The Golden Boot is the award given to the league’s most prolific scorer. In the past, this was given to the MLS player who scored the most points during a specific season. When we say points, we mean goals and assists. Back then, two points were given for a goal and one for assists. The player who has the highest point total is the Golden Boot winner.
Since 2005 though, the Golden Boot award in the MLS was modified. The new rule says that the player who has scored the most goals during a particular season is the Golden Boot winner. In case of a tie, the assists will be the tie-breaker that determines the winner.
Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez was last season’s Golden Boot winner with a total of 31 goals scored in 34 games. This year, Martinez is currently second on the Golden Boot odds board at +350. He trails current goals leader and odds on favorite Carlos Vela who is at -345 with 22 goals scored this season.
These are the MLS Goal leaders as of 7/30/19:
Player | Goals Scored |
---|---|
Carlos Vela | 22 |
Josef Martinez | 17 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 16 |
Diego Rossi | 12 |
Wayne Rooney | 11 |
C.J. Sapong | 9 |
Chris Wondolowski | 9 |
Alejandro Pozuelo | 9 |
Kacper Przybylko | 9 |
Heber | 9 |
Jozy Altidore | 9 |
Carlos Vela is having a fantastic season for the Los Angeles FC. After scoring 14 goals in 29 games last season, Vela has already tallied 22 goals in 21 games played this season. He currently holds a five-goal lead over Josef Martinez in the race to become the MLS’ top goal scorer.
Here are the soccer betting odds to become the MLS’ top goal scorer for the 2019 season:
Player | Odds |
---|---|
Carlos Vela | -345 |
Josef Martinez | +350 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic | +450 |
Diego Rossi | +6000 |
Heber | +6600 |
Brian Fernandez | +7500 |
Wayne Rooney | +7500 |
Chris Wondolowski | +8000 |
Jozy Altidore | +10000 |
Sam Johnson | +10000 |
Kei Ansu Kamara | +10000 |
Kacper Przybylko | +10000 |
Raul Ruidiaz | +10000 |
Carlos Vela is the first designated player of the Los Angeles FC. The 30-year old from Cancun, Mexico is having the best season of his career. Vela has scored a total of 22 goals in 21 games for the Black and Gold. Prior to his stint at MLS, Vela scored 13 Premier League goals and 76 La Liga goals.
Josef Martinez of the reigning MLS Cup champions Atlanta United FC is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the league. The 26-year old from Valencia in Venezuela became the most decorated player in a single MLS season after winning the League MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Golden Boot, and MLS Cup Final Game MVP in 2018. Martinez scored 19 goals in 20 games in 2017 but upped that to 31 goals in 34 games last season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is perhaps the biggest star in MLS since David Beckham. The 37-year-old Swedish striker is the most electrifying player in the league today. In his first season with the LA Galaxy in 2018m, Ibrahimovic scored a total of 22 goals in 27 games for Los Angeles. He’s battled knee injuries in the last couple of years but remains a lethal scorer when he is healthy.
We won’t discuss the rest of the names on the odds board because if you take a look at the goal scorer table, 4th placer Rossi is 10 goals off Carlos Vela’s pace. With 12 games to play for the teams, I don’t think he or the others can catch up. I think it’s down to a three-man race between Vela, Martinez, and Zlatan.
We’re at the MLS All-Star break and it’s not your typical midseason as in some sports who hold their break at the midway point of the season. The teams have played 22 games already and only 12 remain to be contested per team. That said, Carlos Vela is up by 5 goals scored on Josef Martinez and 6 on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Martinez’s numbers suffered from Atlanta’s poor start and while the team is catching up in the standings, Martinez may find it difficult to overhaul a five-goal deficit with few games left to play. On the other hand, Zlatan has always been a threat to score goals but he no longer looks like the threat to win the golden boot or become top goal scorer. When it comes to spectacular goals though, Zlatan is a god. But that’s not why we’re here.
Carlos Vela and the Los Angeles FC are having a fantastic season on offense and I won’t be surprised if Vela win the Golden Boot and become the top goalscorer this year. I’m picking Carlos Vela to be the MLS’ top goal scorer for the 2019 season. Prediction: Carlos Vela
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