Chance creators: Who are the architects of MLS's most dangerous moments?

As the quarter mark of the 2022 MLS season approaches, let's explore which players are carving out goalscoring opportunities.

These data sets, sourced from Opta, naturally lean on No. 10s who prove worthy of their Designated Player tags on a weekly basis. Others included may surprise you, with chance creation coming in all shapes and sizes.

Here's a closer look at top-fives across various categories.

Chances created

In terms of raw chances created, FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta holds the top spot with 32. New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil, the reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP, and Columbus Crew midfielder Lucas Zelarayan are tied for second place with 29.

But volume doesn't necessarily translate into goals, as none of these top-five players have more than three assists. The efficiency and sharpness of teammates play a pronounced role here.

Assist leaders

LA Galaxy left back Raheem Edwards, San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jan Gregus and Austin FC winger Diego Fagundez all currently share the league assist lead with five, despite creating fewer chances than the likes of Acosta, Gil and Zelarayan.

Sometimes it's about the quality of chances created and who's on the end of said opportunities vs. putting up a larger mass. Tactical fit and team form are huge factors here.

Big chances created

For starters: Opta defines a "big chance" as a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a 1-on-1 scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter.

That helps inform not just the number of chances that a player is creating, but the quality of those opportunities – and Cincy's Acosta again finds himself atop the list with seven big chances created.

Encouragingly for Orlando City SC fans, striker Alexandre Pato is second with six big chances created now that he's back healthy. That's the same output as Real Salt Lake midfielder Pablo Ruiz, who brings combativeness as well.

Chances created from open play

Looking at chances created from open play helps elucidate which players are racking up their opportunities from back-and-forth action and not dead-ball situations.

The data displays a recurring theme, as Acosta once again leads the pack with 25 of his 32 chances created from open play. NYCFC's Valentin Castellanos is known mostly for his goalscoring exploits, but the 2021 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner is also a gifted facilitator, as demonstrated by his 18 chances created from open play.

Chances created from set play

Set pieces change games, and nobody has been better at creating chances from dead-ball scenarios than Philadelphia Union left back Kai Wagner, who tops the list with 13 that have resulted in three assists. Wagner paces a group that includes Minnesota United FC playmaker Emanuel Reynoso, Gil and Zelarayan.

Unsurprisingly, Colorado Rapids midfielder Jack Price has 10 chances created from set plays, further demonstrating his status as one of the best dead-ball artists in MLS.