MLS: Best XI of the decade
The 2010s decade is coming to a close. And naturally, that means we have to review all that unfolded over the past ten years. So, here is the MLS Best XI of the decade.
Well, we have come to the end of the decade. And with that comes the inevitable reflection on the past ten years of Major League Soccer. From the early dominance of the LA Galaxy as the DP era kicked into overdrive to the emergence of new members of the MLS elite as the league unveiled rapid expansion, plenty has happened in MLS over the past decade.
And amidst all of this, there has been some fabulous players take to the field. So, in an attempt to provide some semblance of commentary on what has occurred in MLS over the past decade, here is the MLS Multiplex Team of the Decade.
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The players have been selected based on a balance of longevity, quality of performance, and success, individual and team. So, let’s start right at the back.
Goalkeeper
Perhaps the most overlooked player in all of MLS, Nick Rimando has been a stalwart goalkeeper for Real Salt Lake since 2007. He spent the enitre decade in Utah, retiring at the end of the 2019 season. He was consistently brilliant throughout.
It all started in 2010 with arguably one of the greatest defensive seasons in MLS history. RSL conceded just 20 goals in 30 games. Rimando earned 14 clean sheets, a club record, and also went 568 minutes without conceding a goal, another club record. And yet, like much of his career, he was passed over the Goalkeeper of the Year award, the LA Galaxy’s Donovan Ricketts winning in his stead.
Rimando proceeded to man the RSL goal throughout the 2010s. He now has the MLS record for number of clean sheets, and was named an MLS All-Star in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019. The best goalkeeper in MLS of the decade.
Honourable Mentions: Luis Robles, Stefan Frei