Nemanja Nikolic has had a roaring start in MLS since signing with the Chicago Fire in December, scoring 10 goals in his first 11 games to surge into first place on the league scoring charts.
But does the Hungarian international’s frenetic finishing pace rank as the hottest-ever start to an MLS career?
Not so fast. Statistics provided by the Elias Sports Bureau in the wake of Nikolic’s two-goal outing vs. Colorado on Wednesday show that while Nikolic’s rapid takeoff puts him among elite company, he’s not quite No. 1 all-time.
That honor is shared by two of the most illustrious strikers of the league’s first decade, Mamadou “Big Mama” Diallo and Carlos “El Pescadito” Ruiz, both of whom needed only 10 games to hit double digits in their first seasons in MLS.
Nikolic’s 10 from 11 stands alongside Didier Drogba and Eduardo “El Tanque” Hurtado in second place, followed closely by the likes of Jermain Defoe, Taylor Twellman and a cavalcade of other famed MLS finishers. Here's the top 10:
- Mamadou Diallo - 10 goals in 10 games
- Carlos Ruiz - 10 in 10
- Didier Drogba - 10 in 11
- Eduardo Hurtado - 10 in 11
- Nemanja Nikolic - 10 in 11
- Jermain Defoe - 10 in 12
- Taylor Twellman - 10 in 12
- Juan Pablo Angel - 10 in 13
- Joe-Max Moore - 10 in 13
- Giovanni Savarese - 10 in 13
Want to learn more? FourFourTwo USA produced a detailed rundown of the top tier of this list here.
Nikolic and the Fire return to action with a visit to D.C. United on Saturday (4 pm ET | UniMas, Facebook.com in US, MLS LIVE in Canada).
