Signings Report — Major League Soccer 2018

Assessment of clubs' accuracy in the market · Published on December 17, 2018

We identified 222 real signings for the first-team squad of the 23 clubs; 220 are included in the hit-rate calculation — 2 youth investments (under-23) are classified separately. Signings without relevant game time are classified as unsuccessful. The league's average hit rate was 35%.

Distribution of ratings

Excellent
29
Good
22
Fair
51
Below expectations
35
Did not deliver
83

Club ranking by hit rate

ClubLeague positionSigningsEvaluatedSuccessfulFairUnsuccessfulHit rate %
Philadelphia Union12º2211075%
DC United11º101033445%
New York City FC101041545%
New York Red Bulls9932444%
Los Angeles FC25251021344%
Colorado Rapids21º141444643%
Toronto FC18º6613242%
Los Angeles Galaxy13º101032540%
Sporting Kansas City9923439%
10ºCF Montreal15º121233638%
11ºFC Dallas8822438%
12ºOrlando City SC22º141434736%
13ºPortland Timbers8713336%
14ºNew England Revolution16º9922533%
15ºColumbus Crew8821531%
16ºSan Jose Earthquakes23º8813431%
17ºVancouver Whitecaps14º8813431%
18ºReal Salt Lake10º9921628%
19ºAtlanta United FC6603325%
20ºSeattle Sounders6611425%
21ºChicago Fire20º111112818%
22ºMinnesota United FC19º111112818%
23ºHouston Dynamo17º980080%

Successful signings count as a full point; Fair ones, half a point.

Hit rate by position

PositionEvaluatedSuccessfulHit rate %
Goalkeepers13019%
Defenders771227%
Midfielders822240%
Forwards481743%

The 5 best-performing signings

PlayerClubMinutesG+ARating
Carlos VelaLos Angeles FC248014+11Excellent
Damir KreilachReal Salt Lake307115+5Excellent
Zlatan IbrahimovićLos Angeles Galaxy216222+6Excellent
Johnny RussellSporting Kansas City248410+7Excellent
Bořek DočkalPhiladelphia Union24935+11Excellent

Methodology

Only genuine signings for the first-team squad are considered — academy promotions, loan returns and internal moves are excluded. Performance is classified into five tiers based on the player's output over the season (minutes, goal involvement, match ratings and consistency), compared with the other players in the competition.

Appendix — Signings by club

* Youth investment (under-23, no game time) — outside the calculation.

Atlanta United FC (6 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Darlington Nagbe28242201Fair
Franco Escobar27225631Fair
Ezequiel Barco31175942Fair
Eric Remedi18155011Below expectations
Romario Williams1723110Did not deliver
Salvatore Zizzo615700Did not deliver

CF Montreal (12 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Saphir Taïder33286975Excellent
Alejandro Silva31238658Excellent
Jukka Raitala28231212Fair
Rod Fanni26230810Good
Rudy Camacho18157500Fair
Jeisson Vargas1987540Fair
Bacary Sagna981410Did not deliver
Raheem Edwards1481220Did not deliver
Michael Petrasso1479000Did not deliver
Michael Azira1072710Did not deliver
Quincy Amarikwa1064410Did not deliver
Clement Diop0000Did not deliver

Chicago Fire (11 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Aleksandar Katai322351123Excellent
Kevin Ellis19147123Fair
Elliot Collier1691911Did not deliver
Mohammed Adams1489600Did not deliver
Tony Tchani1384510Fair
Alan Gordon2384040Did not deliver
Raheem Edwards1282611Did not deliver
Nicolas Hasler1077800Did not deliver
Rafael Ramos310500Did not deliver
Jon Bakero48300Did not deliver
Yura Movsisyan45800Did not deliver

Colorado Rapids (14 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Tommy Smith33299543Good
Jack Price31276412Excellent
Edgar Castillo28244935Excellent
Deklan Wynne25202800Did not deliver
Danny Wilson23194900Fair
Johan Blomberg24166203Below expectations
Sam Nicholson19154220Fair
Enzo Martínez22141803Fair
Jack McBean22108121Good
Kellyn Acosta12104522Below expectations
Yannick Boli1777820Did not deliver
Joe Mason1476530Fair
Giles Barnes1254800Did not deliver
Kip Colvey320800Did not deliver

