From Chicharito to Rodolfo Pizarro: MLS's best new players in 2020

Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández
Age: 31
Nationality: Mexican
Club: LA Galaxy

After years of rumors, Chicharito has finally made his way to MLS. While the striker has become a bit of a journeyman during the 10 years he’s spent in Europe, he’s had flashes of success and played for some of the biggest teams in the world, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.

There are some questions about the timing and cost of the transfer though. Chicharito comes from a season in which he scored only four goals in 17 appearances and yet is MLS’s highest-paid player. His phone call with his parents, in which he called the move “the beginning of my retirement”, won’t inspire much confidence from Galaxy fans either.

Still the striker is his nation’s all-time leading international goalscorer and his game should fit the team well. His poaching ability should complement Cristian Pavón, who paired well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season. And the move will certainly help the LA Galaxy draw in Mexico fans, setting up another interesting dimension to their cross-town rivalry with LAFC, who have fellow El Tri international Carlos Vela at the head of their attack.

Pedro Gallese
Age: 30
Nationality: Peruvian
Club: Orlando City

Coming from Peruvian champions Alianza Lima, the 30-year-old brings a wealth of experience. With a little help from his defense, Gallese should prove to be the best goalie in the league this season. And Orlando need him desperately, having finished last season second from bottom in the Eastern Conference.

Through 62 starts for Peru since 2014 he’s shown patience and composure, and was a pillar of the team’s success through the South American qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup. In his standout performance, Peru shut out a desperate Argentina at La Bombonera when the Albiceleste were on the brink of elimination from that summer’s finals.

Edison Flores
Age: 25
Nationality: Peru
Club: DC United

While not the most well-known name, Edison Flores is well deserving of the club-record $5m that DC United shelled out to add him to their roster. Flores spent time bouncing between South America, Europe and Mexico before making his way to MLS, but the winger should help fill the attacking void left by Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta’s departures.

The diminutive 25-year-old had perhaps his most impressive career stop yet at Liga MX side Morelia who he joined in 2018. He settled in comfortably in Mexico, where he featured in 46 games, scoring 12 goals and setting up another six.

Flores’ club success has mirrored his international career. Flores started all three games for Peru at the 2018 World Cup, and followed that up by scoring two goals in his country’s 2019 Copa América campaign where they finished as runners-up.

Flores has a five-year contract, so they’ll have him locked up for his prime years, or be able to sell him for a nice sum.

Rodolfo Pizarro
Age: 26
Nationality: Mexican
Club: Inter Miami

To the untrained eye, the signing of Rodolfo Pizarro as a designated player showed that Inter Miami and David Beckham did not deliver on the world-class talent they promised.

The midfielder’s measly eight goals and three assists in the past two seasons for Monterrey CF could spook green MLS fans, but the truth is Miami were never going to play moneyball and Pizarro’s skill can not be quantified by crude statistics. He can change games in seconds, and his passing is sharp. Having a quarterback-type player to run the midfield may prove successful in a league with mixed quality defending.

As the trend of European teams buying younger and younger players from Central and South America solidifies, coming to Miami may be the 26-year-old’s best shot to lead a team. Diego Alonso may ask he takes over the middle, like Pity Martínez did for Atlanta United when he came from Argentina. Here’s hoping he will not take as much time to adapt.

Winston Reid
Age: 31
Nationality: New Zealand
Club: Sporting KC

Although the West Ham center-back has not made a professional start since March 2018, Sporting Kansas City need his top-flight experience at the back. It’s shutouts, not necessarily goals, Sporting Kansas City need. Despite scoring only three goals fewer than the Western conference runners up, Seattle Sounders, KC finished 11th with the second-most goals against in the league and an -18 difference. Only Cincinnati’s defense was worse.

Reid will look to revive his career with this loan spell in MLS after a few years plagued by injury. When he is in form, his seven years of Premier League experience can bring patience to a team that will be anxious at the back coming into the season.