Former Aston Villa man the runaway MVP in MLS Team of the Season

The regular 2021 MLS season drew to a close on Sunday and the playoffs are now set for later this month. The New England Revolution topped the Eastern Conference after a stunning regular campaign that saw them end the season 29 points clear of the Philadelphia Union, while in the West, Seattle Sounders were leapfroged into first by the Colorado Rapids on the final day of 2021 as a six-game winless run saw the Sounders sacrifice top spot. 

Going forward, the Revs were superb as they scored more goals (65) than any other team. Defensively, they did struggle, shipping 41 times - only Orlando City (48) conceded more of those to finish in the top seven in the East - but their attacking performances was enough to help win 22 of 34 matches. 

And they key man for Bruce Arena's side, particularly in the final third, was Spanish attacker Carles Gil. The 28-year-old's 2020 campaign was impacted by injuries, yet he was a force to be reckoned with for the Revs this season. Indeed, Gil was by far and away the best rated player in MLS, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.81 to feature in the team of the regular season as he played a key role in the Revs' first ever Supporters' Shield success. 

Only Montreal Impact's Djordje Mihailovic (14) registered more assists than Gil (13) in the regular season, though it is worth noting that the former registered 2806 minutes of game time compared to latter's 2286. And in all fairness, had Gil's teammates sported their shooting boots more regularly, then he would have topped the assist metric with ease. 

That's because Gil made at least 38 more key passes (130) than any other player in the regular MLS season, and created more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities (25) than any other player in the division. It wasn't just Gil's ability to create for his teammates that pushed his rating so high, but also his quality with the ball at his feet when he does take opponents on. 75 successful dribbles was the fifth best in the division, while a dribble success rate of 68.8% was fifth best of the 93 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles. 

Opponents pinpointed Gil as the Revs dangerman and unsurprisingly so, going to great lengths to minimise his impact. The attacker ended the campaign as the ninth most fouled player (69) in MLS, though it did little to limit his form as evidenced by his superb WhoScored rating. 

With the regular season now over, the Revs, and Gil, have some time to rest and prepare for the playoffs later this month and after earning a first Supporters' Shield in their 27-year history, attention turns to the MLS Cup. Provided he can rediscover his early-season form, then the Revs have as good a chance as any at lifting silverware for the second time this season.