Zelarayán Perfect 10

One of the many things I log around these parts is WhoScored (WS) ratings of MLS players. It's a quick way to look at who might have had a good game, month, and/or season. WS has been rating MLS players since the start of the 2013 season. Eight total seasons of play.

In those eight seasons, 3,930 individual Columbus Crew player game stat lines in both regular and post-season play. 

Amazingly, in that time only two players have recorded a perfect "10.0" from WS.

Justin Meram in round 12 of the 2017 season and Lucas Zelarayán in the 2020 MLS Cup Final.

In that time there have only been 26 performances to even rate above a "9.0".

Here they are:

Year	Round	Rating	Name
2017	12	10.0	Justin Meram
2020	28-P	10.0	Lucas Zelarayán
2015	36-P	9.9	Kei Kamara
2016	6	9.9	Justin Meram
2018	34	9.7	Gyasi Zardes
2015	33	9.6	Federico Higuaín
2016	9	9.6	Kei Kamara
2016	12	9.5	Ola Kamara
2016	28	9.5	Ola Kamara
2014	33	9.4	Aaron Schoenfeld
2015	24	9.4	Kei Kamara
2013	24	9.3	Federico Higuaín
2015	7	9.3	Ethan Finlay
2018	35-P	9.2	Federico Higuaín
2013	29	9.2	Chad Marshall
2017	35-P	9.2	Zack Steffen
2017	18	9.2	Federico Higuaín
2013	3	9.2	Gláuber
2013	27	9.2	Justin Meram
2019	16	9.2	Pedro Santos
2015	2	9.1	Justin Meram
2020	3	9.1	Lucas Zelarayán
2015	34	9.1	Ethan Finlay
2013	23	9.1	Federico Higuaín
2020	3	9.0	Gyasi Zardes
2020	18	9.0	Artur

A Top Pedro Santos Performance

Last night the Columbus Crew worked over Cincinnati by a 3-0 scoreline. In it, we saw great performances from most of the team, but one, in particular, stands out: Pedro Santos.

His WhoScored rating of 8.99 makes it his second performance in the top 1% of all 3,672 Crew player ratings since 2013 (as far back as their and Opta MLS ratings go).

Here is a look at the number of times a player has performed in the top 1% off all performances.

Top 1%	Name
8	Justin Meram
7	Federico Higuain
7	Kei Kamara
3	Gyasi Zardes
2	Pedro Santos
2	Ola Kamara
2	Ethan Finlay
1	Aaron Schoenfeld
1	Chad Marshall
1	Gláuber
1	Kekuta Manneh
1	Lucas Zelerayan
1	Youness Mokhtar
1	Zack Steffen

Notable for Santos because this puts him one of only seven players in 8 seasons to fall in the top 1% two times or more. For some, this might stand in contrast to how they feel about his play. There have been some really rough games for him, but the top-level that he can play at is also near the top of Major League Soccer and he's doing it at 32 years of age.

Top Rated Crew Performances

Last week I covered the only perfect "10.0" for Crew players since WhoScored started recording it in 2013, so today I'm just going to list the top 20 Columbus Crew performances since WS started tracking.

Year	Round	Rating	Name
2017	12	10.00	Justin Meram
2015	36-P	9.91	Kei Kamara
2016	6	9.86	Justin Meram
2018	34	9.74	Gyasi Zardes
2016	9	9.62	Kei Kamara
2015	33	9.62	Federico Higuain
2016	12	9.53	Ola Kamara
2016	28	9.50	Ola Kamara
2014	33	9.40	Aaron Schoenfeld
2015	24	9.39	Kei Kamara
2013	24	9.33	Federico Higuain
2015	7	9.28	Ethan Finlay
2018	35-P	9.24	Federico Higuain
2013	29	9.20	Chad Marshall
2017	35-P	9.20	Zack Steffen
2017	18	9.17	Federico Higuain
2013	27	9.15	Justin Meram
2019	16	9.15	Pedro Santos
2013	3	9.15	Gláuber
2015	2	9.13	Justin Meram

This is out of 3,553 tracked game performances. That's the top 0.5% listed above. Justin Meram and Federico Higuain are tied at 4 each in the top 20.

Meram's Perfect 10.0

WhoScored (WS) has been rating MLS players using Opta data since the beginning of the 2013 season. Nearly 40 different player activities are tracked and recorded for every game, every player. WS assigns a final player rating based on these actions.

In the 250+ games and 3,500 individual performances, there has only been one 10.0 awarded to a Columbus Crew player.

Justin Meram. Back in May of 2017, he recorded a hattrick playing the Impact up in Montreal. His final goal was a game-winner in added time.

Justin owns two of the top 5 WS ratings for Crew players.

Quick Note: Zelarayán's WS Performance

Looking at all the Columbus Crew games from the start of 2018 till now (72 games), Lucas Zelarayán's performance was tied for 10th best performance as rated by WhoScored.

Rating : Name, Year - Round
9.74 : Gyasi Zardes, 2018 - 34
9.24 : Federico Higuaín, 2018 - 35 (playoffs)
9.15 : Pedro Santos, 2019 - 16
8.90 : Gyasi Zardes, 2018 - 12
8.69 : Pedro Santos, 2019 - 24
8.60 : Federico Higuaín, 2018 - 12
8.57 : Gyasi Zardes, 2019 - 29
8.44 : Zack Steffen, 2019 - 2
8.43 : Federico Higuaín, 2019 - 12
8.41 : Lalas Abubakar, 2018 - 13
8.41 : Lucas Zelarayán, 2020 - 1

Generally speaking, anything over 8.00 is an outstanding night.

Crew WhoScored Median Ratings

I don't have a lot on the Columbus Crew yet because the MLS season has yet to reach at least 5 games. Why 5? Because I've learned that these are still preseason games. You also have a wonky international break in there to start the season.

Nevertheless. Here are median WhoScored Player ratings through four games...

Median	NAME	Apps
7.39	Gaston Sauro	4
7.13	Pedro Santos	4
6.98	Gyasi Zardes	3
6.97	Zack Steffen	3
6.83	Jonathan Mensa	4
6.82	Federico Higuain	4
6.79	Artur	4
6.78	Wil Trapp	3
6.64	Harrison Afful	4
6.53	Waylon Francis	3
6.46	Robinho	4
6.38	Justin Meram	3
6.30	Luis Argudo	1
6.19	Ricardo Clark	2
6.11	Hector Jimenez	3
6.03	Patrick Mullins	1
5.98	Eduardo Sosa	1
5.92	Joe Bendik	1
5.90	Jerome Williams	1

FIVE THINGS

1. Gaston Sauro and his two, headed set-piece goals have him in the top 10% of league performers so far (anything greater than 7.30).

2. Pedro Santos is the only other player worth noting in regards to good play. At 7.13, he's in the top 25% of performers.

3. Robinho's play has been slightly better than Meram, but not as much as many would like to think. Robinho is probably a better option at this point, but he doesn't look markedly better than Meram. The spot is up for grabs. I honestly think Jimenez should get 3 games starting there, or even Clark.

4. I still think it's going to be a tricky year for this team. There was lots of energy to start the year, but once the season settles in I think it's going to kinda get... blah.

5. Four goals in four games isn't blowing anyone's hair back. Particularly since two of them came from a central defender. 7 points in four is a gift.

I wish I had more, but there isn't much going on with this team so far. Not particularly good, but not horrible either. The East is really bad this year, however. Columbus just needs to do what it's done best over the last decade, play hard, be a tough out.