We already know that Diego Valeri will be chasing an MLS record when he takes the field with the Portland Timbers on Saturday against Real Salt Lake (9:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE). Even if he does snap the all-time MLS record for consecutive games with a goal, it's more than likely someone will eventually snap it. Records are made to be broken, after all.
What could never be taken away from him in the record books is a Landon Donovan MVP Award. He'll take a legitimate run at the honor over the final five games of the regular season, and will be looking to help his Timbers nab the first-seed in the Western Conference.
Valeri's 17 goals and nine assists stack up pretty nicely against almost anyone in the league, with New York City FC’s David Villa being the lone player to put up better counting stats (19 G, 9 A). Villa is probably the Argentine’s main competition for the award, but any additional time missed by the Spaniard due to his nagging injury will continue to fuel Valeri’s run.
Of course, there are also more candidates to look at. Toronto FC's Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez could all stake a claim, but they are likely to split the vote as none of them have separated themselves on MLS’s best team this year. Chicago’s dropoff likely put the award out of reach for any of their players, but any kind of resurgence could bring them back. Players like Miguel Almiron, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Ignacio Piatti could also put their names in the mix with strong finishes.
All of that said, it’s still probably going to come down to Valeri vs. Villa. With Villa likely to miss this weekend’s match after not participating in training this week, both will have five games left to bolster their resumes. So what does Valeri need to do to add to his trophy case?
Villa has a great chance of becoming the second player in MLS history to finish with 20 goals and 10 assists in a season and could end with something like 22 goals and 11 assists, which would be one of the best seasons in MLS history. NYCFC are likely to finish with the second-best record in the league and he is the best player on said team. His 28 combined goals and assists account for 57 percent of NYCFC’s goals. By comparison, Valeri’s 26 combined goals and assists make up 53 percent of Portland’s goals.
The variables working in Valeri’s favor are the possibility of voter fatigue after Villa took home the trophy last season, any more time Villa misses due to injury and Portland’s possible rise to the top of the West. If the Timbers are able to take the No. 1 seed, Valeri’s case strengthens as he becomes the top player on one of the top teams. If they were to falter and finish third or lower, the award likely belongs to Villa.
But what does Valeri need to do as an individual? I would say matching Villa with a 20 and 10 season of his own is basically a must. Three more goals and an assist would be right on average for his performances so far this year. To really capture the voters' attention, it'd be good for the 31-year-old to outpace that average. A goal a game would be remarkable. Even if it’s not a goal in every game, but he bumps up his assist numbers to the 12-13 range would mean the Timbers would score at least 8-9 goals in their last five games. That would likely lead to more than a few wins for Caleb Porter’s team.
That kind of a finish to his season would be unheard of and is probably too much to ask. But with Villa being as important to his team’s success as Valeri is to his, with NYCFC currently having the better record and with Villa currently having slightly better numbers, that ask may be what Valeri needs to win the award.
