Pencils down, everyone! Yeah, even you Inter Miami.
MLS’s summer transfer window shut on Wednesday night, so what better moment is there to look back on the window that was? Literally any point later in the season would be better because we would have much more information on which players have hit and which teams have really improved, you say? That can’t be right. I’m sure now is the best time to make confident assertions about anything and everything in MLS’s transfer ecosystem.
Onwards, to the superlatives!
Best signing
Andrew Clausen: Sure, Antoine Griezmann was signed just before the winter window closed. But he didn’t debut for Orlando City until the summer following the end of the La Liga season, so I’m counting him here.
The Lions look like an entirely different team with the former French international in the squad, and he’s already notched seven goal contributions in just seven MLS matches. Even at 34, Griezmann remains one of the most effective attacking players on the planet, and he’s shown that since joining Orlando. While he can’t fix Orlando’s defensive woes, they look a much more competent team in possession and going forward, and I expect him to continue having this level of impact.
An honorable mention goes to the Colorado Rapids signing Loïc Williams from Granada, another player who signed in March but finished the European season before officially joining up with his MLS team this summer. The Spanish center back looks like the real deal.
Joe Lowery: I truly think Inter Miami are MLS Cup favorites. Most of that is because of a certain Argentine. But some of that is because of a certain Brazilian. Casemiro, who joined up with Miami after Brazil’s World Cup campaign, showed his on-ball brilliance from the very first minute he stepped on the field in this league.
His arrival – on a non-DP deal, somehow… – has helped Rodrigo De Paul touch the ball less often in deeper areas (that’s a good thing) and has also coincided with Miami becoming a sturdier defensive team (that’s a great thing). Before Casemiro showed up, Inter Miami ranked 22nd in xG allowed per game and 27th in fast break xG allowed per game, as per American Soccer Analysis. Now they’re 13th and 23rd, respectively, in those rankings. It all smacks of Casemiro-inspired progress to me.
Ben Wright: Brais Méndez looks like an absolute baller for the Columbus Crew. The Spanish No. 10 who arrived from Real Sociedad in La Liga is the type of player you can build a club around for years. He’s clean on the ball, has exceptional vision in the final third, and improves the players around him. It’s been a rough year for the Crew (see the standings for more), but they’ve added some intriguing talent this summer in Mendez and former New York City FC star Santi Rodriguez.