Columbus Crew (8 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Gyasi Zardes353088200Excellent
Milton Valenzuela32267514Good
Luis Argudo2071600Did not deliver
Ricardo Clark1263811Below expectations
Mike Grella1146301Below expectations
Jon Kempin545900Did not deliver
Eduardo Sosa1039310Fair
Patrick Mullins1234411Did not deliver

DC United (10 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Joseph Mora30253701Below expectations
Yamil Asad30238095Excellent
Frederic Brillant27219601Below expectations
Oniel Fisher24185311Fair
Wayne Rooney201646126Excellent
David Ousted17155100Below expectations
Júnior Moreno20153501Fair
Ulises Segura23129321Fair
Darren Mattocks251283100Good
Kevin Ellis24600Did not deliver

FC Dallas (8 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Reto Ziegler30267940Good
Hárold Mosquera30169365Good
Marquinhos Pedroso13117500Did not deliver
Jimmy Maurer13117000Fair
Anton Nedyalkov977001Fair
Dominique Badji1171021Below expectations
Pablo Aránguiz928700Did not deliver
Abel Aguilar413100Did not deliver

Houston Dynamo (9 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Darwin Cerén24188610Below expectations
Alejandro Fuenmayor22178731Below expectations
Adam Lundqvist16122800Did not deliver
Chris Seitz654000Below expectations
Jared Watts753900Below expectations
Arturo Álvarez1834101Did not deliver
Luis Gil1228100Did not deliver
Ronaldo Peña923110Did not deliver
J. Montaño *0000Investment

Los Angeles FC (25 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Tyler Miller34308000Fair
Benny Feilhaber35288932Excellent
Steven Beitashour31274623Good
Diego Rossi332698126Excellent
Carlos Vela2924801411Excellent
Walker Zimmermann27243141Good
Jordan Harvey30225000Below expectations
Laurent Ciman22200030Good
Lee Nguyen26192734Good
Latif Blessing31189256Good
Mark-Anthony Kaye20159823Excellent
Eduard Atuesta26151812Fair
Adama Diomandé191314124Good
Dejan Jakovic15114800Below expectations
Marco Ureña18102714Below expectations
João Moutinho1488010Did not deliver
Danilo Silva1181210Did not deliver
Aaron Kovar1253702Did not deliver
Tristan Blackmon1050000Did not deliver
André Horta1131900Did not deliver
Christian Ramirez830630Below expectations
Omar Gaber725400Did not deliver
Calum Mallace53700Did not deliver
Joshua Pérez22200Did not deliver
Rodrigo Pacheco11700Did not deliver

Los Angeles Galaxy (10 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
David Bingham34308300Fair
Ola Kamara312704142Excellent
Jørgen Skjelvik32259801Below expectations
Perry Kitchen31235200Below expectations
Zlatan Ibrahimović272162226Excellent
Chris Pontius26149456Excellent
Rolf Feltscher15129513Fair
Servando Carrasco19100102Below expectations
Sheanon Williams817100Did not deliver
Emrah Klimenta215600Did not deliver

Minnesota United FC (11 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Darwin Quintero2724111112Excellent
Alexi Gómez18133300Did not deliver
Eric Miller18115401Did not deliver
Tyrone Mears1188910Fair
Ángelo Rodríguez1187241Fair
Matt Lampson981300Did not deliver
Fernando Bob761900Did not deliver
Luiz Fernando1158000Did not deliver
Mason Toye1735200Did not deliver
Romario Ibarra927430Below expectations
Harrison Heath412700Did not deliver

New England Revolution (9 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Cristian Penilla322673127Excellent
Jalil Anibaba30255901Fair
Luis Caicedo29244713Fair
Wilfried Zahibo30179942Good
Brandon Bye22146811Did not deliver
Gabriel Somi1497801Below expectations
Michael Mancienne1090400Did not deliver
Guillermo Hauche417500Did not deliver
Cristian Machado311900Did not deliver

