10 Players to Watch in 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs

10 players to watch in 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The race for the 2022 MLS Cup is on.

Fourteen teams will be looking to make a run for the title, including defending champions NYCFC, who finished the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference.

LAFC took home the Supporters Shield after ending the regular season with the best overall win-draw-loss record of 21-4-9, earning a first-round bye alongside Philadelphia Union, the No. 1 seed in the East. 

No one team was completely dominant from the rest, but LAFC, the Union and CF Montréal all appear serious contenders based on their regular-season form and the quality of players on those respective squads.

Including these three teams, let’s look at 10 players competing in the 2022 postseason who could dictate the action and help their squad hoist the title:

Andre Blake, Philadelphia Union

As the saying goes, defense wins championships – and Philadelphia has the best defense. Goalkeeper Andre Blake of Jamaica played a significant role in that regard throughout the regular season, leading the league in clean sheets (15) as the Union conceded the least amount of goals of any MLS squad (26). FC Dallas allowed the second-least with 37, which is a glaring gap to Philadelphia’s quality. If Blake and Co. can continue this form, it’s tough seeing any team scoring enough to beat them. 

Dániel Gazdag, Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia gets extra (brotherly) love here due to the fact that it also led the league in goals (72) and assists (72). Dániel Gazdag of Hungary led the Union with 22 goals, just one shy of tying the league’s Golden Boot winner, who will appear later in this list. The 26-year-old has enjoyed a marvelous sophomore campaign in Philadelphia after logging just four goals and five assists in 23 appearances last year, but he has taken colossal strides as the Union looks for their first ever MLS Cup.

Carlos Vela, LAFC

LAFC assembled quite the European talent throughout the 2022 campaign. Joining Carlos Vela in Southern California over the summer were Gareth Bale, Cristian Tello and Giorgino Chiellini, but Vela is still the key man for LAFC. Along with the team’s top goal scorer Cristian Arango, Vela has been a consistent attacking threat for the Black and Gold, logging 12 goals and 11 assists this year as a winger. As the franchise looks for its first ever title since being founded in 2014, perhaps now more than ever is the time for Vela to prove why the European triumvirate made the right choice to join him in Los Angeles. 

Djordje Mihailovic, CF Montréal

After reaching the semifinals in 2016, Montréal has failed to build on that propitious season. Now having its best year since, Djordje Mihailovic is the player to look at here. Though the 23-year-old midfielder who represents the USMNT is leaving the club for AZ Alkmaar of the Eredivisie in the winter, his ability to score and find teammates for assists has been vital. He had 16 assists last year in 34 appearances and has nine goals and six assists in 27 appearances in 2022. Due to his ambipedal abilities and creativity, he can change the complexion of any game.

Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC

In just its third season in MLS, Nashville has made its third consecutive postseason appearance. After finishing seventh in its first season and third last season, Nashville is fifth entering the postseason with Hany Mukhtar leading the entire league with 23 goals, claiming the Golden Boot award. The 27-year-old German attacking midfielder will have to continue bagging goals if Nashville hopes to jump the quarterfinal hurdle in 2022. 

Brandon Vázquez, FC Cincinnati

The 2018 USL champs are making their first MLS postseason appearance since joining the league in 2019. As the No. 5 seed in the East, two players deserve a ton of credit for their rise in the standings: attacking midfielder Luciano Acosta and striker Brandon Vázquez. The former leads MLS in assists with 19, but the latter gets the mention here. The 23-year-old American striker has broken out this year with 18 goals and eight assists in 33 games. His numbers last year? Four goals and three assists. If he can impress this postseason, he could force his way into Gregg Berhalter’s World Cup plans. 

Sean Johnson, NYCFC

If NYCFC manages to repeat as title winners in 2022, Sean Johnson might just be a vital reason why. The 33-year-old goalkeeper continues to improve at this stage of his career, registering a career-high 14 clean sheets, the second-most behind Philadelphia’s Blake. The Pigeons are tied for second in the East with 41 goals allowed, with Johnson notably fulfilling his role. Unlike Vázquez, Johnson is already a clear-cut choice to make the USMNT World Cup roster if healthy, but a formidable postseason may leap him as Berhalter’s top goalkeeping option above Arsenal’s Matt Turner.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, LA Galaxy

You can’t mention league titles without including Javier “Chicarito” Hernández of LA Galaxy. The 34-year-old Mexican striker has won a Liga MX title with Guadalajara and two Premier League titles with Manchester United. He’s netted 18 times in 32 games this year, his most since joining the club in 2020. LA Galaxy is the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.

Jesús Ferreira, FC Dallas

Jesús Ferreira is the striker numerous fans have been talking about all season. The 21-year-old has become Berhalter’s top striker because of his knack of scoring in MLS, though it hasn’t translated to the national side. However, now is the perfect time for Ferreira to collect momentum ahead of the World Cup, as he’s scored a career-high 18 goals in 33 appearances. Last year he had just eight in 27, but his passing in the final third is an underrated trait. 

Sebastián Driussi, Austin FC

Similar to FC Cincinnati, Austin FC has a talented goalscorer and playmaker on its hands. Diego Fagúndez is tied for second in the league in assists (15) while Sebastián Driussi is tied for second in goals (22). Last season, Driussi had just five goals in 17 appearances, but his ballstriking ability has been a critical component in Austin’s record season. Austin joined MLS last season and finished 12th in the West, but have extraordinarily soared to second thanks to players like Driussi. Let’s see if there’s a special run in store for the franchise. 

Honorable mentions from unnamed teams

Not every team saw a player listed above, but they’ll get recognition here. Let’s look at one player from the New York Red Bulls, Inter Miami, Orlando City, Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake:

John Tolkin, New York Red Bulls: 19-year-old left-back who had the second-most interceptions (75) and third-most tackles (56) 

Gonzalo Higuaín, Inter Miami: Achieved several accolades in Europe, leads Miami in scoring but is retiring after the postseason

Facundo Torres, Orlando City: 22-year-old attacking midfielder/winger who had nine goals and 10 assists in the regular season

Emanuel Reynoso, Minnesota United: 24-year-old midfielder who led the team with 10 goals and 11 assists and started all 29 games he appeared in

Sergio Córdova, Real Salt Lake: Led franchise with nine goals in first season with club