Of all the prime numbers that usually feature in a starting lineup, it is undeniable that Nos. 3 and 5 are the least sexy. While No. 1 is reserved for goalkeepers, and players who wear Nos. 7 and 11 are often involved in the scoring of goals, Nos. 3 and 5 usually hang back in an attempt to spoil the fun. (No. 2 is also a prime number, but we’re not prepared to classify the number that Clint Dempsey and Frankie Hejduk wore as lacking in flash.)



Fittingly, if you ask some of the most notable players in MLS why they chose to wear either of those numbers, the stories tend to be pragmatic shading into the mundane.



“What’s crazy is that I’ve worn a different number with every team I’ve been on,” said 2007 MLS defender of the year Michael Parkhurst, whose definition of the word “crazy” suggests he was a natural No. 3 all along. “I wore three in college. I wore three actually growing up. I don’t know why. I was...