It seems right now there are two primary candidates for Landon Donovan MLS MVP in 2018 (apologies, Miguel Almiron and Bradley Wright-Phillips) in Atlanta United forward Josef Martinez and LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The duo are the top two scorers in the league this year, with Martinez breaking the all-time single-season scoring mark on a team contending for the Supporters' Shield, and Ibrahimovic putting together possibly the most efficient season in terms of production on a team looking to sneak into the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs on Decision Day presented by AT&T.
Ahead of the final day of the regular season, we asked MLSsoccer.com staff to pick their MVP favorite and why.
We got answers from Senior Editor Ben Couch, Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle, New Media Editor Ben Baer, National Writer Sam Stejskal, former MLS player Bobby Warshaw, and contributors Tom Bogert, Charles Boehm and Alicia Rodriguez.
Who's your 2018 MLS MVP, Zlatan or Josef Martinez?
WARSHAW: I'm still going with Almiron. I know narratives matter for the MVP race, and both Josef and Zlatan have amazing stories to their seasons, but Almiron has been the highest cumulative combination of "outstanding player" and "value to his team" in MLS throughout the season.
BOGERT: It's Josef. Barring some magical four-goal performance in a 4-3 Galaxy win this weekend, it's got to be Josef. We're plagued by recency bias here. Martinez broke the league's single-season scoring record with almost two handfuls of games to spare -- that's remarkable. There's no two ways around it. Since then, Ibrahimovic has outplayed Josef, sure, but over the entire season, how do you overlook the record breaker on (one of) the league's best team(s)? Let's not overthink this.
But still, it's not the done deal it appeared to be in August and there are genuine arguments for Zlatan, which is a minor accomplishment in and of itself.
STEJSKAL: It's been Josef all season. It still is. He shouldn't be punished in the MVP race because he has competent defenders behind him and his team didn't wait until the last month to make a playoff push. He's still the all-time single-season scoring leader. He's still one of the best and most important players on one of the best teams in league history. Don't overthink it. Vote Josef.
BOEHM: These two strikers' numbers are close enough to make head-to-head comparisons pretty subjective. But here's a couple of factors that guide my decision:
- Josef is the spearhead of the most luxuriously-assembled squad (and club!) in MLS history, while Zlatan is working in front of one of the most leaky, problematically-constructed defenses in modern MLS
- ATLUTD, while admittedly chasing the Supporters' Shield, haven't been under the gun like the Galaxy have been for the past two months or so, not to mention LA's midseason coaching change
- Josef is a sprightly 25, while Ibra just turned 37, for goodness' sake -- that's the ultimate tiebreaker, especially for the old and #washed among us.
So if the Galaxy make the playoffs, it's clear: #Zlatan4MVP.
DOYLE: For me, it's simple: If Zlatan leads the Galaxy into the playoffs this coming weekend – picking up, say, another goal + assist or a brace or something like that – and Atlanta squander their 28-3 lead in the Shield race, then Zlatan is the MVP. If any other scenario plays out, Josef is the MVP.
COUCH: This seemed like a forgone conclusion for so long, it's almost incredible that the conversation feels as wide open as it does. Recency bias or no, Josef's extended slump -- and four straight scoreless makes it 6-of-7 without a strike dating to Sept. 2 -- has coincided with a six-game stretch-run tear (7 goals, 3 assists) from Ibra. Josef will always have the record, but if he adds a zero on Sunday while Zlatan boosts LA over the playoff line, an awful lot of votes are going to flip. Especially if the Shield hitches a ride over to and up I-95.
BAER: I'm with Doyle and Couch on this. If Josef lays an egg and Atlanta loses the Shield while Zlatan leads LA to the playoffs with a goal, I could be talked into the Swede winning MVP. Any other scenario and it's Josef's. And even if the above scenario it would be a real tough decision. The players should be judged on the entirety of the season, avoid recency bias. Also, Charlie, age has nothing to do with this.
RODRIGUEZ: I'm also astounded that what once seemed like an easy call for Martinez has become a contest in my head. If the players switched teams, what would happen? I think they would both remain successful, but his body of work this season suggests Ibrahimovic can actually take control of games better than anyone in the league, and that's a key component in my consideration for MVP. Ultimately, I'm with Doyle: I await the outcome of Sunday's action because I think it's going to help determine the course of the season for both players.
