For three years running, ESPN FC has conducted an anonymous poll of MLS players, asking them for their opinions on a range of topics around the league, from their fellow players to expansion to the structure of the players and much much more.
This year’s results were released on Tuesday, and they provide plenty of discussion fodder for everyone.
The poll included the perspectives of 140 players from across MLS, with every club taking part save New York City FC. There were a few surprises – and some pretty unsurprising views as well.
You would expect to see players wanting to see Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the player they most want to see come to MLS as the Swede received 22 percent of the vote when players were asked which big-name Designated Player would you like to come to MLS. Messi received 20 percent of the vote while Ronaldo garnered 17 percent.
"Zlatan. If he came, that would be sick. A personality like that would be good for the league," said one player. "Ibrahimovic would be great entertainment. He'd be on SportsCenter almost daily," said another.
Parity in MLS is another hot-button topic, and the question “What is the best thing about being an MLS player?” drew this interesting answer, among others:
“Feeling like in preseason you have a chance to win the whole thing every year. The level of optimism that every team starts the year with is fun and exciting. Any team can beat any team on any given day. It keeps it fun and it keeps it fresh.”
Who's the league's most overrated player? Do Designated Players get special treatment? Which player “crosses the line in terms of discipline” most often? What do players think of the league’s refereeing? Visit ESPNFC to read the full article and find out all this and plenty more.
