Cuban Osvaldo Alonso among the candidates for the best in Major League Soccer (MLS) history

November 2, 2020

Osvaldo Alonso, the most prominent Cuban footballer in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS), has been nominated as one of 134 candidates to make the list of the 25 best players in the professional circuit of the United States, which will soon celebrate its first quarter century since its founding.

The 34-year-old midfielder from Pinar del Río (who will turn 35 on November 11) has left his mark during the last decade in northern football, especially during his time with Seattle Sounders, a team he played for from 2009 to 2018 and with which he won the championship in 2016.

With impressive credentials, Alonso has earned the right to be included in the list of 134 players "most decorated and impactful in the league's history," according to the official MLS portal.

The ranking has prioritized footballers who have been part of the All-Star Team, who have won trophies at the collective level and individual awards such as MVP and Golden Boot. Historical leadership in key statistics has also been considered, as well as contribution and impact off the field.

With over 330 matches under his belt, Alonso is a living legend. He has been four times an All-Star, and in 2012 he was part of the MLS Best XI, meaning he was on the league's All-Star team. Additionally, on four occasions he won the U.S Open Cup championship, and in 2014 he won the MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle, an award given to teams with the most points in the regular season.

His exceptional performance and career trajectory has shattered the notion that Cubans cannot play football at the highest level. Despite not wearing the national jersey since 2007, when he decided to settle in the United States, he has become a standard-bearer for the Island's football.

His rise in northern football was quite rapid, as at only 23 years old he made his MLS debut with Seattle. During that first season he played 27 matches, 26 of them as a starter, and laid the foundation to become one of the emblems of the franchise, which he defended in 277 matches (over 23,000 minutes).

The pinnacle of his career with the Sounders came in 2016, when he reached the top of the podium after defeating Toronto in the final. Alonso played all 120 minutes of that match which went to extra time with a 0-0 tie and was decided in a penalty shootout.

And precisely the postseasons have contributed to magnifying the legend of the Pinar del Río native, the only MLS footballer with 12 consecutive trips to the playoff round. His most recent qualification occurred in the last few hours with Minnesota United, a team that has only been around for four years, but has always advanced to the decisive matchups since Alonso signed with the club in 2018.

The competition for Ozzie to be included among the 25 best players in MLS history is quite fierce, as among the candidates stand out genuine stars who, while not shining for too long in the United States, contributed enormously to the development and growth of a new league.

These are the cases of David Beckham, David Villa, Kaká, Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Robbie Keane, Carlos Valderrama, Juan Pablo Ángel, Marco Etcheverry, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney, who achieved success in Europe or South America before making the jump to the United States.

On the other hand, the great northern stars stand out, such as Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasly, Jozy Altidore and Chris Wondolowski, the all-time leading scorer in the circuit.

Despite the fierce rivalry, Ozzie Alonso has more chances than we might imagine to be included in the MLS historical Top-25.

For example, last March the prestigious USA Today newspaper established its own ranking of the 25 best players in the league since its creation, and included Alonso in position 24. The Cuban was one of nine midfielders in the selection, but the only one of a defensive nature. He also holds the record for eleven consecutive playoff assists over eleven seasons.