Josef Martinez (Atlanta United) Nothing in Major League Soccer is as thrilling as an Atlanta United game at their new Mercedes Benz Stadium home. Tata Martino’s men have scored more goals than any other side in becoming the first expansion team to make the play-offs in their debut season since the 2009 Seattle Sounders. Much of that attacking success has been down to Josef Martinez.

The Venezuelan is United’s master of chaos, scoring 18 goals in just 16 starts. If Atlanta are to make a play-off run, keeping Martinez firing will prove critical. Of course, without the supply line of Miguel Almiron, who is currently struggling with injury, Martinez will find things more difficult, but the 24-year-old is precisely the sort of instinctive finisher you want in a knockout format.

There are those who doubt Martinez will stick around for long in Atlanta, with a host of European linked with a move for the attacker. Such speculation illustrates the level at which he is currently operating, but for now he is charged with giving Atlanta United the chance of becoming the first expansion side to win MLS since Bob Bradley’s legendary Chicago Fire team of 1998. Martinez will make a real impact if he can carry his goalscoring achievements into the post-season.

Victor Vazquez (Toronto FC) Talk about Toronto FC’s individual brilliance and most will naturally, with strong justification, gush about the talents of Sebastian Giovinco, probably the most talented player in the whole league. But the Italian needs help from his team-mates, and Victor Vazquez has provided that this season.

The former Barcelona B midfielder has been central to TFC’s regular season success, notching eight goals and 16 assists in 30 games for the Canadians. He is Greg Vanney’s very own Andres Iniesta, benefiting from a full season without any injuries or international call-ups (unlike many of TFC’s other star players).

Vazquez relies on his intelligence, with the knock-on effect being that Toronto FC are a much smarter side this season than last. The Spaniard isn’t especially quick, nor is he known for dribbling past opponents. But his vision and awareness gives him, and by extension his team, a real advantage. Giovinco might be TFC’s biggest name, their most obvious match winner, but it’s Vazquez who often puts him in the position to win the match.

Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) He became the first midfielder to score 20 goals in a single season. He also became the first player to score in nine consecutive games. Whichever way it is viewed, Diego Valeri has enjoyed an astonishing 2017, with the Argentine the favourite of many to win this season’s MVP award. It’s little wonder considering the way he has carried the Portland Timbers for much of the campaign.

Indeed, no other team with a play-off berth is defined by one player as the Timbers are by Valeri. Everything Caleb Porter’s side does well in the final third flows through the 31-year-old. And that’s another thing – the achievements of Valeri at 31 only serve to further highlight his quality. It’s not so long ago that some questioned whether his career might be over, suffering a cruciate ligament injury towards the end of the 2014 season.

Now, he is the player pushing the Timbers towards another MLS Cup challenge. Portland’s chances should have been compromised by the injury picked up by Fanendo Adi, but Valeri has taken on that mantel too, not just content with being the guy who creates, as he has been in seasons gone by, he’s now the guy who scores too.

Tim Melia (Sporting KC) It’s been 17 years since a goalkeeper was named MVP, but perhaps Tim Melia should give Tony Meola a call, just to prepare himself for what to expect. So the Sporting KC shot-stopper probably won’t walk away with the league’s most prestigious individual accolade, such is the quality of the talent catching the eye in the attacking third, but Melia is the face of his side’s post-season challenge.

As has become the norm in the Peter Vermes years, Sporting KC boast the meanest defence in MLS, with the likes of Matt Besler and Ike Opara enjoying successful years. But behind them is a goalkeeper who has let fewer shots past him this season than any other No1 in the division.

What’s more, Melia’s tale of personal growth is a compelling one. As recently as 2014, he was an MLS pool player, kept on a retainer just in case anyone in the league needed a goalkeeper at short notice. Now, he’s the best in his position. Of course, Melia has spent the past two weeks sidelined through a hamstring injury, but should he recover in time for the play-offs, he’ll be the bedrock upon which Sporting KC build their challenge.

David Villa (New York City FC) It would remiss to put together a list of players who could define the MLS play-offs this season and not mention David Villa. He is, after all, the guy who fronts New York City FC, perhaps the only team who can go toe-to-toe with Toronto FC at their own game. He is the guy who, for the second successive season, has exceeded the 20-goal mark.

Villa’s influence at Yankee Stadium (or Citi Field as it was for the Decision Day clash against Columbus) goes beyond his goals. The 35-year-old is an attacking hub in every possible way, giving NYC FC a platform in the final third that benefits others around him. Jack Harrison, for one, wouldn’t have enjoyed the season he has were it not for Villa.

It speaks volumes of NYC FC’s ambition as a franchise that there is a sense of expectation, even pressure, around the club ahead of the play-offs. This might be their third season as a MLS team, but different rules apply to a side backed by the biggest club ownership group in the game. Villa knows and thrives in this pressure, though, making a career of turning up for the big occasions. What will now follow certainly counts as that for NYC FC and their Spanish frontman.



MLS playoff line-up:

Western Conference: Portland Timbers (No1 seed); Seattle Sounders (2); Vancouver Whitecaps (3); Houston Dynamo (4); Sporting Kansas City (5); San Jose Earthquakes (6).

Eastern Conference: Toronto FC (1); New York City FC (2); Chicago Fire (3); Atlanta United (4); Columbus Crew (5); New York Red Bulls (6).