Back in April, I gave you the All-Underrated Best XI, aka the "Dom Badji All-Stars". In the wake of the release of the official MLS Best XI – yes, we all have takes – here’s another crop of Best XIs from 2018.
Before you get all bent out of shape, I reserve the right to run out whatever formation fits my own machinations, so long as there is at least one goalkeeper and three defenders. Rules are rules, right?
The following XIs hit the cutting room floor: All-Coaches, All-DP, All-TAM and All-Old Man (33 or older). Feel free to give yours in the comment section or invent your own XI. You make the rules!
Also, shout out to the group chat, aptly named “More 🌎 Less Kansas,” for their sometime valuable and sometimes worthless assistance putting these together.
Good seasons on bad teams XI
This one is pretty self-explanatory. I’m defining “bad teams” as any that failed to make the playoffs. I’m also excluding anyone who made the 2018 Best XI (e.g. Ignacio Piatti and Zlatan Ibrahimovic) or who won an MLS MVP award in the past (e.g. Giovinco). Let’s spread that spotlight around a bit.
GK: Evan Bush (Montreal Impact)
RB: Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes)
CB: Rod Fanni (Montreal)
LB: Edgar Castillo (Colorado Rapids)/DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo)
I make the rules, and El Homie and Run DMB are sharing the honors.
DM: Samuel Piette (Montreal)
CM: Saphir Taider (Montreal)
CM: Yoshi Yotun (Orlando City)
CAM: Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC)
ATT: Romain Alessandrini (LA Galaxy)
ATT: Darwin Quintero (Minnesota United)
FWD: Mauro Manotas (Houston)
All-American XI
Seattle's Chad Marshall in action. | USA Today Images
Where are all my American attackers? This feels like a problem.
GK: Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
RB: Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)
CB: Aaron Long (RBNY)
CB: Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders)
LB: Edgar Castillo (Colorado)
This team needs attacking help, so Zusi gets the nod over Reggie Cannon.
Forced to pick between Beasley and Castillo this year, I’ll take Castillo.
DM: Tyler Adams (RBNY)
CM: Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union)
CM: Russell Canouse (D.C. United)
RW: Cristian Roldan (Seattle)
LW: Fafa Picault (Philadelphia)
FWD: Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC)
All-Concacaf (including Canada) XI
GK: Andre Blake (Philadelphia)
LB: Kemar Lawrence (RBNY)
CB: Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
CB: Francisco Calvo (Minnesota)
RB: Michael Murillo (RBNY)
DM: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
CM: Roger Espinoza (SKC)
CM: Carlos Vela (LAFC)
ATT: Alphonso Davies (Vancouver)
ATT: Alberth Elis (Houston)
FWD: Cory Burke (Philadelphia)
All-CONMEBOL XI
Atlanta duo Martinez and Almiron lead the CONMEBOL XI | USA Today Images
You try to pick from the attacking talent. It’s close to impossible. We are #blessed to have such an incredible South American contingent in our league.
GK: N/A
OK, so I broke one of my rules. There isn’t a CONMEBOL ‘keeper in MLS right now, and we’ve got a glut of attacking talent … which means I’m shamelessly adding another attacker. Who needs a goalkeeper with this squad?
RB: Franco Escobar (Atlanta United)
CB: Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (Atlanta)
LB: Milton Valenzuela (Columbus)
DM: Diego Chara (Portland Timbers)
CM: Artur (Columbus)
CM: Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle)
CAM: Luciano Acosta (D.C.)
ATT: Sebastian Blanco (Portland)
ATT: Ignacio Piatti (Montreal)
ATT: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta)
FWD: Josef Martinez (Atlanta)
All-UEFA XI
GK: Stefan Frei (Seattle)
Frei is a US citizen and eligible for the USMNT, but he was born in Switzerland. We need the best ‘keeper we can get for this squad, so in he goes.
LB: Ashley Cole (LA)
CB: Reto Ziegler (FC Dallas)
RB: Kelvin Leerdam (Seattle)
DM: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Chicago Fire)
CM: Julian Gressel (Atlanta)
CM: Alexander Ring (NYCFC)
CAM: Borek Dockal (Philadelphia)
FWD: Wayne Rooney (D.C.)
FWD: Bradley Wright-Phillips (RBNY)
FWD: Zlatan (LA)
All-Homegrown XI
Hamid returned to D.C. midseason and helped the team's second-half revival. | USA Today Images
GK: Bill Hamid (D.C.)
RB: Reggie Cannon (Dallas)
CB: Auston Trusty (Philadelphia)
CB: Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia)
LB: Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake)
DM: Wil Trapp (Columbus)
CM: Tyler Adams (RBNY)
ATT: Alphonso Davies (VAN)
ATT: Corey Baird (RSL)
ATT: Daniel Salloi (SKC)
FWD: Gyasi Zardes (Columbus)
