The possibility of lifting MLS Cup on Dec. 9 is plenty of motivation for the 16 teams vying to collect that prize. For a fair number of the players comprising each squad, though, there’s more at stake this postseason than just silverware.
For some, it’s the “last dance”: one last stand with the team they’ve made a career with, before moving on. Some seek the spotlight of Europe, playing for that career-changing move abroad once the winter window comes. For others, as their contracts near completion, they’ll be looking to cash in on free agency within MLS once this playoff run is done.
Who are some of the names that might play with added emotion, aspiration or weight as the playoffs continue on? Here are four players with more at stake than just a shot at MLS Cup.
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When Robinson ruptured his achilles in May 2022, it sent a few things into disarray, including the Atlanta United backline, Gregg Berhalter’s World Cup starting XI and expectations Robinson might have had in earning himself a move abroad. Now back and fully fit, the 26-year-old center-back will be playing for a move abroad in the winter with a renewed focus and an urgency that stems from the knowledge that the time to move to Europe is running out.
With his contract expiring at the end of this season, Robinson has been linked repeatedly to PSV Eindhoven, where numerous Americans already reside under the oversight of technical director (formerly of the Philadelphia Union and U.S. Soccer) Earnie Stewart.
The 25-year-old United States striker has been vocal about his interest in moving abroad. On a recent episode of Offside with Taylor Twellman, the Supporters’ Shield-winning forward from an ascendant FC Cincinnati side said he hopes to, “Bring Cincinnati a championship and then, yeah, make the jump overseas.”
Coming off a staggering 18 goals in a blistering 2022 campaign, Vázquez has had a relatively modest eight goals and two assists for the orange and blue in 2023. As manager Pat Noonan recently told FC Cincinnati’s website, though, “He does so many little things well that will go unnoticed because the expectation is for him to continue scoring goals like he has for the past couple of years.”
Borussia Monchengladbach have held long-term interest in the striker and traveled to observe his on- and off-ball impact in person earlier this year. Rampant transfer rumors floated around this past summer, but it seems a winter move may appeal.
Whether to the Bundesliga or elsewhere, Vázquez seems focused on playing for a move in this year’s playoffs. “I think if I want to make the 2026 World Cup roster, I think I have to be overseas competing in the best leagues in the world,” he told Twellman’s podcast.
