MLS used to be a league where everyone played a 4-4-2 and large, slow defenders would kick the ball really hard toward big forwards, who were good at winning headers but not much else, who would then try to either outrun the defense or take a long shot. It was painfully boring.
Luckily, times have changed. In recent years, MLS has experienced an influx of creative midfielders (Darlington Nagbe, Anfre Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Kaka, etc.) and Dynamic forwards, (David Villa, Didier Drogba, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Robbie Keane, etc.) which has made the league watchable, and even fun.
Even players who aren't household names, like Mike Grella and Sebastian Lletget and Lee Nguyen, are contributing to MLS's rise as a league where teams play fun, attacking soccer.
In the conversation about fun attacking players, though, one player stands head and shoulders above the rest. Figuratively speaking, of course. He's 5'4" Sebastian Giovinco. And look what he did to the New England Revolution Saturday.
Sebastian Giovinco is life. #TFCLive #TORvNE pic.twitter.com/A9buyejL7W
— Toronto FC (@torontofc) August 7, 2016
Sebastian Giovinco. Again. #TFCLive #TORvNE pic.twitter.com/rpCbuR4hUS
— Toronto FC (@torontofc) August 7, 2016
Giovinco just doing giovinco things pic.twitter.com/lt3MEL9IAb
— Domenico Perruccio (@domperruccio) August 7, 2016
Sebastian Giovinco is so much fun to watch, y'all. I would watch this dude play soccer all day, every day if I could. He can do anything and everything with a soccer ball, but he never seems to do the thing you're expecting him to do, which is the hallmark of a great attacking player.
A few more players like that and MLS will become one of the most entertaining leagues in the world.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
