The challengers are mounting beneath Carlos Vela for the No. 1 position in the Pro Soccer USA Major League Soccer Player Rankings.
A collection of strikers found their form in July, and it has led to one of the toughest lists we have put together all season.
Surging teams like the New England Revolution continue to make a significant impact on the list of the top 20 in-form players in MLS.
There are also a few midseason acquisitions who have forced their way into the rankings, including one in the top 10 after Week 21.
The MLS Player Rankings take into account the form of players over their last four contests, with the most recent performance carrying a bit of extra weight.
20. Brian Fernandez, M, Portland Timbers
Previous Ranking: 7
Brian Fernandez was plenty active in Portland’s 4-0 win over the LA Galaxy, but he was only able to manage one shot on goal from the eight attempts he took at Providence Park.
The 24-year-old forward, who took the league by storm in his first six games, has two goals in his last five games, both of which occurred in the Cascadia Cup victory over Seattle in Week 20.
Fernandez and the Timbers face a tough test Sunday, when they venture up to Allianz Field to take on Minnesota United in what could be a first-round playoff preview.
19. Teal Bunbury, F, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: 6
Teal Bunbury’s drop to the bottom of the top 20 happened due to back-to-back contests without a goal after striking the twine in five of six games.
With Gustavo Bou installed in the Revs lineup, it will be interesting to see how Bunbury and the other Revolution forwards produce.
Even though Bou is the No. 1 striker on the depth chart, Bruce Arena’s team still needs more than just the former Liga MX player to be active in front of the net in order to secure a playoff berth.
18. Maxi Moralez, M, New York City FC
Previous Ranking: 9
MLS All-Star Maxi Moralez is three assists away from matching his 16 handouts from a year ago.
In New York City FC’s 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, Moralez saw his two-game assist streak come to an end.
The Argentinian is tied with Carlos Vela atop the league assist chart, and he sits one ahead of Diego Valeri with just over two months left to play.
17. Eduard Atuesta, M, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Los Angeles FC has four players in Orlando for the All-Star Game and probably deserves more.
Eduard Atuesta is arguably the second most important player in the squad behind Vela because of all the work he puts in midfield.
In addition to scoring a goal in LAFC’s 4-3 triumph over Atlanta United, Atuesta dished out a pair of key passes, led the second-year side in touches and completed 78 percent of his 50 passes.
16. Lassi Lappalainen, M, Montreal Impact
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Lassi Lappalainen put himself in the discussion for the league’s best debut performance with a pair of goals in Montreal’s 4-0 thumping of Philadelphia.
The 20-year-old from Finland jumped right into the Impact’s starting lineup and recorded a brace in 82 minutes in a game in which Remi Garde’s team needed badly to get back on track in the Eastern Conference.
15. Magnus Eriksson, F, San Jose Earthquakes
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Magnus Eriksson is one of many San Jose players benefitting from Matias Almeyda’s system that has brought the club into the playoff mix after a rough start.
The Swedish forward followed up his goal in Week 20 with an assist in Week 21 against the Colorado Rapids.
While he may not have as big of an impact on the score sheet as Vako, Eriksson has been performing at a high level for a long stretch for the Quakes.
14. Cristian Penilla, M, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
Cristian Penilla also has a goal and an assist in his last two games, but he receives an edge over Eriksson on the list of new entrants because he has a tally and three handouts over three contests.
Penilla, who scored 12 goals in a debut season under the national radar a year ago, is one assist from matching his total in that category from 2018.
If the Revs are able to fend off competition around the red line, the play of the 28-year-old Ecuadorian could be one of the main reasons for success.
13. Julian Gressel, M, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
![Julian Gressel [center] celebrates a goal as Josef Martinez [left] and Eric Remedi walk back to the center circle during Atlanta United's 2-0 win over Toronto FC on May 8, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.](https://www.prosoccerusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/atlanta-united-toronto-gressel-300x200.jpg)
The 25-year-old German has one goal and four assists in his last three matches for the Five Stripes, who are mounting a challenge to first-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.
Gressel faces a tough challenge in midfield Saturday against Jonathan Dos Santos and the LA Galaxy midfield at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
12. Mason Toye, F, Minnesota United
Previous Ranking: 8
Mason Toye was not on the field for the majority of Minnesota United’s scoreless draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Since he had limited time to make an impact, we kept him higher in the rankings and not drop him like Fernandez and Bunbury, who had ample minutes to make a difference in Week 21.
