Anyone who watched Sporting Kansas City pick apart the Portland Timbers on Saturday night knew immediately afterward that forward Diego Rubio would be a safe bet for MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors.
Sure enough, Rubio earned the weekly honor on Monday for his comprehensive two-goal performance in Saturday's 3-0 win at Children's Mercy Park. The Chilean produced two excellent finishes in the 28th and 37th minutes, created a pair of scoring chances and completed 87 percent of his passes as Sporting KC cruised to a third straight shutout victory.
Normally deployed as a substitute for most of the season thus far — he leads MLS with four goals from off the bench — Rubio embraced his starting role on Saturday and, in doing so, began to make a serious argument as one of the league's most efficient attackers in 2018.
The table below lists the combined goal and assist totals of MLS players with fewer than 450 minutes played this season. Among them, Rubio's 10 combined goals (six) and assists (four) are six more than any other player.
MLS GOALS + ASSISTS FOR PLAYERS WITH
LESS THAN 450 MINUTES PLAYED IN 2018
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Total</strong> |
<strong>Goals</strong> |
<strong>Assists</strong> |
<strong>Minutes</strong> |
Diego Rubio (SKC) |
10 |
6 |
4 |
448 |
Jonathan Lewis (NYC) |
4 |
1 |
3 |
181 |
Kevin Molino (MIN) |
3 |
2 |
1 |
140 |
Kevin Kratz (ATL) |
3 |
2 |
1 |
431 |
Shkelzen Gashi (COL) |
3 |
1 |
2 |
374 |
Indeed, Rubio has made the most of his opportunities in 2018, having started five of 14 MLS appearances. Remarkably enough, his 60.0 scoring percentage currently ranks as the second-highest in MLS history in a single season. That number is computed by dividing Rubio's goal total (six) by his shot attempt total (10), yielding a staggering 60-percent scoring clip.
SINGLE-SEASON SCORING PERCENTAGE LEADERS
MLS REGULAR SEASON (ALL-TIME, MIN. 5 GOALS)
<strong>#</strong> |
<strong>Year</strong> |
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>Shots</strong> |
<strong>Goals</strong> |
<strong>Scoring %</strong> |
1 |
2013 |
Lloyd Sam |
New York Red Bulls |
7 |
5 |
71.4% |
2 |
2018 |
Diego Rubio |
Sporting KC |
10 |
6 |
60% |
2 |
2006 |
Claudio Suarez |
Chivas USA |
10 |
6 |
60% |
4 |
2006 |
Craig Waibel |
Houston Dynamo |
12 |
5 |
41.7% |
5 |
2009 |
Jaime Moreno |
D.C. United |
22 |
9 |
40.9% |
Sporting KC will play for their fourth successive win next Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park, hosting regional rivals Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available via SeatGeek.com as the club hosts its second annual Sporting Salutes, an immersive military appreciation night honoring past and present service members of the United States Armed Forces.
