MLS MVP contenders: Can Lionel Messi hold off other candidates, including Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez?

Heading into the season, it felt like the Major League Soccer MVP award was Lionel Messi's to lose. The Argentine took Major League Soccer by storm in his first season in the league and was able to come in second in the MVP race after only a half season. But this season, injuries have caught up to Messi, allowing other players in the league to give him a run for the award including his own teaMMAte Luis Suarez. 

With only four to five Games remaining, depending on the team, things such as the Supporters' Shield and the playoff chase will provide a platform for these rankings to change as major moments impact the remainder of the season. While MVP rankings take into account a players full season, things like making the playoffs and awards do matter.

Let's take a look at where things shake out:

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Honorable mentions

With a list like this, it's hard to include everyone who could be in the mix. Here's some names that are just on the cusp.

• Daniel Gazdag
• Cucho Hernandez
• Christian Benteke
• Riqui Puig
• Matt Freese 

The players aren't quite out of contention but they're not at the levels of the players above them. All five are certainly MVPs within the specific teams and with big finishes to the season they could end up being finalists for the actual MVP award, but it would be a surprise for any of them to win it.

5. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami

If Messi featured for the entire season, there'd be no question that this award would be his, and considering the makeup of voting, it still may be, but there are a few things working against the Argentine. First is the time missed. Despite racking up 14 goals and 15 assists, including secondary assists, missing time and having Miami win matches without him should detract from his MVP credentials. Another issue is the run that Suarez has been on. Messi's Uruguayan will eat into his votes possibly, stopping him from winning MVP this season. 

4. Luis Suarez, Inter Miami

Stepping up when Messi was absent for Inter Miami, Luis Suarez has proven that there's something left in his knees and then some. Scoring from wherever he wants, Suarez has 17 goals and six assists. Those are numbers that could see him close out the season with the Golden Boot, depending on Miami's finish as they march toward the Supporters' Shield. Suarez has only started five matches this season during which he didn't register a goal or an assist and without Messi he scored five goals to help keep the Herons on track. That's the kind of stuff that keeps him in the MVP race despite not having the counting stats of some of the players around him.

3. Cristian Arango, Real Salt Lake

Consistency is key for MVP candidates and Chicho Arango had one of the best starts of anyone, scoring 17 goals before a suspension. But after, he has yet to score in league play for Real Salt Lake, only assisting one goal. If he's able to turn his play around, Arango could win the Golden Boot and push himself back into top contention for MVP, but that dry spell is enough to hurt his chances at the award. The Colombian has always been a streaky player in his career so this isn't anything particularly surprising but taking that next step is qhat's needed to secure MVP honors. 

2. Luciano Acosta, FC Cincinnati

The reigning league MVP is doing what he does best, scoring and creating no matter what happens around him. FC Cincinatti's attacking corps have changed drastically, but Acosta is still doing his thing, scoring 12 goals and assisting 18 more.  His consistency is something to marvel at because no one in MLS has been able to match that over multiple seasons, but this is also where MVP fatigue may come into play. There's nothing against what Acosta has done, but at times voters like to see a new challenger take the crown.  

1. Evander, Portland Timbers

Not much was expected from the Timbers heading into the season but as we close things out, they're likely into the Western Conference playoffs as a team that no one wants to face. The defense has been porous and there has been a rotating cast in attack, but one constant has been Evander at the center of the midfield. With 15 goals and 17 assists, Evander has been involved in an astonishing 51% of Portland goals. Evertything that the team does goes through him and even with teams wanting to do everything possible to slow him down, it hasn't helped.