Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Taylor Twellman among six biggest snubs from ‘MLS 25 Greatest’ all-time players’ list

On Wednesday, Major League Soccer commemorated its 25th anniversary with the release of its “MLS 25 Greatest” list, celebrating the league’s best all-time players.

Here are those players honored:

Goalkeepers: Kevin Hartman, Tony Meola, Nick Rimando

Defenders: Jeff Agoos, Carlos Bocanegra, Robin Fraser, Chad Marshall, Eddie Pope

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, David Beckham, Dwayne De Rosario, Marco Etcheverry, Cobi Jones, Preki, Steve Ralston, Carlos Valderrama, Diego Valeri

Forwards: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Sebastian Giovinco, Robbie Keane, Josef Martinez, Jaime Moreno, Chris Wondolowski, Bradley Wright-Phillips

MLS 25 GREATEST:Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Clint Dempsey among players honored

Compiling such a list is an immense challenge, and there will always be worthy players who missed the cut. Here are six other players worthy of being included in the “MLS 25 Greatest” squad:

Ozzie Alonso

A Seattle Sounders OG, Alonso is one of the best defensive midfielders in league history. An absolutely fearless and tenacious player, Alonso earned the nickname “Honey Badger.” A player who defected from Cuba to play in MLS, Alonso has never missed the playoffs in his 12-year career (10 with Seattle and the last two with Minnesota United).

Thierry Henry

One of the greatest players in Premier League history and a World Cup winner, Henry was one of most significant signings in MLS history when he joined the New York Red Bulls in 2010, three years after the groundbreaking David Beckham signing by the LA Galaxy. Henry led the NYRB to the 2013 Supporters’ Shield (presented to the team that finishes the regular season with the most points), the first trophy in the club’s history. Henry was a three-time MLS Best XI selection in his five seasons with NYRB.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sporting as much swagger as talent, Ibrahimovic made an immediate impact upon his arrival in Los Angeles, scoring arguably the greatest goal in league history in the first meeting of what promises to be the league’s premier rivalry.

It was a precursor of what was to come. In his two seasons in MLS (2018-19), Ibrahimovic scored 52 goals in 56 games. His 500th career goal in all competitions was appropriately amazing. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more goals for both club and country.

Carlos Ruiz

“El Pescadito” – or “The Little Fish” – is one of the most extraordinary personalities in league history. Ruiz played for five different MLS teams from 2002-2016, but his heyday came with the Galaxy. His first season was his best, scoring 24 goals in 26 games, earning league MVP honors. In that season’s MLS Cup, Ruiz scored the winning goal to give the Galaxy its first league championship in its fourth try.

Taylor Twellman

Before he was the face of ESPN’s MLS televison coverage, Twellman was one of the league’s most lethal goal-scorers. Twellman — the 2005 MLS MVP and a two-time MLS Best XI selection — scored more goals (101) than any other player from 2002-09.

Carlos Vela

In 2019, Vela had what could be considered the best individual season in MLS history. In that record-setting season for a Los Angeles FC team that dominated the regular season and won the Supporters’ Shield, Vela set a goal-scoring standard (34 in 34 games) that will be difficult to match. For good measure, Vela also smashed the single-season record for combined goals and assists en route to league MVP honors.