Toye and the Loons have an opportunity to put distance between themselves and the Timbers in the Western Conference playoff race in one of Week 22’s top clashes.
11. Brian White, F, New York Red Bulls
Previous Ranking: 19
All Brian White does is score goals.
White continued to prove to New York Red Bulls manager Chris Armas why he should remain in the starting XI by netting a goal for the second consecutive week.
The 23-year-old American is now up to eight goals for the campaign, and his success has allowed Bradley Wright-Phillips to ease back from injury. With the stretch run of the regular season on the horizon, the pair of forwards should have a chance to combine at some point.
10. Adama Diomande, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 17
Adama Diomande picked up a goal and an assist for the second time in three games in Friday’s win at Banc of California Stadium.
With four goals in his last four matches, Diomande has provided LAFC with an extra in-form weapon in attack who can wreak havoc on opposing back lines, and it forces defenders to not just focus on silencing Vela.
During his recent surge, Diomande eclipsed his assist total from a year ago and moved within five tallies of his scoring haul from his first year in MLS.
9. Gustavo Bou, F, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: 14
In three games for the Revolution, Gustavo Bou has two goals and one assist.
The Argentinian’s performance is the latest in the line of new additions making an immediate impact across MLS in the middle of the season.
Since hitting the field with Bruce Arena’s side, Bou has been one of the club’s most active attackers with 16 shots, six of which have hit the target.
8. Heber, F, New York City FC
Previous Ranking: 13
It is becoming clearer that NYCFC hit a home run when picking its David Villa replacement.
No one was going to bring the unique combination of star power and scoring ability to the field that the Spaniard did, but Heber has been able to produce on a consistent basis in front of goal.
The 27-year-old Brazilian is one strike away from hitting the 10-goal mark, and it is likely that occurs soon since he has struck the net in his last five starts.
7. Diego Rossi, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 10
Diego Rossi is one of three LAFC forwards in the top 10.
The high level of production from the Uruguayan is one of the many reasons the Black-and-Gold look like a lock to secure the Supporters’ Shield in the franchise’s second season of existence.
Rossi, who has four goals in his last five games, and his teammates have a tough task Saturday against the surging Revs with one of the best in-form defensive units in MLS.
6. Jozy Altidore, F, Toronto FC
Previous Ranking: 11
Toronto FC is a much different team with a healthy Jozy Altidore in tow.
The U.S. Men’s National Team forward extended his scoring streak to four games in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati.
If Altidore continues to play at a high level and combines well with Alejandro Pozuelo, the Reds could make a case to host a playoff game in the suddenly crowded Eastern Conference.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, F, LA Galaxy
Previous Ranking: 3
Although Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not scored in two of his last four games, his spot in the rankings is buoyed by a pair of multiple-strike performances.
Unfortunately for Ibrahimovic, his two-goal effort from the start of the month will not affect his place on this list next week, and with a yellow-card accumulation ban awaiting him in Week 22, he could experience a fall depending on which players shine over the weekend.
4. Vako, M, San Jose Earthquakes
Previous Ranking: 4
Vako is making a strong case to push himself up into the top three, or maybe even the No. 1 spot, with his current form.
The midfielder out of the Republic of Georgia has three goals and an assist in the last three games, and up to seven tallies and three handouts for the season.
Although the overall numbers do not match those put up by Vela and others, Vako has made a similar impact on his club due to the role he has in the San Jose squad.
3. Carles Gil, M, New England Revolution
Previous Ranking: 5
If you have not been paying attention to the way Carles Gil has been playing, you’re missing out.
The Spanish midfielder has put together a fantastic inaugural season in MLS, and enters August with a goal and an assist in three consecutive games.
With two more goals and one additional assist, Gil could become the second player in MLS with double-digit marks in both categories.
2. Josef Martinez, F, Atlanta United
Previous Ranking: 1
The margins are so thin for the No. 1 position.
Josef Martinez found the back of the net in eight straight starts, and has five tallies over his last four contests.
In most weeks, he would be the top player on this list without a doubt, but Vela has a few extra numbers that pushed him over the top, at least for one week.
1. Carlos Vela, F, Los Angeles FC
Previous Ranking: 2
The difference between Vela and Martinez is the assist the Mexican earned to go along with a goal in Week 21, as well as his most-recent two-goal performance two days after the last one from his Venezuelan counterpart.
The MLS All-Star captain also has a pair of multi-goal performances in his last three games, while Martinez recorded that achievement in his previous five.
In July, the MVP favorite had six goals and three assists compared to seven goals and zero assists from Martinez.