MLS: Top 5 attacking midfielders in league history
By Matt Coles
1. Landon Donovan
Who else could it have been? Of course, the one and only Landon Donovan leads the way when it comes to the best-ever attacking midfielder of all-time in Major League Soccer.
His professional career started in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen in 1999 but soon returned to American shores, being sent on loan to the San Jose Earthquakes just two years later.
MLS Career & Honours:
- San Jose Earthquakes (2001-2004)
- LA Galaxy (2005-2014, 2016)
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- MLS MVP – 2009
- MLS Golden Boot – 2008
- MLS Best XI – 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
- MLS Cup MVP – 2003, 2011
- MLS All-Time Best XI
- MLS Goal of the Year – 2009
- CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP – 2013
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2013
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Boot – 2003, 2005, 2013
- MLS all-time leader in assists (136)
- United States all-time leader in goals (57) and assists (58)
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- MLS Cup – 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014
- Supporters’ Shield – 2010, 2011
- U.S. Open Cup – 2005
- CONCACAF Gold Cup – 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013
Donovan had instant success in his first year in Major League Soccer, as the Earthquakes won the MLS Cup in 2001. He scored seven times and recorded ten assists in his first season in the league before starting all six post-season games, scoring five times, including the opening goal in the MLS Cup against LA Galaxy.
A year later, and Donovan had international success with the United States Men’s National Team, as they lifted the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002, taking the title for the second time. The midfielder was named into the tournament’s Best XI, alongside fellow Americans Jeff Agoos and Brian McBride. He achieved the same honour in 2003, along with being the joint-top-scorer at the tournament alongside Costa Rica’s Walter Centano, after scoring four goals in a 5-0 win over Cuba in the quarter-finals.
Donovan’s success with the USMNT would continue for another decade, as they lifted the CONCACAF Gold Cup three more times, in 2005, 2007 and 2013. He earned Golden Boot honours in both the former and latter of those three, along with nominations to the Best XI in the same tournaments. 2013 saw Donovan named as the tournament’s MVP as his five goals helped his country to the title, the USA’s fifth and the midfielder’s fourth. He would eventually retire from international football in 2014 as the country’s second-highest appearance maker, behind only Cobi Jones. He still holds the records for goals scored (57) and assists recorded (58) in USMNT history.
Back at a domestic level, and Donovan would win another MLS Cup with San Jose in 2003, as the Earthquake defeated Chicago Fire 4-2. The midfielder scored twice in the final, earning MLS Cup MVP honours. He was also named into the MLS Best XI for his performances over that campaign, his first nomination into the annually-chosen team.
After a fourth season in San Jose, after having returned to Germany, Donovan signed for the ‘Quakes biggest rivals, LA Galaxy, ahead of the 2005 campaign, and he would remain with the club for a decade, with unrivalled success across those ten years.
In his first season in Los Angeles, the Galaxy won the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double, the perfect start to his time with the club. The league triumph was Donovan’s third in five seasons in MLS, with the USOC victory being the midfielder’s only success in the domestic cup competition over his lengthy career. At the end of the 2005 campaign, the midfielder was named into the MLS All-Time Best XI, alongside the likes of Preki, Carlos Valderrama and Jaime Moreno.
Unfortunately for the Galaxy, they would fail to make the post-season for the next three campaigns, missing out in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The latter came despite Donovan picking up the Golden Boot award after he scored 20 times during the regular season, the only time he reached that mark. He was named into the MLS Best XI for the second time in his career for his efforts, the only Galaxy player to earn that honour.
A year later, and the American took home the MVP award for his performances over the 2009 term. He scored twelve goals and assisted on six others, becoming the first home-born player to win the season’s top honours since 2005. He was named into the MLS Best XI for a third time, before also being named into the side in four of the next five seasons.
He received the nomination again in 2010 after recording 16 assists, before making it into the side in 2011 for his twelve goal year. The latter of those campaigns saw the Galaxy win the MLS Cup for the first time in six seasons, and the midfielder was named MLS Cup MVP for the second time after scoring the only goal of the match against Houston Dynamo at Home Depot Center.
A year later, and the Galaxy became the third team in history to win back-to-back championships, as they defeated the Dynamo once again, this time winning 3-1. Donovan scored in the MLS Cup final for a second successive year, as he claimed his fifth winners’ medal. He was named into the Best XI for a sixth time, and a record fifth consecutive season, in 2012, alongside team-mate Robbie Keane.
Two years later, and both the Galaxy and Donovan would make history, in plenty of different categories. Firstly, the franchise won their record fifth MLS Cup title, defeating New England Revolution in the final to overhaul D.C. United’s four titles won between 1996 and 2004. Individually, Donovan became the only player in history to lift the MLS Cup on six occasions, having done so twice in San Jose and four times with the Galaxy. His performances in 2014 also saw him named into the MLS Best XI for a record seventh time, beating Dwayne De Rosario’s six nominations.
Donovan retired following the end of the 2014 term but returned to the Galaxy in 2016 with the club suffering several injury issues. He scored his 145th and final MLS goal in that short spell, leaving him at the top of the all-time scoring charts before Chris Wondolowski came and pushed the record past 150.
Next. MLS: Top 5 central midfielders in league history. dark
The midfielder holds so many Major League Soccer records, that he is arguably the best-ever player to have featured in the league, and he did so for 15 years. He has a record six MLS Cup winners’ medals, seven MLS Best XI nominations and is the league’s all-time leader in assists to name just a few. Donovan is the only man to have over 130 goals and 130 assists in the league’s 25-year spell, and will forever be known as one of, if not, the best ever!