According to the pundits, New York City FC winger Talles Magno is one of the most talented players in MLS, and one of the most valuable.
The 21-year-old designated player looks like a lock to make the league’s 22 Under 22 list for the second year in a row when the final announcement will be made public later this month. A few weeks ago, Transfermarkt designated him the fifth-most valuable player in MLS, placing him in the ranks of Lionel Messi, Thiago Almada, and Facundo Torres. He is the only player named to both lists, which makes him an elite among the elite: Talles Magno is a class by himself.
But is he? The praise heaped on the winger might leave most NYCFC fans scratching their heads: Talles Magno, MLS superstar? The flashy dribbler who is easily contained by most defenses? The forward who last scored a goal on April 22? The player who has fallen so far down the depth chart he hasn’t made the Starting XI in the last six MLS league matches, and played just 55 minutes of game time during the month of August, when NYCFC had nine games in all competitions?
Talk about cognitive dissonance. To go by his performances, you can make the argument that Talles Magno is far from the best player on an NYCFC that currently sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, never mind one of the best players in MLS. And yet to go by his potential, scouts and journalists seem to feel that his star burns brightest on this team.
All of this makes us wonder, is Talles Magno good?
