MLS at 30: 15 Forgotten Players From the League’s History | OneFootball

Major League Soccer has welcomed players from all walks of life. Some were big names, cult heroes, or young talents who either blossomed, flopped, or faded into obscurity. Here, we take a look at 15 players who came to MLS, played their part, and quietly left, leaving behind mixed legacies.

Over 30 years, countless players have passed through Major League Soccer — some leaving lasting legacies like Diego Valeri or David Beckham, while others flopped and failed miserably, like Lothar Matthäus and Luis Hernandez.

The vast majority of the league’s players fall somewhere in between, but that doesn’t mean that their time in MLS was insignificant. While history may have forgotten these ‘tweeners, there are some pretty fascinating stories from their short-lived stints.

Anthony de Avila at the 1998 World Cup. Shaun Botterill /Allsport

Take Anthony de Avila, who played with the MetroStars between the 1996 and 1997 seasons, for example. The Colombian striker had success in MLS, scoring 15 times in his 31 appearances for the MetroStars, but it was his remarks with the national team that put him in the headlines. In 1997, he scored a goal that qualified Colombia for the upcoming World Cup, and dedicated it to imprisoned Colombian drug traffickers who had previously owned America de Cali, the club he starred for throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Fearing backlash, MLS quickly offloaded the devoutly religious de Avila to avoid negative press. In 2021, he was arrested while in Naples on suspicion of drug trafficking, and it was later discovered that he had an outstanding warrant for the same charge dating back to 2004.

Then there’s Joao Luiz, who also played for the MetroStars in 1997 (there will be several MetroStars players on this list). The league spent $1 million dollars on Luiz, only to discover he may never have played professional soccer despite records listing him at various clubs over a three-year span. He played seven games for the club, got injured, and disappeared from the league.

There are plenty more stories like these. Here are 15 obscure yet still compelling players from MLS’s 30-year history.

Wellington Sánchez

Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

In 1998, the MetroStars signed Ecuadorian midfielder Wellington Sánchez, once seen as a rising star and Álex Aguinaga’s successor. Intended to fill the void left by Roberto Donadoni, Sánchez barely made a mark — playing just once for New York before a quiet stint in Los Angeles with 12 appearances and a single goal.

Waldir Sáenz

Few MLS fans know that the Colorado Rapids signed one of Peru’s greatest strikers, Waldir Sáenz of Alianza Lima. His time in MLS was lightning in a bottle — 23 games and six goals in 1998 — before returning to Alianza Lima for three more stints, eventually becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer.

John O’Brien

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One of the most talented American players ever, John O’Brien’s career was derailed by injuries. The United States men’s national team World Cup scorer shined at Ajax, but his final comeback attempt with Chivas USA ended with just one game played. A brilliant talent lost to bad luck.

Rodrigo Piñeiro

X/Nashville SC

Rodrigo Piñeiro signed with Nashville in 2021 full of promise, but homesickness and mental health struggles limited him to just two appearances. The young Uruguayan later revealed the club offered little support during his transition to life in the U.S.

Saša Ćurčić

In 1999, the MetroStars were so bad they needed a wild card. Enter Saša Ćurčić, a Yugoslavian midfielder known for his love of techno, forgetting cleats, and oversleeping through team trips. Fresh from Crystal Palace, he asked fans for a free pass to Webster Hall before even asking for the ball. Amid the chaos, he scored twice in nine games, then was promptly released — a perfect fit for the teams’s most forgettable season.

Toni Stahl

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Finnish defender Toni Stahl had one of the stranger pro soccer career paths. After a few stints with clubs in his home nation’s lower leagues, he headed to the University of Connecticut to play college soccer. He’d then get drafted by the Philadelphia Union in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, but would feature in just one match for the club before stints in the USL and NASL.

Thomas Ravelli

Scott Halleran / Allsport

Sweden’s legendary 1994 World Cup goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli joined the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1998. A human highlight on a struggling team, he played 23 games before leaving MLS and finishing his career with his childhood club Öster.

Fredrik Ljungberg

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

When the Seattle Sounders entered MLS in 2009, they brought star power in Fredrik Ljungberg. But the former Arsenal ace had lost the pace that defined him. While the team thrived, Ljungberg lagged, eventually traded to Chicago before a brief stint at Celtic.

Marcelo Herrera

Marcelo “Popeye” Herrera joined the Miami Fusion in 1998 to boost their debut season after a decorated career at Vélez Sarsfield. He scored five goals in 17 games but left MLS after just half a season.

Giuseppe Galderisi

Stephen Dunn / Allsport

Former Juventus and AC Milan striker Giuseppe Galderisi played for both the New England Revolution and Tampa Bay Mutiny. With marginal success in Tampa Bay, he retired in 1997 well past his prime. Compared to other Italians in MLS, his time is largely forgotten.

Petter Villegas

Ezra O. Shaw / Allsport

Born in Ecuador and raised in the U.S., Petter Villegas played three forgettable games for the MetroStars in 1996 before re-emerging in 1999, surprising many who thought he was a newcomer. Villegas lobbied for an Ecuador call-up, then the USMNT, but both teams denied him. After stints in Ecuador, he joined the Puerto Rico Islanders and finally played for a national team: Puerto Rico. In a 2002 friendly before the World Cup at Giants Stadium, he shocked fans by pestering Ecuador’s coach Hernán Darío Gómez during halftime.

Enzo Copetti

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Enzo Copetti arrived in MLS after a hot season with Racing Club in Argentina. The high-priced striker joined Charlotte FC but struggled, scoring just eight goals in 38 games before returning to Argentina with Rosario Central.

Marcelo Gallardo

One of the best coaches in the Americas, Marcelo Gallardo was also a skilled player with River Plate, Monaco, and PSG. He came to MLS in 2008 with D.C. United and impressed when healthy, scoring four world-class goals in 16 games and helping win the U.S. Open Cup. But injuries plagued him, and he left MLS to return to River Plate and pursue Copa Libertadores glory.

Alain Sutter

Stephen Dunn / Allsport

Swiss playmaker Alain Sutter, known for his bandana and No. 66 jersey, arrived in Dallas dreaming of touring one MLS club per season. He dazzled the Burn but his career ended abruptly in 1998 after stepping into a hole on a high school practice field, suffering a major injury that forced his retirement — perhaps the most MLS 1.0 story of all time.

Nicola Caricola

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Nicola Caricola might be the most infamous MLS obscure player. The Italian defender spent just one season with the MetroStars in 1996, but his legacy — and the cloud over the club — has lingered. Known for chain-smoking and talking on his cellphone during practice, Caricola is blamed for a longtime curse on the team. Aptly called the “Curse of Nicola Caricola,” it began in the MetroStars’ first home game, when the Italian defender accidentally scored a last-minute own goal, handing the team a 1–0 loss. That moment came to symbolize years of misfortune and struggles, cementing his place in MLS lore.