MLS is Back: Top 3 surprising teams thus far

The MLS is Back is nearing the end of the group stages. With the knockout stages looming, here are the top three most surprising teams thus far.

The MLS is Back Tournament is nearing the end of the group stages. With just a few games to play and the knockout round taking shape, it is time to take stock of the teams that have impressed so far. And, as so often seems to be the case in Major League Soccer, it is not the big-name stars that have ripped this competition to shreds. In fact, some of the best performances have come from less likely candidates.

Here are the top three most surprising teams thus far.

3. Columbus Crew

There were plenty who thought that Caleb Porter’s Columbus Crew team would be dangerous in the MLS is Back Tournament. They made some excellent moves in the offseason, most notably retooling the central midfield by adding Darlington Nagbe from Atlanta United and Lucas Zelarayan from Liga MX, and the talent from 2019 was beginning to take shape in the latter stages of the season.

However, while there were plenty of reasons to be hopeful about the Crew’s prospects in this competition, through two games, they have been the standout team, dismantling FC Cincinnati in a ruthless 4-0 victory that featured some lovely football and well-crafted goals, before easing past the New York Red Bulls with relative ease to all but secure a first-place finish in the group.

Through two games, they have scored six goals, conceded none, and now face a beleaguered Atlanta United who are fighting for their lives and look lost without Josef Martinez and Columbus’ key holding midfielder, Nagbe. On current form, the Crew are the best team in MLS. Some thought they would be good, but this good is a huge surprise.