New York City FC (10 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Anton Tinnerholm34298846Excellent
Jesús Medina30210964Good
Ebenezer Ofori28194310Fair
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi301785121Excellent
Sebastien Ibeagha26173500Below expectations
Jo Inge Berget24160143Excellent
Eloi Amagat944300Did not deliver
Saad Abdul-Salaam427301Did not deliver
Brad Stuver218000Did not deliver
Cédric Hountondji1100Did not deliver

New York Red Bulls (9 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Tim Parker32289922Excellent
Alejandro Romero Gamarra332710610Excellent
Marc Rzatkowski26146322Good
Kyle Duncan435301Fair
Ryan Meara327000Fair
Carlos Rivas526420Did not deliver
Andreas Ivan1122200Below expectations
Tommy Redding19000Did not deliver
Stefano Bonomo1100Did not deliver

Orlando City SC (14 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Sacha Kljestan30253865Excellent
Mohamed El-Munir26210502Fair
Chris Mueller32206434Fair
Amro Tarek20171310Below expectations
Oriol Rosell22171201Fair
Lamine Sané16137310Good
Justin Meram17127612Good
Shane O'Neill13112200Did not deliver
Josué Colmán24105812Below expectations
R.J. Allen1897802Did not deliver
Chris Schuler979810Did not deliver
Carlos Ascues975500Fair
Stefano Pinho2360320Below expectations
Jose Villarreal34500Did not deliver

Philadelphia Union (2 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Bořek Dočkal322493511Excellent
David Accam23122410Fair

Portland Timbers (8 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Andy Polo27192712Fair
Samuel Armenteros28159881Fair
Cristhian Paredes19141812Did not deliver
Jorge Villafaña13110502Good
Bill Tuiloma1799810Below expectations
Steve Clark857600Fair
Tomás Conechny *47200Investment
Modou Jadama12700Did not deliver

Real Salt Lake (9 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Damir Kreilach363071155Excellent
Corey Baird33198485Good
Pablo Ruiz1353600Below expectations
Nedum Onuoha536201Fair
Adam Henley526000Did not deliver
Shawn Barry420400Did not deliver
Alfredo Ortuño311900Did not deliver
Taylor Peay1100Did not deliver
Andrew Brody0000Did not deliver

San Jose Earthquakes (8 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Magnus Eriksson32242963Excellent
Harold Cummings21181400Fair
Jimmy Ockford15109800Fair
Guram Kashia12108000Fair
Yefferson Quintana1379810Did not deliver
Joel Qviberg537900Did not deliver
Kevin Partida429400Did not deliver
Dominic Oduro53000Did not deliver

Seattle Sounders (6 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Raúl Ruidíaz151192111Good
Jordan McCrary1590200Below expectations
Waylon Francis1264500Did not deliver
Magnus Eikrem1560011Fair
Bradley Smith644601Below expectations
Bryan Meredith19000Did not deliver

Sporting Kansas City (9 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Johnny Russell342484107Excellent
Felipe Gutiérrez24188674Excellent
Yohan Croizet36167333Fair
Khiry Shelton23147825Fair
Krisztián Németh1040611Below expectations
Emiliano Amor535200Below expectations
Wan Kuzain631710Fair
Andreu Fontàs29200Did not deliver
Brad Evans0000Did not deliver

Toronto FC (6 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Gregory van der Wiel26221304Fair
Auro18142403Good
Lucas Janson1182142Fair
Ager Aketxe1173201Fair
Jon Bakero314900Did not deliver
Mariano Miño12500Did not deliver

Vancouver Whitecaps (8 signings)

PlayerMatchesMinutesGoalsAssistsRating
Felipe Martins29222212Fair
Kei Kamara282184145Excellent
Jose Aja17152410Fair
Efrain Juarez16117601Below expectations
Brian Rowe1091700Did not deliver
Sean Franklin1184300Did not deliver
Jordon Mutch1883522Fair
Anthony Blondell1865411Below expectations
Signings Report · Major League Soccer 2018 · December 17, 2018