Can MLS top scorers improve European teams?

​Major League Soccer has had its fair share of hiccups since its first season back in 1996 but one thing the league has never struggled with is constant goalscorers. The MLS has been considered an "easy" league for years, with famous players from some of Europe's biggest teams ending their careers in the MLS and often becoming prolific goalscorers and star players.

But in recent years, an influx of players, cash, and partnerships with Europe's biggest clubs have suddenly put the MLS in the spotlight, with even the football purists catching on.

Betting sites and tractionally European sports journalism has also broken into the MLS, with sites like WSN providing both information on matches and a betting platform. This has meant that the traditional path of players has also changed. One of this season's top scorers, Josef Martinez, has had a career resurge since arriving at the MLS, and with only 26 years of age, the player still has a few years ahead of him with his current team, Atlanta United. Players like Martinez show that Europe should not always be a synonym of success in professional football.

And Martinez is not the only one. Carlos Vela had a prolific career at some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Arsenal, where he started his senior career, but since arriving at Los Angeles Football Club, the forward has done better than ever: he currently leads the stats of the MLS' goals and assists this year, and he has shown no sign of slowing down. 

As recently as this year, Chris Wondolowski, an American player, became the greatest goalscorer in the history of the MLS, although he has never played in Europe. In fact, the MLS' all-time scorers have rarely played in Europe, proving that success in one part of the world does not necessarily have to be compared with Europe's biggest teams.

 It is starting to feel like players in the MLS do not have to compare to European football, not only because a lot of them have indeed played in Europe, but mostly because clearly the two leagues are different. They are truly in a league of their own.  

 

May 18, 2019