2016 Player Review: Roland Alberg

Quick, name the top players in MLS in terms of goals scored per minute played. If you thought of Sebastian Giovinco, Bradley Wright-Phillips, David Villa, Frank Lampard, Ola Kamara and players like that, you were right. But you might have missed the player that finished fourth in that category, Roland Alberg. Alberg netted nine goals this season in just 1,175 minutes, which rates him among the league's elite. So why did he struggle to get on the field? They call them Designated Players. Alberg was pegged by the coaching staff - justifiably - as a number 10 in the 4-2-3-1 system, but that was the position played by one of the Union's best players in Tranquillo Barnetta. Injuries and the departure of Vincent Nogueira opened the door for Roland Alberg to spring his offensive attack on the league before it was shut down by the arrival of Alejandro Bedoya.

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