MLS: Calculating the “Best” Attacker

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·11 October 2025

MLS: Calculating the “Best” Attacker

Unlike defenders, attackers tend to get all the glory. Goals win games, and those who score them get the accolades and the attention. That makes sense. But that’s not the whole story.

Success Does Not Equal Efficiency

Sergio Agüero is best remembered for scoring that clutch goal in the waning seconds of Manchester City’s 2011 final game against Queens Park Rangers, giving them a 3 – 2 lead and securing their first title in 44 years. What’s not remembered is the four shots he took prior, whiffing them all. This doesn’t mean Kun was a poor attacker, but it doesn’t make him the most efficient attacker either.

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Hooligan Attacking Index (HAI)

Modern soccer statistics tracks a number of variables, positive and negative, and by placing these into a formula, we can calculate attacking proficiency by more than simply goals scored. We call it the Hooligan Attacker Index (HAI). Here’s how it works.

Pull your data. For this exercise, we used Sofascore. But you can use any rigorous data aggregation service that you wish.
There are six different variables at play. Positive ones include: Goals, Goal Conversion %, Successful Dribbles. Negative ones are: Big Chances Missed and Offsides. Lastly, we take the total minutes played.
For every variable, we established the median value.
We divide the player’s value against the median for all six variables. From the three positive variables we base Goal Score Value. From the two positive variables we get a Negative Score Value.
Subtracting the NSV from the GSV gives you the final number. Higher is better.

Minutes

Applying minutes played is an interesting exercise, and will alter your ranking. After all, who doesn’t love an impact substitute? But the chart above doesn’t take that into consideration. If it did, this would be your Top Five:

Thomas Müller (Vancouver) – 20.57 HAI At the time of research, Müller had only logged 361 minutes, scoring 5 goals. He also only had 1 big chance missed and offsides, incredibly low.
Son Heung-Min (LAFC) – 7.64 HAI
Milan Iloski (San Diego / Philadelphia) – 5.95 HAI Iloski made a mid-year transfer and had a handful of games at Nordsjælland between his MLS clubs. It’s curious that SDFC let him go, given how efficient he was.
Telasco Segovia (Inter Miami) – 4.54 HAI
Gerardo Valenzuela (FC Cincinnati) – 4.21 HAI

Where are the Golden Boot Candidates?

Both top lists are missing the three players competing for the Golden Boot. Here’s how they fare in terms of HAI (without minutes).

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – 2.55 HAI. 14th out of 96. 12 chances missed is what hurts his rank.
Denis Bouanga (LAFC) – 0.45 HAI. 56th out of 96. 16 chances missed & 14 offsides drag him down.
Sam Surridge (Nashville SC) – -3.60 HAI. 96th out 96. Yes, that’s a negative score. Why? 28 chances missed and the same number of offsides. Sam has scored some bangers and clutch goals, but overall he misses way too much.