It’s becoming increasingly obviously that world soccer is entering a phase where possessionally sound soccer is praised and boot-and-chase becomes increasingly more derided. Whatever merits that presents, what about MLS? Which players are most consistently inclined to play the smart and/or killer pass?

If you’re starting a team, here are the three most robust possessional midfielders in the league as judged by me in light of the numbers. Let the games begin.

3. Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders

In darkened pubs and rum-soaked living rooms across the world, the GOAT conversation rages through time’s thick tunnels. When we talk about Messi or Fat Ronaldo or Hot Pants Ronaldo or Zidane or whoever, the discussion’s buck generally drops dead at the consistency argument. Yes, so-and-so was world class, but for how long were they world class? Was it the sustainable equivalent of farm-raised eggs, or did they simply make trips to the proverbial grocery store to buy a few successful seasons before fading back into the dusky twilight?

When we talk about Ozzie, we talk about consistency. There is no midfielder – dare I say, no player, Donovan included – in MLS who is as good as Alonso as consistency as Alonso. This map charts Alonso’s pass accuracy stretched out over the 2014 season.

The highest point, you’ll notice, occurred a week ago – 97 percent. The lowest? 86 percent in May. An 11 percent deviation over the course of more than six months. I don’t know if this gets it proper due because it’s quietly insane, not unlike Alonso’s overall game. It takes some time to unpack, but it’s like Bolano’s Savage Detectives in that way. You’re unsure what you’re reading until the novel ties itself off, and by then you realize you’ve read something entirely unique and softly brilliant.

Alonso and Juninho are similar in that they’re badgers with soft feet, a cannon foot and a recycler’s mentality. The difference in the two is that Alonso wins more balls and takes more chances forward – 70 percent of his passes travel forward as compared to 60 for Juninho, whose role is pinned back further. Which, in contrast, makes it an incredible achievement that Alonso is the most accurate passer in MLS. Otherwise, MLS’ perfect 4-2-3-1 involves Alonso sitting deep and driving attacks forward.

This kind of feed is so very Alonso. Tidy, concise, clean, forward, unassuming. Fitting, no?

2. Federico Higuain, Columbus Crew

Higuain is tepidly listed as a forward on a number of websites, but you and I know better.

Higuain is an outlier on this list, and you may be surprised to see him. In actual fact, though, it was only his role in previous seasons limiting his inclusion here, not his ability. Kei Kamara’s recent signing was important for Columbus, primarily because it’ll unhook Higuain from his role as a hybrid midfielder/forward and allow him to simply buttress and run through. As it is, Higuain’s 11 goals put him in rare company on this list. It also makes him arguably the most unique player in MLS. Here’s why.

Higuain is neither the most voluminous passer (Juninho) or the most accurate passer (Alonso) on this list, but he’s far and away the most dangerous. In 28 appearances this season, Higuain has generated 78 key passes and six assists, both of which are more than Juninho and Alonso combined. Even creators like Benny Feilhaber (48 key passes) don’t come close. You’d have to go all the way up the chain of command to General Donovan to surpass him.

In Columbus’ most recent match, a 2-1 loss to surging New England – who may, it should be said, be the East’s best team right now – Higuain’s map was typically “him.”

A couple hallmarks. Higuain only missed four passes in the Revs’ half, and three of them were speculative, known as “chance taking.” Higuain will gamble more than your typical midfielder, but you like to see it, especially with how often he hits on his chances.

The only reason Higuain won’t generate the same number of goosebumps among the MLS coaching literati is that his defensive work rate isn’t fantastic (Squawka gives him a negative-84 on defense, for whatever that’s worth). The reason why Higuain’s possession score is so high, namely why it’s higher than men like Donovan, who occupy roles in a similar stratosphere, is because his role in the middle and as a swingman in Berhalter’s formation allows him freedom most in MLS wouldn’t know what to do with. Namely, he’s arguably the best attacking midfielder in MLS without the ball, depending on how much you think Donovan has depreciated in this department over the last couple years.

Look at this sequence. Midway through the first half of Columbus’ smashing 4-1 win over LA in August, Higuain is diving into on and offside positions as an off-shoulder forward when he suddenly flips the mental switch to an attacking midfielder in an instant. As Wil Trapp pushes in, Higuain jumps back into the play. That’s him up top.

As he rounds back to possession, Trapp plays it up, and Higuain notices Justin Meram pushing hard to his right. In lieu of holding up possession and crashing forward himself, as strikers are often compelled to do, Higuain dummies this like he’s Juan Mata.

Meram is in. A couple more touches and he’s played in Ethan Finlay, who roofs the effort for a 2-0 lead to kickstart the blowout. Higuain in a nutshell: consistently the most dangerous and possessionally sound central attacking midfielder in MLS. Whether he’s listed there or not.

1. Juninho, LA Galaxy

If soccer is a canvas and possessionally-minded midfielders are responsible for most of the painting, Juninho is MLS’ Rembrandt. The shading, the painstaking attention to minute detail, the consistency… all there. Juninho’s gradually peeled back from the attack as Marcelo Sarvas assumed more of a forward-seeking role, but his value as a first-line distributor and cattle prod is invaluable.

Nobody in MLS provides this level of production.

Juninho’s swings are a bit more wild than the ground-and-pound Alonso, but his highs are higher. Note the successful pass number in relation to the second column. In passes along the ground (the blue portion), the success-to-failure split is 1,514-102, a ratio of roughly 14 successful passes to every one that goes awry. That’s nuts. Spread out over a series of possessions, that level of consistency is both unparalleled and a tempo-setter for one of the most dangerous attacks in MLS history. Don’t forget the Galaxy’s 27-pass sequence earlier this year, either.

In fact, the Galaxy’s current +35 goal differential has been surpassed just once in league history, ironically by the 1998 Galaxy. So depending on who you talk to, it may be the most dangerous attack in MLS history, and Juninho its is windshield wiper blade. League defenses have improved a mite in the last 16 years.

Take this example.

In sexy soccer terms, there isn’t much there. Just before the camera clicks into gear, Juninho settled a difficult ball and cycled it outside for Robbie Keane, who creates the highlight. But that’s a deceptively difficult sequence. Juninho frequently operates with defenses collapsing into him, and here you see the respect Juninho casually defies by flipping possession outside so it can continue.

You can see it easily on film with the benefit of a bird’s view, but can you see it in real time on field level? Juninho’s answer? Almost always yes.