MLS: Ekstraklasa a key pipeline for attacking talent

Ekstraklasa, Poland’s top division, is quickly becoming a pipeline of attacking talent for MLS clubs. And the trend is not going to stop any time soon.

The recent success of attacking players coming to Major League Soccer via the Ekstraklasa is beginning to become a trend. Poland’s first division has given the league some top quality attacking players in the last few seasons.

Listen to the latest episode of the MLS Multiplex podcast here! — Top 25 Players in MLS

Most notably was Nemanja Nikolic, who put together an impressive goal-scoring record for the Chicago Fire. His arrival from Legia Warsaw has helped kickstart the recent trend of players entering MLS from the Ekstrasklasa.

Nikolic was followed by a group of attacking players who have already made an impact for their clubs, as well as a few who are poised to have breakout seasons. Those names include Przemyslaw Frankowski, Zdenek Ondrasek, Adam Buksa, and Jaroslaw Niezgoda.

More from MLS Multiplex

• Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
• Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
• USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
• De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
• Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States

Frankowski arrived in Chicago while Nikolic was still at the club. The Polish winger has turned out to be a great signing for the club with five goals and seven assists coming in the 2019 season. His performances earned him a place in the Poland national team squad as they wrapped up qualification for the European Championships next summer. He could very well be in their squad for next year’s tournament.

Frankowski is arguably one of the best wingers in MLS which has made him a potential target for bigger clubs. Sheffield United reportedly scouted the 24-year-old as a potential signing this year. He is now reaching a crucial point in his career and may be one of the next players to make the jump from MLS to a top European league.

Another impactful star is FC Dallas’ Ondrasek. The Czech striker, nicknamed ‘The Cobra’, arrived in Texas from Wisla Krakow in 2019. Despite a slow start to life with his new MLS club, Ondrasek finished the 2019 season in fantastic form scoring all seven of his league goals in his last six appearances.

He’s picked up where he left off in 2020 by scoring two goals in his first two appearances for Dallas. Ondrasek may have not had the immediate impact he wanted in MLS but he is set for big things to come in the future.

And then there are the two big signings from the offseason, Buksa and Niezgoda, signing for the New England Revolution and Portland Timbers respective. Both of these players have the potential to become stars in the league, arriving as Designated Players.

Buksa has already opened his goal-scoring account for the Revolution and looks extremely sharp as the spearhead of an intriguing attack alongside Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou. Expect him to be prolific in MLS with service like that.

Niezgoda, meanwhile, is awaiting his first minutes with the Timbers. He joined from the same club Nikolic played for. Legia Warsaw is one of Poland’s best clubs and Niezgoda found the back of the net quite often for the 13-time Ekstraklasa winners. He scored 14 goals in18 league appearances during the 2019/2020 season before his winter arrival to the Pacific Northwest.

The performance of these two players could signal a continued influx of players from the Ekstraklasa to MLS. Just as the South American’s success in MLS has motivated other clubs to scour the same teams, Poland’s clubs are producing players who are beginning to star Stateside. And this might just be the start.