MLS: Top 5 wingers in the league right now
By Matt Coles
4. Cristian Espinoza
One of two men in our top five who has only featured in the American top flight for a single season, San Jose Earthquakes winger Cristian Espinoza takes the No.4 spot.
After coming through the Huracan youth system in his native Argentina, Espinoza then played for three seasons for the senior team. He then joined Spanish side Villarreal in 2016 but never played a league match for the club, instead being loaned out to Alaves, Valladolid and Boca Juniors, before getting his first taste of MLS action in 2019.
MLS Career & Honours:
- San Jose Earthquakes (2019-)
Espinoza joined the ‘Quakes on loan from Villarreal for the 2019 campaign, and his performances were good enough to warrant the franchise forking out a club-record transfer fee for the winger to make the deal permanent following the campaign.
The Argentinian winger may have only scored twice last season, but he recorded 13 assists throughout the regular season, in which he made 30 league appearances. Only one other member of the Earthquakes squad had double-digit assists, showing the level that Espinoza was playing at throughout the campaign.
He recorded another assist in the early part of the 2020 term as San Jose tied their season-opener with Toronto FC. The Argentinian will continue to be a key part of the ‘Quakes attack when play resumes in Orlando in July.