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Picking MLS award front-runners! Plus, Cavan Sullivan goes off! | MLS Update

Total Soccer Show: USMNT, Champions League, EPL, and more ...58m 3s

The Total Soccer Show hosts Taylor Rockwell, Joe Lowry, and Jeff Reuter discuss MLS awards predictions including MVP, Newcomer of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Defender of the Year, and Coach of the Year. They analyze standout performances from the recent MLS weekend, with particular focus on Philadelphia Union's Kevin Sullivan's breakout season and other emerging talents.

Summary

In this episode of the Total Soccer Show, the three hosts work through six major MLS awards categories, offering their predictions and reasoning for winners and honorable mentions. For MVP, they unanimously agree Lionel Messi will win after leading the league with 29 goal contributions, though they discuss the broader implications of Messi winning repeatedly and whether the award should be renamed. For Newcomer of the Year, Jeff Reuter nominates Guillermo (Houston Dynamo) while Joe Lowry and Taylor Rockwell concur, though they note Antoine Griezmann has made a strong late-season case for Orlando City. The discussion highlights how Guillermo has transformed Houston's attack despite receiving limited playing time in the season's first half. For the U22 Young Player of the Year, all three hosts select Kevin Sullivan for Philadelphia Union, praising his exceptional skill set and impact. They discuss Sullivan's eligibility window before his expected move to Manchester City and note the strong depth of young talent in MLS this year, including Audrey Mamedy and others. For Goalkeeper of the Year, Joe Lowry picks Brian Schwakie (Nashville SC) as his 1A choice with Matt Turner (New England Revolution) as 1B, emphasizing how Schwakie's possession capabilities and complexity suit Nashville's system. Jeff Reuter agrees Turner has a strong case based on goals prevented metrics. For Defender of the Year, Taylor Rockwell selects Matias Laborda (Vancouver Whitecaps) for his versatility and importance to the team's defensive setup, while Jeff Reuter considers Tristan Blackman and notes the difficulty of evaluating defenders across 30 teams. Joe Lowry discusses Lucas Altair and Sebastian Ibiaga in Houston but ultimately hasn't settled on a final choice. For Coach of the Year, Jeff Reuter picks BJ Callahan (Nashville SC) for building a cohesive team that checks every box, with honorable mentions for Yohan Demay (St. Louis), Bruce Arena (San Jose), and Marko Mitrovic (New England Revolution). The hosts then pivot to reviewing the weekend's results, with particular emphasis on Philadelphia Union's 5-0 victory over San Diego FC, where Kevin Sullivan scored two goals and assisted another, including a memorable back-heel finish. They discuss Sullivan's trajectory as potentially the best teenage prospect MLS has ever seen, comparing him to Alphonso Davies. The conversation touches on other notable performances including Houston's signings, Nashville's draw with Miami, and new designated players like Andre Luiz (Sporting Kansas City) and Morgan Whitaker (Colorado Rapids). The episode concludes with discussion of the upcoming U.S. Men's National Team squad announcement, with predictions about who might be called in, including Kevin Sullivan, Nico Sequeiras, and various other depth options.

About this episode

<p>Taylor, Jeff, and Joe are here to dive into all things MLS! Heading into the season's stretch run, we forecast the end-of-season awards front-runners, from MVP to Coach of the Year. Then, we chat about the biggest stories from the latest on-field action, from Cavan Sullivan's latest showing to Nashville SC's tightening grip on the Supporters' Shield.</p><br /><p><strong>JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/totalsoccershow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check out our Patreon</a>, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, videos, The TSS Scouting Network, and much more.</p><br /><p><strong>WATCH TSS EPISODES ON YOUTUBE!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Total-Soccer-Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>! Smash like and subscribe etc.!</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Key Insights

  • Lionel Messi's repeated MVP wins transcend the award itself—hosts argue that focusing on his three MVPs undersells his overall greatness, as his excellence is so obvious that the award distinction becomes almost irrelevant to understanding his impact.
  • Guillermo's value to Houston Dynamo stems not from volume but from his ability to transform a defensive-minded team into an entertaining possession-based side, making him indispensable in a way most MLS players are not.
  • Matt Turner's goal prevention metrics indicate he faces and stops a high-quality standard of shots, suggesting his statistical advantage reflects genuine defensive performance rather than an easier schedule.
  • Brian Schwakie's role in Nashville's system differs from other elite goalkeepers because he is asked to be significantly involved in possession buildup, adding tactical complexity that may justify his edge over Turner for Coach of the Year considerations.
  • Kevin Sullivan's technical proficiency is so complete that his ceiling is limited only by physical constraints (height and athleticism) rather than skill gaps, which is virtually unprecedented for teenagers entering the USMNT player pool.
  • Miami FC's advanced defensive line positioning creates systematic vulnerability to counterattacks, as evidenced by their dramatic increase in expected goals conceded on fast breaks compared to last season under Javier Mascherano.
  • Matias Laborda's versatility across all four defensive positions provides Vancouver uncommon flexibility in system setup, making him more valuable than specialists who cannot provide tactical optionality.
  • The hosts acknowledge that evaluating defenders across a 30-team league presents structural challenges that make defender-of-the-year predictions inherently less confident than evaluations of outfield players who receive more media attention and analysis.

Topics

MLS Awards PredictionsKevin Sullivan's Breakout SeasonLionel Messi's DominanceYoung Talent in MLSGoalkeeper Evaluation MetricsDefensive Player AssessmentCoaching Impact and TacticsPhiladelphia Union's FormUSMNT Squad SelectionNew Designated Player Performances

Transcript

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