Re-rating Major League Soccer’s MVP chase

I wrote recently that the MVP chase in Major League Soccer is a slippery, elusive beast. Things tend to shift quickly in this thing, I wrote.

So, I’ll try not to bust my arm patting myself on the back for this one, but, uh … nailed it!

Two weeks ago, Dwayne De Rosario was an “also ran” at best in the MVP sweepstakes. Now I’d label him “front runner.” I write more about why in this week’s SI.com review of Week 28. In a nutshell, his hat trick-plus on Saturday at RFK was one of the best MLS performances I’ve seen in years, the kind that sticks in minds when balloters punch their MVP votes.

So, here is my updated top six, after 28 of 32 rounds. (It’s a Top Five, with my ongoing effort to recognize a positioned that always gets short-changed.)

1. Dwayne De Rosario – Marco Etchverry had some big days and nights in a D.C. United shirt back in the late 90s, when he was great and the league’s average player was far from it. Still, this might have been the best performance ever for an organization that’s had quite a few. And that’s staying a lot.   

2. David Beckham – Los Angeles would probably be at or near the top without their star midfielder’s brilliant passing and those league co-leading 14 assists. But they wouldn’t be heading to historic heights and wouldn’t be the clear class of MLS without Becks.

3. Brad Davis – The Houston attacker’s familiar weekend in capsule: assist on yet another massive, game-winning goal that keeps Houston alive in the playoff chase. Yawn. See you next week. (He shares the league lead in assists along with Beckham.)

4. Brek Shea – FC Dallas’ exciting young winger has cooled off  substantially – and a conversation needs to ensue on how many games the young man was asked to play for club and country over two months. But that’s another matter. For now, we can just say this. He was the leader two weeks ago but needs a couple of zippy performances to get back in the fight.

5. Mauro Rosales – This is a tough one, because he might have been zeroing in on the top spot two weeks ago. But now he’s hurt and likely not back for another week, at least. So the case is harder to make for a man who isn’t

5.5 Kyle Beckerman – I never get anywhere with this argument, but I press valiantly forward. Holding midfielders deserve a closer look at league MVPs. Beckerman is the MLS best at his position this year, and his team is among the trio that has distinguished itself above the field this year.