How did Portuguese players fare in the 2023 Major League Soccer season?
Only four Portuguese players made it to the end of the 2023 season in Major League Soccer, but it is still not clear how many will actually return for next season as the deadline for exercising contract options is December 1.
Pedro Santos, the longest tenured player from Portugal
D.C. United’s Pedro Santos is the longest tenured player from Portugal. In Portugal, he played for Casa Pia, Leixões, Vitória FC, Rio Ave and Sporting de Braga, the team that sold him to the Columbus Crew on August 7, 2017. At the time, the 35 year old midfielder was signed as a designated player, for a club record $2.3 million.
Santos had six very productive seasons in Columbus, where in 2020 he became the only Portuguese player to win the MLS Cup. But last November the Crew elected not to extend his contract and he finished his stay there with 174 appearances, 26 goals and 30 assists.
Crew general manager Tim Bezbatchenko told the media that Pedro Santos was let go “primarily a result of the salary cap casualties.”
Because he had been such an important player, Santos quickly started receiving offers and, on November 21, 2022, he signed a two-year contract with D.C. United, at the time coached by English legend Wayne Rooney.
But bad luck struck again and on March 18 he had to leave the game against New York City FC due to an injury. As a result, Santos underwent undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove an osteochondral fragment in his left knee and was forced to sit out a handful of games.
He returned the following month and still made 21 appearances, including 16 starts. Santos logged 1,540 minutes, turning in one goal and adding one assist as he played left full-back in Rooney’s side.
Luís Martins hopes to remain with the Vancouver Whitecaps
Defender Luís Martins completed his first full season with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, making 26 appearances, including 18 starts, and logged 1621 minutes.
The 31-year-old defender came up through the SL Benfica youth system. But, although he made his official debut with the senior side on Nov. 2, 2011, starting in a UEFA Champions League group stage game against FC Basel, Martins was unable to earn a regular spot on the team and eventually was transferred to first-division club Gil Vicente in 2013. He also played for La Liga’s side Granada CF, as well as Osasuna, C.S. Marítimo and G.D. Chaves.
In August of 2019, during Major League Soccer's summer transfer window, Martins signed with Sporting Kansas City, where he made 55 appearances. But, at the end of the 2021 season, SKC did not offer him a new contract and Luís Martins did not play for a few months.
“It was a tough period for me. I was trying to figure out what my future was going to be, waiting on some stuff from Europe too. I declined some [options] at the beginning of January to wait for something better,” Martins recalled.
Finally, last May he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps. And in Vancouver he found connections to Portugal, in Ryan Gauld, a talented Scottish midfielder who spent five seasons with Sporting CP, and Ryan Raposo, a promising Canadian youth international who was drafted fourth overall by Whitecaps FC at the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and has already made 92 appearances with the first team.
“We have a connection because we both speak Portuguese from his time playing in Portugal,” Martins said. “So, we speak a lot.”
“Besides our language that we can understand, our football – or soccer – language is the same,” explained Martins. “We share the same way to see football.”
It is not clear whether Martins will be asked to return, but he hopes to remain with the club for the 2024 season.
“It's very helpful for me to be settled on one place, to be at a club that wants you is even better,” Martins said when he was first signed by Vancouver. “I have the confidence from the club, the players. That’s good for me. That’s what a player wants at this stage of their career, that stability. As an experienced guy I can help the team outside the field as well. I’m here to help as much as I can on and off the field.”
Sidnei Tavares acquired by the Colorado Rapids in August
Midfielder Sidnei Tavares was acquired by the Colorado Rapids this August.
The 21-year-old midfielder was signed on an 11-month loan from Portugal’s FC Porto, with an option to make the transfer permanent. But, he did not have much of an impact, as he made only five appearances, three as a starter, and totaled only 300 minutes.
With the Rapids, Tavares will occupy a U22 Initiative and international slot, at least until June 30, 2024.
“We’re delighted to add a player of Sidnei’s quality to our roster,” said Colorado Rapids President Pádraig Smith. “Sidnei is a young, athletic midfielder who is technically gifted and has the attributes to immediately make an impact on both sides of the ball. We look forward to welcoming him to the club and getting him acclimated as quickly as possible.”
Tavares is first cousins with Portuguese international Nani, a former Manchester United and Sporting CP legend.
At FC Porto, Tavares was assigned to the B team, where he made 38 appearances, registering four assists.
Xandre Silva makes an impact at Atlanta United
Xande Silva was another summer signing, joining Atlanta United in August. But, unlike Tavares, the 26-year-old winger has already had an impact, making 10 appearances, including eight starts. He scored two goals and added three assists in 641 minutes. He was even more impressive in the playoffs, starting all three games and scoring two goals in 215 minutes.
