Welcome to another edition of "Discuss," in which MLSsoccer.com editors debate the topics of the moment in MLS. This week, we take a look at a possible contender in the Most Valuable Player race...
It's that time of year, when MLS awards voting is open and the debate rages over the contenders and pretenders in various categories.
Perhaps most discussed is the Most Valuable Player race. It's a massive honor, and one that rewards a player for a good season's work.
Except...what about the case of Seattle Sounders midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro? He only arrived to MLS at the end of July, but he's been pretty impressive, scoring four goals and eight assists in 12 league appearances, helping the Sounders rocket up the standings and on the cusp of an Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs berth. Should he be in consideration for MLS MVP, even if he hasn't been around all season? Should he even be in consideration for the MLS Best XI?
Without further ado, we let our team weigh in: MLSsoccer.com Contributors Franco Panizo, Charles Boehm and Alicia Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief Simon Borg, Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle, Senior Editor Andrew Wiebe, New Media Editor Nicholas Rosano and Associate Editor Ben Baer. Readers can do the same in the comments below.
BAER: Two words – no way.
If you play in less than 15 games, you should not be considered for any awards. It’s as simple as that. Here are some MIDFIELDERS who made a much bigger impact simply because of the amount of games they played: Sacha Kljestan, Mauro Diaz, Ignacio Piatti, Luciano Acosta, Osvaldo Alonso, Diego Valeri, Chris Pontius, Benny Feilhaber, etc.
ROSANO: Valuable is the operative word
Should Nicolas Lodeiro be the MVP? Short answer: No. BWP, Kljestan, Villa and Giovinco and a few others have had statistically better seasons and have been key in ensuring their teams won’t even have to worry about qualifying (or not) on Decision Day. But as much as certain folks would like to argue otherwise, there’s also a subjective element to the MVP award, specifically where it says ‘valuable.’
It’s almost impossible to argue Seattle would be where they are heading into Decision Day without Lodeiro. If the ultimate goal is to reach the playoffs – and subsequently win MLS Cup – as every team openly states at the beginning of the season, then by that measure Lodeiro has been just as valuable as any of the players above.
BOEHM: If the crown fits...
Let’s judge players by efficiency and impact before mere time served. Lodeiro hasn't wasted a moment in MLS – save perhaps that match he had to sit out due to a rashly-accumulated collection of yellow cards. No single player has had a greater impact on his team in any timespan in 2016.
Sure, interim head coach Brian Schmetzer deserves a ton of credit for refreshing the atmosphere in and around the Sounders' training ground at Starfire Sports Complex. Things had clearly gone stale – or even downright sour – in the final days of Sigi Schmid's distinguished tenure. But Seattle's season can be neatly divided into two halves: BN and AN (Before Nico and After Nico).
Without him, they were a plodding, underachieving mess. With him, they're a far better team in every single facet of the game. What more can we ask for?
DOYLE: Spare a thought for a cult favorite
No, but Patrick Mullins has.
WIEBE: Wait 'til next year
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let’s hold our horses here. Nicolas Lodeiro has been good. Really good. But Seattle could still miss the playoffs, and tabbing the Uruguayan for MVP is just too much for this pundit. As for Best XI, has Lodeiro been better than every other No. 10 in MLS this year? Better than Sacha? Better than Mauro? Nah, no way, but you could certainly get the Nico for 2017 bandwagon rolling now if you wanted.
PANIZO: Good so far, but not enough
Lodeiro has helped the Seattle Sounders turned their season around, but he does not warrant a spot on the MLS MVP shortlist over players who have performed consistently over the course of the entire year. Yes, he's been tremendous for the Sounders since arriving, but so too was Didier Drogba last year for the Montreal Impact and the Ivorian led the Eastern Conference side to the playoffs. Lodeiro has not even accomplished that yet, and might not at all if things don't go Seattle's way on Decision Day.
RODRIGUEZ: It's a case-by-case decision
My knee-jerk reaction? No way. A player who has been around for the long haul should always get more weight than guys, like Lodeiro, who drop in mid-season.
But the more I think about it, the more I believe it's a case-by-case scenario. Did Lodeiro's arrival (and more importantly, performance) transform Seattle for the better? No doubt about it. Will he get my MLS MVP vote? No, but he should be considered. There's no question his impact has been significant, and we can't just discount players merely because they weren't here in March.
BORG: No MVP, but how about Best XI?
Should there be a minimum match threshold to qualify for the MVP award or Best XI? The answer is no. But the player who arrives in midseason will always be at a disadvantage.
Yes, Lodeiro has done more in 12 matches (4 goals / 8 assists) than some MLS players have done in an entire season. But there are also other players who have consistently produced for more than a mere 12 MLS matches, and that should definitely tip the vote in their favor — Sebastian Giovinco, Sacha Kljestan, Ignacio Piatti, Bradley Wright-Phillips, David Villa.
So if the MVP shortlist is only three or five deep, Lodeiro doesn’t beat out any of those names. But when it comes to the Best XI, you’ll be hard-pressed to find four midfielders in MLS who are more deserving. Expect Lodeiro to get the nod there.
