MLS: Top 5 Designated Player groups
1. Atlanta United
The only man who can match Carlos Vela’s scoring rate is Atlanta United centre-forward, Josef Martinez — incidentally, I have ignored fitness in this instance. It was his scoring record that Vela broke last year, and Martinez was not far behind with 27 goals in 29 games. In the regular season, the Paraguayan has 77 goals in 84 games.
What puts Atlanta at the top of this list, however, is the supporting cast. While Martinez is the main man, Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martinez and Ezequiel Barco are superb second fiddles. Neither has hit their best form in MLS just yet, and still, their numbers are highly impressive.
Barco has two goals and one assist in two MLS matches thus far, while Pity has one assist in MLS play alongside two goals and two assists in three CONCACAF Champions League matches. Martinez is also the 2018 South American Player of the Year, and with recent hints that he might return to that form, Atlanta can claim to have the best player in MLS not named Josef or Carlos.
Next. Toronto FC: 3 reasons 2017 team is MLS best. dark
It is a shame Josef will miss the majority of the 2020 season with an ACL tear because watching these three would have been a treat. Nevertheless, from a pure talent perspective, they are the best DP trio in the league.