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Zlatan Ibrahimovic headlines Opta MLS Best XI 2019

Opta

The stats don’t lie.

30 goals and 7 assists in 29 appearances says it all really. With this in mind it’s no surprise LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was named to the Opta MLS Best XI, named after the British sports analytical company that provides statistical data on league clubs. (As pointed out in the piece, Ibra contributed to roughly 64% of LA’s goals this season)

We’re a little surprised Jonathan dos Santos didn’t make the cut, but the experts at Opta know what they’re doing. C’est la vie.

As each regular season winds down, Best XI conversations tend to surface. Who stood out above the rest and delivered a year-long level of performance that’s deserving of the accolade? It’s largely a subjective conversation, even if several players are shoe-ins.

To level the debate, Opta has provided a stats-driven Best XI that takes into account advanced data from across the MLS regular season. The team is organized in a 4-2-3-1 formation and features plenty of stars, but also a few names that might surprise you.