref.com unless otherwise noted. ** Nuno Santos has a higher percentage than Jones, but as he has not started yet, I would not put him in the regularly contributing category quite yet. ***Found on MLSsoccer.com (Jones' turnover/90 stat is based on the entire season as the MLS website would not let me look at Jones' turnover stats in each of the games he played)