Former Barcelona forward David Villa closes in on MLS record with New York City
Bet365One World Cup. A European Championship title. The Champions League. Three La Ligas and two Copa del Reys.
With all of those claimed and much more besides, David Villa was almost entitled to wind down gently when he made the decision to swap Atletico Madrid for Major League Soccer in 2014.
It was, after all, seen in its early stages by some as a competition where big names went for one last payday before bringing their playing careers to a muted but financially-lucrative end.
Yet now, after some of the game’s greatest talents came, saw and took home stacks of money, attitudes towards the sport in the USA are slowly changing – with Villa seemingly leading the way.
At the age of 35, rather than ease himself towards life as a former footballer, the Spaniard is in with a genuine shout of setting a new record which has nothing to do with how old he is.
With nine games of the regular season remaining, New York City FC’s Villa stands with a good chance of setting a new highest mark for the number of goals scored in a single MLS campaign.
The fact he is just eight goals off the current total of 27 – reached previously by three players including former Manchester City forward Bradley-Wright-Phillips – gives him hope.
But it’s a run of form which has seen him score in four of New York’s last five games, including his first hat-trick in America against New York Red Bulls, which makes breaking the record feasible.
Villa and his team-mates face the Red Bulls again this weekend, live on Sky Sports Football from midnight on Saturday morning, as he bids to keep his good run going.
Having now scored 60 times in less than three seasons, the ex-Barcelona striker is maintaining a high standard and his manager Patrick Vieira sees no sign of his levels dropping.
„The record is there to be beaten and one day that will happen,“ he told MLSSoccer.com. „I think the focus of David is of course to keep scoring goals because this is what he does best.
„He will need the help of the team to keep scoring and we have a game that suits him really well. When he’s in front of goal, the quality makes a difference.“
Villa’s treble against the Red Bulls on August 6 thrust him ahead of Chicago’s Nemanja Nikolic in the race to win the league’s Golden Boot prize and he has remained in front since then.
The winner of MLS’s Most Valuable Player prize last year, his efforts so far have given him a good chance of becoming the first person to retain the award and only the second to claim it twice.
It’s not just his prowess in front of goal which is a factor in that. Unsurprisingly, Villa has provided plenty of assists too, with his total of eight bettered by only 10 others in the competition.
What perhaps does come as more of a shock is the 97-time capped former international’s defensive contribution.
Villa was lauded for tracking back to make a crucial tackle as 10-man New York saw out a crucial 2-1 win at Chicago last month.
Something similar happened in his own box against the Red Bulls and, again, the praise he received from his team-mates was wholesome.
New York winger Rodney Wallace said: „David has won it all [and] most players would fall back and rely on that. He’s one of those players who want more.
„He doesn’t do it just for the show but because it’s in his DNA. He’s a machine, he’s a goal scorer, he’s a beast.
„He’s always going to want more and he always wants to be the best. That translates on the field and it projects the message to the rest of the group.“
Fellow forward Sean Okoli added: „A lot of goal scorers just like to sit in front of goal but David is the exact opposite. He’ll get you goals but he’ll also work defensively for you.
„That not only brings energy to the team, but it’s always something positive. If we keep that work rate together I think we’ll keep winning games.“
Contracted until the end of next season, Villa is unlikely to come close to Landon Donovan’s all-time MLS goals record of 145, even if his terms are extended at some point.
Few have been as prolific as he has, however, so it’s very possible he could go on to join the other nine players who have hit a century of goals in the competition if he nets with the same regularity.
Villa might well be entering the twilight of his career but for now, at least, he is going against the grain and remains one of MLS’s genuine class acts.Euro Soccer Bonus
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