MLS: Top 5 wingers in league history

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COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 6: Guillermo Barros Schelotto #7 of the Columbus Crew runs upfield against the Colorado Rapids during the second leg of the MLS playoff match on November 6, 2010, at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Coming in at No.2 on our list is the only member to have spent less than five years of their career in the league, and the only one to have taken MVP honours, Argentinian winger Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Before coming into the American top-flight in 2007, Schelotto had already played professionally for 17 years, playing almost 500 league games in his native Argentina. He spent seven years with Gimnasia La Plata before spending a decade with Boca Juniors, where he won the Copa Libertadores four times and the Copa Sudamericana twice, among several other major titles.

MLS Career & Honours:

Columbus Crew (2007-2010)

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MLS MVP – 2008
MLS Best XI – 2007, 2008
MLS Cup MVP – 2008

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MLS Cup – 2008
Supporters’ Shield – 2008, 2009

Schelotto joined up with Columbus Crew for the 2007 season, and he immediately put his mark on the league, recording double-digit assists in his debut campaign, despite playing only 22 regular-season matches. His five-goal, 11-assist season saw him into the MLS Best XI in 2007, the only member of the Crew to make the cut that year.

Fast forward to 2008, and it got even better for the Argentinian, and for the team, as they won the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup double. They took the league title by six points, earning the trophy for the second time in their history, while Schelotto took home MVP honours for his performances. He scored seven times and recorded a league-high 19 assists as he became the second Argentinian in three years to win the biggest individual honour in American soccer. With that honour, he also made his way into the MLS Best XI for a second successive year, this time being joined by team-mates Chad Marshall and Robbie Rogers.

COLUMBUS, OH – AUGUST 21: Guillermo Barros Schelotto #7 of the Columbus Crew controls the ball against the Colorado Rapids on August 21, 2010, at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

The 2009 season saw the Crew win the Supporters’ Shield for a second straight season, taking the league title by a single point from the Galaxy and Dynamo on the final day of the campaign. Schelotto scored a career-high 12 goals during the regular season, whilst also recording a further three assists.

The Argentinian improved on his assist tally in what would be his final season in the American top-flight, 2010. He set up eight strikes for his Crew team-mates, whilst also scoring nine goals in a career-high 29 regular-season appearances, taking his MLS career total to over the century mark for his four-year stint.

Schelotto played in 102 regular-season matches during his four years in mid-Ohio, scoring 33 goals and recording 41 assists during that time. He may have only been in the league for a short period, but he is the only member of our top five to have taken the league’s MVP honours, for a fantastic 2008 campaign. He is one of two men to currently manage a team in the league, with the Argentinian having taken over as the LA Galaxy head coach before the start of the 2019 term.

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