There’s some déjà vu after Matchday 28: Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada was voted MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for a third time this season.
Almada also garnered this recognition after Matchday 1 and Matchday 4, contributing to 22 goal contributions (9g/13a) on the campaign – tops in MLS alongside FC Cincinnati playmaker Luciano Acosta.
The Argentine star’s latest show-stopping performance came in a 4-0 victory over rivals Nashville SC. He scored once and contributed two assists at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, continuing the Five Stripes’ electric post-Leagues Cup form.
Almada, the 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year and a reigning World Cup champion, tallied helpers on goals from Xande Silva and Miles Robinson. He also chipped the goalkeeper from close range to pad Saturday's rout.
In milestone moments, Almada joined Josef Martínez (three times) as the only players in club history to total at least 20 goal contributions through their first 24 games of a season. He also sits one helper shy of tying the single-season club record (14) set by three different players.
Atlanta now have scored 48 regular-season goals in 2023, which ranks third in MLS in 2023. They’ll hope to keep the engines roaring Wednesday evening when hosting Supporters’ Shield leaders FC Cincinnati for a Matchday 29 showdown (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
