How did our #Mextranjeros do in the 2019 MLS Regular Season?
With the end of the 2019 MLS regular season and the Audi MLS Playoffs starting, let’s review how our #Mextranjeros fared during the 2019 MLS season.
To start, while the MLS has made serious strides over the years in marketing itself to Latino audiences, but they have yet made an impact with Mexican fans. No doubt, they face stiff competition in Liga MX, which most Mexican soccer fans prefer to watch. However, one of their key ways of attracting those Mexican eyeballs is by signing and fielding Mexican players. Of course, in the sport of soccer, it’s not best to have everything be a business decision, which now begs the question: what Mexican players play in MLS? And more importantly, how’d they do this year
To answer the first part of that question, this year, MLS relied on the services of six well known Mexican players throughout its campaign. Of the six, four played their first MLS season in 2019. Only Carlos Vela of LAFC and Jonathan dos Santos of the LA Galaxy returned for their 2nd and 3rd seasons, respectively. The newcomers, Uriel Antuna, Efrain Alvarez, Marco Fabian, and Carlos Fierro, each had their first MLS season this year, each with mixed results.
Jonathan dos Santos – LA Galaxy
Starting with the team that had the most Mexicans this year, let’s review the impact our #mextranjeros had on the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy had one returning player in Jonathan Dos Santos and two new players to boast, Uriel Antuna and Efrain Alvarez. The impact of these three players, especially that of dos Santos and Antuna, did not go unnoticed. The two Mexican midfielders became a crucial part of Coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s game plan. Dos Santos was a vital contributor in the midfield, managing the game for the Galaxy and recovering and distributing balls throughout the game. Teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović described Jona as the “engine of the team.” And a reliable engine he was. Of the 29 games that Jona played this season, he was a starter for all of them, going the full 90 minutes in 25 of those. Of the five that he didn’t play (most due to injury), the Galaxy team sorely missed him, losing 3 of those games in the process. While the stat sheets don’t show much love for Jona, because he netted two goals and serviced three assists, his impact on the field was more significant than numbers could describe.
Uriel Antuna – LA Galaxy
His Mexican teammate, Uriel Antuna, also became a crucial factor on the Galaxy team this year. While teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović took the goal scoring spotlight for the team this year, Antuna quietly took over the number two spot in terms of goals scored with six for the year. He also, he notched in five assists this season. Antuna performed this by playing in 31 games this season and starting 29 of those. Although of those 29, he only played the complete 90 minutes in 10 games, for those that saw the Santos Laguna product on the field, it was evident that he was a vital part of the Galaxy’s disruptive game plan. While Antuna will have to work on his accuracy, no one from his squad matched his speed and ability to put pressure up top. Those that watched him grow throughout this season have high hopes for the youngster’s future. Mexico National team fans alike also have much to look forward to with Uriel. This especially after his breakout debut with Mexico in the 2019 Gold Cup this year, a tournament in which Antuna was Mexico’s second top goalscorer, with four goals, and their leader in assists as well. Antuna’s debut MLS season certainly did not disappoint.
Efrain Alvarez – LA Galaxy
Another young, #Mextranjero, LA Galaxy player who debuted this year, was Los Angeles native Efrain Alvarez. There was much hype around the young Angelino as we entered this season. The excitement was stemming from his breakout season with the LA Galaxy II in the USL, a season in which he scored 12 goals and averaged nearly one goal per game. Of course, his young age also added to the buzz, as he was only 16 when he made his MLS debut in March. That initial debut was also a memorable one that added to the hype around this player. After being subbed on late in the second half, it was his play, and assist, that helped the Galaxy take home a 2-1 victory against the Chicago Fire that afternoon. Since that debut, his gameplay has gone through ups and downs; most pundits can say he has progressed. On paper, his stat sheet can tell you that of the 14 games he played this season, he started four and was able to add two more assists to his total for the year. Indeed, not bad for a young player on such a talented squad. While the Galaxy won’t make use of Álvarez during the playoffs this season, as he will be off with the Mexico National Team competing in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, they are sure to make use of him more often as the next season unfolds.
Carlos Fierro – San Jose Earthquakes
Switching to a different MLS team now, another #Mextranjero that we hope to see more of next season is Carlos Fierro. The Chivas product and FIFA U-17 World Cup champion with Mexico was a critical factor in Coach Matias Almeyda’s past teams but unfortunately couldn’t quite find his place on the San Jose Earthquakes this year. Granted, Carlitos Fierro did join the Quakes late in the season, and it has been a struggle for him to perform. Of the seven games he played this season, he only started in 2, never entirely playing a complete 90 minutes this season. While Carlitos will have to wait until next season to prove himself, with the Quakes narrowly missing out on the playoffs this year, San Jose fans and Mexico fans alike can only hope that he will return to being the same Carlos Fierro that helped Chivas lift the Liga MX title under Almeyda in 2017.
Marco Fabian – Philadelphia Union
We’ll now shift our focus onto another #Mextranjero and Chivahermano, who we also hope to see make waves in the MLS. Marco Fabian joined the Eastern Conference side Philadelphia Union just before the start of the 2019 MLS season from Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt. This season with Philly, he notched seven goals (the team’s second-most) and one assist. While at times he’s been electrifying for the Union, netting in clutch goals, at other times, he’s left much more to be desired from a player of his caliber. In his 23 games played this season, he started 15, going the full 90 in 4 games. Fabian will have the chance to continue proving himself during the MLS Playoffs when his Philly team faces off against NY Red Bulls in their playoff opener. Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, Fabian has shown that he can be an essential piece for the Union. It remains to be seen if he can maintain consistency for next season. Success from Fabian and his fellow #Mextranjeros will be vital in attracting more Mexican players to the MLS. But of course, no one makes a case for Mexicans in MLS more than this year’s leading MLS goal scorer.
Carlos Vela – LAFC
Carlos Vela from LAFC had himself a season for the ages. The leading MLS goal scorer for the season made himself not just a strong case for 2019 MLS MVP, but also made a case for more Mexicans in MLS. He was a crucial piece to LAFC’s historic run this season, helping them secure the Supporters Shield this year. His 34 goals were an all-time MLS record, and his 15 assists were team-leading (as well as third-most in all of MLS). Of the 31 games he played this year, he only failed to score in six of those. While the LAFC team was strong in and of itself, arguably, without Vela, they could not have had the breakout season they just had. His numbers almost speak for themselves. As mentioned, he not only led his team in goals scored but also in assists. A polarizing figure in Mexico fan’s eyes, he helped to make the MLS season more exciting this year, both on and off the field, especially in Los Angeles. His goal-scoring prowess made waves on its own, but his public feud with Zlatan in the middle of the season also caught other’s eyes and attention. His tremendous success opens the door and makes it that much more intriguing for other Mexican players to join the ranks of the MLS. We have already heard the rumors of Andres Guardado and Javier Hernandez possibly joining the MLS, and it’s hard to believe that the success of Carlos Vela hasn’t played a small role in convincing them that the move here would be a smart choice.
Of course, that all remains to be seen as we wrap up 2019 and look forward to the 2020 season. We have yet to see what the impact of our #Mextranjeros will be in the playoffs this year, but we hope that it will be a catalyst for more Mexicans to join the ranks of America’s growing soccer league.
