Argentina has long provided a solid pipeline of talent to Major League Soccer. For Real Salt Lake, the trio of Javier Morales, Fabian Espindola and Matias Mantilla helped change the fate of the organization when they arrived together in 2007. And while Mantilla was only around for one season, Morales has been a cornerstone to the franchise and Espindola was a key component for six seasons before being traded to the New York Red Bulls.
However, they were far from the first impact players from Argentina to thrive in the league.
One year before Morales, Mantilla and Espindola arrived at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Christian Gomez was lifting the league MVP trophy for D.C. United. Gomez came to the league at 29 years old and scored four goals in just nine matches to close out the 2004 season. In his first three full seasons, he amassed 35 goals and 29 assists for a D.C. side that finished second in the Eastern Conference in one of those seasons and twice in the other two.
Since then, the league has seen the likes of 2008 MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Federico Higuain with the Columbus Crew, Claudio Lopez in Kansas City, Dario Sala with FC Dallas, Mauro Rosales in Seattle and 2013 and 2014 MLS Best XI midfielder Diego Valeri with the Portland Timbers, among others.
Now RSL has three Argentines again – Morales, Sebastian Jaime and the recently acquire Juan Manuel Martinez. The club hopes he can be a difference maker like so many of his countrymen before him.
Here are some of the top-performing Argentine players in Major League Soccer’s history.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2007-2010) 102 GP, 96 GS, 33 G, 41 A
Fabian Espindola (2007- ) 191 GP, 160 GS, 58 G, 33 A
Christian Gomez (2005-2009) 144 GP, 130 GS, 45 G, 38 A
Federico Higuain (2012- ) 94 GP, 91 GS, 33 G, 28 A
Javier Morales (2007- ) 202 GP, 185 GS, 42 G, 74 A
Mauro Rosales (2011- ) 133 GP, 112 GS, 13 G, 47 A
Dario Sala (2005-2010) 100 GP, 99 GS, 39-33-27, 23 SO, 1.38 GAA
Diego Valeri (2013- ) 77 GP, 71 GS, 23 G, 30 A
