New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil continues to dish out assists at a torrid clip to start the 2021 season, putting him on track to possibly make some MLS history.
After notching two more helpers in New England's 5-0 demolition of Inter Miami CF on Wednesday, Gil now has 12 assists through his team's first 15 games. He's on track to finish the season at 27.2 if he can maintain his current pace through their remaining 19 regular-season contests.
That's not a given, of course, but should Gil manage to do so, it would vault him past former Tampa Bay Mutiny star and league legend Carlos Valderrama, who set the single-season mark with 26 assists in 2000 – a figure that still stands as the MLS record. "El Pibe" reached that level through 32 regular-season games, two fewer than are played nowadays.
Year |
Player |
Team |
Games Played |
Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 |
Carlos Valderrama |
Tampa Bay Mutiny |
32 |
26 |
2016 |
Sacha Kljestan |
New York Red Bulls |
32 |
20 |
2019 |
Maximiliano Moralez |
New York City FC |
29 |
20 |
1996 |
Marco Etcheverry |
D.C. United |
26 |
19 |
1997 |
Carlos Valderrama |
Tampa Bay Mutiny |
20 |
19 |
1998 |
Marco Etcheverry |
D.C. United |
29 |
19 |
2002 |
Steve Ralston |
New England Revolution |
27 |
19 |
2008 |
Guillermo Barros Schelotto |
Columbus Crew |
27 |
19 |
2014 |
Landon Donovan |
LA Galaxy |
31 |
19 |
Valderrama racked up 114 helpers during his MLS career from 1996-2002, good for fourth on the league's all-time list. The No. 1 spot on the all-time rankings is occupied by none other than another MLS icon and the league's MVP trophy namesake Landon Donovan, who racked up a whopping 136 dimes across 340 league appearances.
Donovan is also in a six-way tie for third on the all-time single-season assist list, with his 19-dime campaign in 2014 with the LA Galaxy of historic proportion. The single-season leaderboard includes two active MLS players in LA midfielder Sacha Kljestan and New York City FC midfielder Maxi Moralez, both of whom have a 20-assist campaign to their name.
Gil's ridiculous production in 2021 isn't limited to his gaudy assist totals. The 28-year-old has recorded an incredible 70 key passes, far and away the highest figure in MLS. Atlanta United right back Brooks Lennon is second on that list with 38. The Spaniard has also scored twice and is among the league's most-fouled players (43, third-most).
It remains to be seen whether Gil can keep producing at a pace that will allow him to challenge Valderrama's high-flying record. But either way, the Designated Player is establishing himself in a tier of his own among the league's top facilitators.
