First a thought. Now that Landon Donovan has shaken off the proverbial dust from his Galaxy uniform and returned to action, the league should probably consider removing his name from the MVP award. After saying goodbye to the game in 2014, MLS respectfully renamed it in his honor, but now after his return it seems slightly odd for a trophy to be named after a player who, despite his great success in the past, is probably not better than the candidates who might receive it.

Namesake notwithstanding, Major League Soccer’s MVP award is one of my favorite prizes in the world of soccer just because the nominees and winners continue to be so wonderfully diverse. Since the league’s first ever season in 1996 when Carlos Valderrama won it with Tampa Bay Mutiny, we have had 10 different nationalities win the award. From Bolivia’s Marco Etcheverry (DC United) to last year’s first ever Italian winner in Sebastian Giovinco, it’s refreshing to see just how many different nationalities represent the most sought after individual award in the most diverse professional sports league in North America.



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As we discuss this year’s finalists most likely to appear on the three-man ballot at the beginning of November, one thing is abundantly clear: this is a two-horse race. The incomparable Giovinco will never stop impressing us and 16 goals and 13 assists for the season so far are nothing short of superlative. But I just don’t think the award will be given to a player who has been out of action since late August and missed five matches in the process. Sacha Kljestan is an assist machine (17) and we should not disregard the value he offers to both the Red Bulls and the US national team as the 31-year-old midfielder was one of the only shining points from USA’s draw with New Zealand earlier this week.

This award, however, loves forwards (see Giovinco and Robbie Keane, the last two winners) and as the season winds down there are only two candidates who are worthy of the prize. As we wind down the regular season, these two stars know there is something much bigger at stake than an individual honor. Both teams, from the same city, are still looking to win the conference and indeed the Cup – and the fact that they represent a fresh rivalry make this debate that much more enticing. And in keeping with the trophy’s diverse spirit, they are a south Londoner whose father was one of the greatest strikers in the English game and a pint-sized player from Northern Spain who is lovingly referred to as El Guaje.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls

Forget about the fact that the 31-year-old Englishman is a contender for the Golden Boot award (tied with 21 goals with David Villa) and set to become the first player in MLS history to score at least 20 goals in multiple seasons. Or that back in May, while playing his 100th game for New York, Wright-Phillips scored a hat trick in the first 27 minutes against Toronto, the fastest from opening whistle in MLS history. Or that two months later, he broke another record by becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 62 goals, surpassing the great Juan Pablo Angel. All that you need to know is that shortly after he broke yet another mark by scoring the most league goals over three seasons last month with 62 goals since 2014 (and counting), Jesse Marsch decided to give the ex-England U20 international the definitive compliment. “Listen, this is not taking anything away from Thierry, and obviously Thierry’s the biggest name to ever play here, and is one of the best players,’’ Marsch said in September, “but I think Brad is emerging himself as the best Red Bull player, the best New York MetroStars player, or whatever you’d want to call it. He’s the best player to ever play here.” I would go as far as saying this season has catapulted him as one of the best ever strikers the league has ever seen. Period.

David Villa, New York City FC

There is no doubt that Patrick Vieira and his managerial philosophy have been a major reason for NYC FC’s success this season. Since the 7-0 atrocity in the Hudson River Derby, the Frenchman has created an atmosphere of consistency and resilience amongst the squad, a trait that is often needed with new teams entering a 20-year-old league. Players such as Jack Harrison and Steven Mendoza also have helped the cause, but make no mistake about it, this is David Villa’s team and no other squad relies on single a player more. From a statistical standpoint, the numbers are impressive: 21 goals tie him with the aforementioned Wright-Phillips including four match winners. But what makes this 34-year-old World Cup winner truly one of the greatest ever strikers of his generation is his work rate. The man simply doesn’t stop moving and it’s this mobility and eye for goal that has enabled him to be the most dangerous striker in the league. This season Guaje hasn’t gone three matches without scoring a goal: to put that into perspective, both Wright-Phillips and Giovinco have gone seven matches or longer without scoring this year, albeit Giovinco’s reasoning was also down to injury. But what this means is that Villa is the man you can bet your house on to score, no matter who you’re playing against or who is supplying the chances. Before the season started I interviewed Villa and during our conversation he stressed to me how his goalscoring is a priority for the team’s success and not for personal achievement. “I score for the team,” he said. “Not for David Villa.” As NYC FC make history by entering their first ever playoff run, it cannot be forgotten that it’s all mainly thanks to David Villa, the man who was born to score.