The 10 MLS players to crash the last six months
Martin Macdonald
- 28 Feb 2022 15:41 GMT
- 3 min read
Geoff Cameron has declined as a player more than any other player in Major League Soccer over the last six months, according to SciSports.
Using in-game data to calculate the performance of every player in the league, the FC Cincinnati defender has statistically had the sharpest fall in his personal level.
Cameron was part of the Cincinnati side who finished bottom of the 2021 Eastern Conference.
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One of the highest paid players in MLS, Gonzalo Higuain, is in second place. He has scored just two goals in his last nine matches over the end of the 2021 season into the start of 2022.
Unfortunately for the Argentine, he is never particularly far away from criticisms over his fitness.
Back to FC Cincinnati, and Tyler Blackett is the player with the third sharpest decline over the last six months. Remarkably, the former Manchester United defender made 11 appearances in the 2021 season and lost every game.
Christian Fuchs is in fourth, having struggled to adapt to football in the United States following his move from Leicester.
Another big name is in fifth in the form of Victor Wanyama. His performances have regressed, while his disciplinary record isn't great, being booked no less than eight times in 27 games in 2021.
Luquinhas, Ronald Matarrita, Michael Barrios, Raul Ruidiaz and Nicolas Lodeiro round out the top 10.
| Player | Club | SCISKILL DECLINE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Geoff Cameron | FC Cincinnati | -11.1 |
| 2. Gonzalo Higuain | Inter Miami | -9.3 |
| 3. Tyler Blackett | FC Cincinnati | -8.2 |
| 4. Christian Fuchs | Charlotte | -6.6 |
| 5. Victor Wanyama | Montreal | -6.1 |
| 6. Luquinhas | New York Red Bulls | -6.0 |
| 7. Ronald Mtarrita | FC Cincinnati | -5.9 |
| 8. Michael Barrios | Colorado Rapid | -5.8 |
| 9. Raul Ruidiaz | Seattle Sounders | -5.4 |
| 10. Nicolas Lodeiro | Seattle Sounders | -5.4 |
How is the SciSkill ranking calculated?
Over the course of a season in MLS, there are players who will enjoy increasingly poor performances and increasingly positive performances.
FootballTransfers, in partnership with SciSports, has determined 10 players over the last six months within MLS whose performances have declined to a higher degree than anyone else.
SciSports explains how our development ratings are gathered:
"Among others, a positive development could be boosted by more playing time, playing time on a higher level or better performances on the pitch.
"A negative development could be due to the player being active on a lower level than he used to play, bad performances or the fact that he does not play that often as he used to do.
"A SciSkill Development of 0.0 could indicate that a player is performing exactly like our algorithm expects him to do. Another reason could be inactivity (e.g. a long-term injury or suspension)."
