It’s one of the more infuriating moments in any soccer match.
A scoring chance emerges as an attacking player finds some open space behind the defense. Perhaps even a goal is scored and the celebration ensues.
And then, the dreaded raising of an assistant referee’s flag.
Offside.
It’s a dubious list to head, but who are the all-time leaders in MLS when it comes to being offside?
This list, which details offside per 90 minutes for players who featured for 5,000 or more minutes, has a distinct old school MLS feel to it.
The leader is Mamadou Diallo, who had a memorable four-year MLS career at the turn of the century. He scored 47 goals during that time, including 26 in his debut season with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, but the Senegalese forward was caught offside 2.96 times per 90 minutes.
Coming up second, and the only other player in league history to register more than two offside offenses in 90 minutes (2.32) is Marco Di Vaio, who had 34 goals in three years with the Montreal Impact from 2012-14.
Jairo Arrieta, who played for Columbus Crew SC and DC. United in a four-year MLS career, is third with 1.80 offside per 90 minutes. The Costa Rican scored 22 goals during that time.
Just behind him is Roy Lassiter, who held the league’s single-season goals record (27) for 22 years before it was broken by Josef Martinez. The top American on this list netted 88 goals in eight seasons for five teams, but was offside 1.75 times per 90 minutes.
Rounding out the top five is Digital Takawira, who scored the first-ever Kansas City goal, but was offside 1.67 times per 90 minutes.
Here is the entire list, a fun nostalgic look through MLS attacking players who toed, and were often behind, the line.
