MLS 2025 will not be boring if the opening week is anything go by. And neither will fantasy soccer contests, as managers got early glimpses of who to trust.
Here are the players who lived up to my fantasy soccer prediction and the clubs who let them down.
Week 1 Top Performers in Eastern Conference
Lionel Messi – Inter Miami – 25.5 points
Let’s be honest—a good chunk of the MLS audience is just interested in Lionel Messi’s performance. But that’s good for the league. Is it good for Inter Miami, though?
Messi’s two assists made him one of the better performers in Week 1. But Tomas Aviles’s red card and poor decision-making nearly awarded the three points to a New York City FC team, which looks like it means business.
Diego Rossi – Columbus Crew – 30.5
Columbus Crew lived up to the hype, and so did veteran Diego Rossi. The 4-2 scoreline against the Chicago Fire also seems to signal a season of entertaining football ahead.
Emmanuel Lethe Lath – Atalanta United – 31.5
Lette Lath was the top striker in fantasy soccer in Week 1 of the MLS. It’s not only the two goals that impressed me. The Ivorian could test the opposition goalkeeper consistently.
Marco Pasalic – Orlando City SC – 41 points
Orlando City SC was terribly disappointing, The 4-2 defeat at home against Philadelphia Union will shift perspective about the side. However, Pasalic, as I predicted, was fantastic. He was the MVP of MLS Week 1,
Roman Celentano – FC Cincinnati – 34.5
Celentano put in a Man of the Match performance. It helped FC Cincinnati to an unexpected 1-0 victory over New York Red Bulls. The goalie handled everything the NYC team threw at him. He’s undoubtedly one of the players to watch out for this season.
Week 1 Top Disappointments in Eastern Conference
Eduard Atuesta – Orlando City – 5 points
Atuesta was sluggish, uninspired and mistake-prone in his team’s 4-2 thrashing.
Emil Forsberg – New York Red Bulls – 12 points
Forsberg didn’t have the best of days. It was a shame. Without his creativity, the wheels just spun aimlessly for NY Red Bulls.
Jordi Alba – Inter Miami – 6.5 points
You’d expect more from the most famous defender in the MLS. The full-back made terrible errors that led to New York City FC’s second goal. And Jordi Alba’s performance overall didn’t suggest he’s, at the moment, the player to dominate the left and help create goalscoring opportunities.
