MLS: Top 25 Goalscorers History - 2001

2001 was the year where the wonder boy himself, Landon Donovan, came to San Jose to play for the Quakes. Just like the Wizards and Metros the year before, they would go from bad to great en route to the championship. You also had the Ray Hudson led Miami Fusion, the second best team in MLS history (PPG, counting shootouts as draws). Chicago, Columbus, and Los Angeles all had good teams as well. I don't think there's another year where five teams had W-L-D records like those five. You also had the worst team in league history, the 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny, a.k.a. the only team to give Delvin Barclay regular playing time. He actually scored the last goal in Mutiny history. They allowed 2.52 goals per game, way more than any other team in MLS history (second worst is 2.19). It's a shame that contraction had to happen, and not just because the great Fusion team was broken up. 2000 and 2001 were possibly the league's most exciting years, with a number of teams as real title contenders. I think the quality of play was the best MLS has ever seen. The league stopped bringing in the the expensive imports, and on the field MLS has seemed to stagnate. Of course, I totally understand why it happened, and it looks like it was the correct move, but it's still unfortunate. With some careful planning from the get go (1996), it could've been avoided. 1) Roy Lassiter, KC - 88 2) Raul Diaz Arce, DC/COL - 82 The end of the line for the two leaders. Lassiter would play one more year in MLS, but no more goals for either. 3) Jason Kreis, DAL - 66 3) Jaime Moreno, DC - 66 5) Preki, KC - 58 6) Ronald Cerritos, SJ - 55 Never a superstar, but always consistant, sixth is the highest place after any season. Although that could still change. 7) Cobi Jones, LA - 54 8) Paul Bravo, COL - 52 8) Diego Serna, MIA - 52 Four years with the Fusion, and 52 goals in exactly 100 games. Hell of a player. Second in the league with 15 goals to his teammate Alex Pineda Chacon, a first year MLS player. This was the first year where the league's leading goalscorer wasn't on this list at the end of the year. 10) Giovanni Savarese - 51 11) Eduardo Hurtado - 47 12) Dante Washington, CLB - 46 13) Brian McBride, CLB - 45 13) Ante Razov, CHI - 45 Both of these guys combined to score 3 goals in 2001; McBride had yet another injury, while Razov was off to Spain to play in the second division before returning. 15) Wolde Harris, NE - 44 15) Stern John - 44 17) Welton - 43 18) Joe-Max Moore - 37 19) Mamadou Diallo, TB - 35 19) Clint Mathis, MET - 35 21) Steve Ralston, TB - 34 21) Eric Wynalda, NE/CHI - 34 Jumps back onto the list after his 10 goal haul for the Fire. Good that he went out a high note (we'll forget the whole Charleston thing ever happened). 23) Mauricio Cienfuegos, LA - 33 24) Jeff Cunningham, CLB - 32 Got onto the list after his first four years in MLS. Although, he would beat that 32 goal total in the next four years. 25) Mo Johnston, KC - 31 Falling off the list Vitalis Takawira (21, tie) Mark Chung (24, tie)