GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including Robinson helping Cincinnati secure a strong playoff seed
It's a marathon, not a sprint. That perfectly describes a Major League Soccer season that kicked off Feb. 22 and is entering the business end of the campaign.
The playoff field is largely set, with the Chicago Fire, Orlando City SC, Portland Timbers, and Real Salt Lake all battling in play-in games to earn the final seeds in their respective conferences. And among the 18 teams in the playoffs, there is a strong USMNT contingent that will play a part as they look to impress manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Miles Robinson, who started both of the USMNT's October friendlies, was once again brilliant in FC Cincinnati's rout over Montreal – a win that sealed second place in the playoffs. FCC are expected to be one of the favorites in this year's postseason. On the other hand, both the Colorado Rapids' Zack Steffen and Toronto FC's Djordje Mihailovic were impressive in their team's season finales, even if they won't be in the playoffs.
With injuries and questions at their respective positions, could they factor into Pochettino's November camp?
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from USMNT players in MLS.
ImagnRobinson buoyed by recent USMNT appearances?
Robinson remains one of the USMNT’s bigger In 2017, the centerback was viewed as a cornerstone of the team's future defense, especially after playing a small part in Atlanta United’s 2018 MLS Cup win. Despite plenty of European interest, Robinson chose to stay in MLS as a free agent, accepting a lucrative offer from FC Cincinnati.
That decision has drawn its share of criticism over the years, with some suggesting it’s cost him consistency in national team call-ups. But the fortunes of the FCC star may finally be turning.
Now 28, Robinson was a surprise starter for Pochettino during the October camp, benefitting from the Argentine’s decision to roll with a three-man backline. He rewarded that faith with two solid outings in positive USMNT results. Even more telling, Robinson started ahead of well-established defenders – Toulouse’s Mark McKenzie and Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers.
After those matches, Robinson returned to anchor Cincinnati's defense against CF Montréal on Decision Day. Sure, Montreal are out of the playoff picture, but as Toronto FC showed, the standings don’t always tell the story. For Cincy, a win would lock up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Robinson made sure there’d be no slip-ups for Pat Noonan's side.
He delivered one of his best performances of the year – six interceptions, six clearances, three tackles, and a blocked shot – while completing 94.4 percent of his passes. Things will only get tougher from here, with an in-state showdown against the Columbus Crew looming in a Hell is Real playoff edition.
Last season, Cincy’s run ended early in an upset loss to NYCFC. This time, with big additions such as Evander and a stingier backline, Robinson’s form could make all the difference.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDjordje's noteworthy brace
Speaking of what-ifs, there Mihailovic. From an ill-fated run with AZ to missing a January camp invite by Pochettino with an injury, there is a reality in which the attacking midfielder is also a part of the mix for the USMNT.
Just consider all of those involved in January – including Patrick Agyemang, Diego Luna, Max Arfsten and Matt Freese – who ultimately became core players at the Gold Cup and have been largely part of Pochettino's call-ups since.
Mihailovic drew controversy for asking out of a then-playoff-bound Rapids side for a better contract with Toronto FC, a team that was chaotic and well out of the playoffs. Yet, since arriving, the Reds' star quietly put together a strong end to the season, notching four goals and four assists in Toronto's final 10 games.
Equally as important, Toronto have lost just one game since his arrival in early August – and that was against Son Heung-Min and LAFC. Yes, there were eight draws, but for Mihailovic and manager Robin Fraser – who has also impressed considering Toronto's past few years – it points to a positive future.
The pair showed as much in the season finale. Up against a desperate Orlando City SC side which wanted to avoid the play-in game, the Reds took the game to their opponents, winning 4-2. It was Mihailovic at the center of all of it, with the No. 10 proving incisive and scoring two backbreaking goals against Oscar Pareja's team.
Regular season closers for non-playoff teams tend to be dead rubbers, but Mihailovic couldn't have picked a better time to have a dominant game.
Christian Pulisic is expected to miss the USMNT's November camp with the hamstring injury sustained against Australia. Let's make it clear, Mihailovic isn't Pulisic. But with Pochettino also switching away from forward wingers to wing-backs and two attacking midfielders, he could be a worthy addition as a backup No. 10 in the coach's new system.
Steffen makes his case
Steffen was a call-up at goalkeeper for Pochettino's November 2024 camp. He missed it due to injury. He was also called up for this March's Nations League finals, and was expected to play a role – yet he also missed that camp due to injury. When the call-ups for June came out, Steffen was included – but you guessed it, he was unavailable due to an ailment.
Outside of January camp, where he performed strongly in a start, Steffen's lack of availability has proved costly. His window appeared all but closed – especially with the emergence of Freese as starter – but he might have slightly cracked it open on Saturday.
With the Rapids battling for a play-in spot, Steffen turned in arguably his best performance against LAFC, one of MLS's top attacks. The Rapids star made seven saves, keeping a LA attack at bay. That included an incredible effort to stop Denis Bouanga from scoring an all-time goal after he beat three Colorado defenders.
Ultimately, Steffen's heroics weren't enough – his team's 2-2 draw knocked them out of the playoffs – but his efforts shouldn't go unnoticed, considering the talent of Son and Bouanga.
ImagnAaronson looks ahead to next season
Paxten Aaronson was another Rapids player who stepped up in the team's 2-2 season-ending draw, scoring his first official goal for the club after his previous one was reclassified as an own goal. Aaronson was named to Pochettino's Gold Cup side after an impressive on-loan season with Utrecht and stressed his move to MLS was to take on a bigger role in a bid to make the U.S. World Cup roster.
Aaronson has not been called in since and is now facing almost five months without club soccer. The 22-year-old made it clear, however, that he will not be joining another club on loan in a bid for more playing time.
"Definitely not a loan option. But I have a great program with my father back home," he said. "I think some of the best preseasons I've came into at my sharpest have been when I've just been able to train with my dad. I haven't really been able to with the European off-season, just because they're so condensed. So yeah, I think off-season is a great time to kind of just work on the things you don't get to in the real season – just because you're so focused on the match minutes and your body's always fatigued."
While Aaronson showed some flashes, especially according to advanced metrics, he finished with just one goal contribution on the season. The midfielder interestingly pointed to his role under manager Chris Armas and the team's coaching staff as different to what he was accustomed to.
"I think the position I was playing, I spoke with the coaching staff as well, was a position that I was not normally used to playing. I think it took some time for me to get used to that," he said. "I played deeper all last season, and that's where I kind of created my goals, just kind of arriving late in the box. Whereas earlier here I was kind of just playing as a second striker. So that took some time to get used to."