This past Sunday Atlanta United dropped the third and deciding game, 4-2, to the Columbus Crew. Silva scored the second goal.
The 26-year-old Portuguese forward came on loan from French side club Dijon FCO. Born in Porto, Silva played youth soccer at FC Alverca and then moved to CF Belenenses, Sporting Club de Portugal and Vitória Guimarães, where he made his professional debut on August 17, 2014.
Eventually, Silva was sold to Premier League side West Ham for an undisclosed fee on August 2, 2018, and made his Premier League debut on December 30, 2018.
But his career did not take the route he had hoped for and he was loaned to Aris in the Super League Greece. Next came a move to EFL Championship club Nottingham Forest, followed by a transfer to Dijon FCO. Finally, a new chance was provided by Atlanta.
No decision was yet announced about the possibility that the MLS side will try to buy his contract, but his strong showing since arriving in August could trigger a move.
“We’re excited to welcome Xande to the club and look forward to him providing an impact over the final stretch of the season,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said when Silva first arrived. “He is a versatile attacker who will provide more competition on the wing and has the ability to play anywhere across the front three.”
Nuno Santos returned to Portugal
Midfielder Nuno Santos, who been acquired by Charlotte FC last August, returned to Portugal in July and moved to Vitória S.C. on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee.Charlotte FC had high hopes for Nuno Santos, as the 23-year old attacking midfielder had made 74 appearances, registering seven goals and five assists in the Portuguese first division while playing for Moreirense FC, Boavista FC, and FC Paços de Ferreira.
He also had significant experience with Portugal’s youth national teams, helping the U-19 team win the 2018 UEFA U-19 European Championship. But he never really fit in with Charlotte and managed a mere nine appearances, including three starts, totaling 377 minutes, over parts of two seasons.
Charlotte FC made a lateral move in Portugal, as they signed forward Kerwin Vargas from CD Feirense.
The 21-year-old Colombian forward is signed through the 2024 MLS season, with option years for 2025-26.
“We’re excited to finalize the transfer of Kerwin to Charlotte FC,” sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a release. “He has quickly proven to be a goal scoring threat at the professional level during his first season in Portugal and has the potential to grow into a well-rounded forward in this league,”
In 29 games, 18 starts, Vargas turned in four goals and added five assists while logging 1,493 minutes.
Coach Marc Dos Santos wants to repeat title
On the coaching front, former Vancouver coach Marc Dos Santos is in his second season as assistant coach at MLS champion Los Angeles FC.
After failing to lead Vancouver to the playoffs during his two seasons there, Dos Santos returned to LAFC, where he had been an assistant coach during the team’s first two MLS seasons.
His return has been quite successful. After helping the team win the title last season, Dos Santos is hoping for more of the same as LAFC is in the Western Conference semi-finals, where they will square off against the Seattle Sounders, on November 26.
For Portuguese fans there is a familiar face in Seattle, Colombian forward Fredy Montero who had two separate stints with Sporting CP, from 2013-16 and then 2018-019. He played in 88 games with Sporting, scoring 30 goals.
With Seattle, the 36-year-old striker has had a diminishing role and this season he has made 17 appearances but played a mere 424 minutes, registering one goal and one assist.
Other Portuguese players who could join MLS next season
There are a couple of players who spent the season with MLS Next teams and who may make it to Major League Soccer next season.
Midfielder Diogo Pacheco signed with Minnesota United’s MLS Next team last March, and had a decent season, scoring three goals and adding five assists in 22 appearances.
This season, Pacheco was more productive, making 26 appearances, and increased his production, as he scored eight goals and added five assists.
Pacheco came up through the SL Benfica youth system and moved to Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses when he moved up to the U-19 team.
After that he accepted an offer from the University of Akron, where he made 52 appearances and earned first-team All-MAC honors. He had a stellar season in 2021, when he was given a Drawer Soccer’s Top 100 ranking and Conference Top 20 and also earned All-America honors.
Bento Estrela is a 17-year-old midfielder who plays for the New York Red Bulls. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was called up to Portugal’s U-16 Youth National two years ago and last season went to camp with the U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team.
In 2021, at age 14, Bento became the youngest player in New York Red Bulls’ history to sign a professional contract. At the time he also became the third-youngest homegrown signing in MLS history, behind Freddy Adu and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, currently with Belgian Pro League club K.A.S. Eupen.
In the recently concluded season, Estrela played for the Red Bulls’ MLS Next team, making 21 appearances, including 5 starts. He played 1,411 minutes but did not make the score sheet in any game.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: How did Portuguese players fare in the 2023 Major League Soccer season?
