Which teams have the best offensive records in MLS?

The MLS Cup Playoffs continue on Wednesday night with one of the most mouth-watering ties of Round One.

Columbus Crew host Atlanta United in a meeting of the teams who finished third and sixth in the Eastern Conference. They were both some way adrift of Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati in the regular season, but Columbus and Atlanta boast the two best offensive records in MLS.

Across the 34-game regular season Columbus hit 67 goals, one more than Atlanta’s haul of 66. For context, Western Conference winners St. Louis were the only other team to reach the sixties (62).

Ahead of Wednesday evening’s clash, our friends at Sofascore took a look at the offensive records of the two most dangerous teams in MLS...

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The best attacks in the league have already recorded 133 MLS goals between them and you would expect plenty more to be added over the course of this fascinating best-of-three series.

Columbus Crew thrive in Wilfred Nancy’s attacking style

After failing to make it to the post-season in either 2021 or 2022, Columbus Crew moved to bring in promising CF Montreal coach Wilfred Nancy in December 2022. The Frenchman’s first year in charge has brought huge improvement both in terms of results and performances, encouraging his team to play a freer, more attacking style of play.

Nancy encourages his team to trust their instincts and shoot on goal whenever they have the opportunity. Sofascore data shows that Atlanta take more shots than Atlanta, roughly two more in a typical game.

Earlier this year Nancy explained to MLS.com: “We are really, really, really, extremely demanding with the structure. But within the structure, the players have the freedom to pick and choose what is the good option.”

One of the key beneficiaries of that has been Cucho Hernández, the Designated Player forward who has scored 16 MLS goals this season. Hernández has, by some distance, taken more shots than any other player in the league. However he’s also hit the target more often than anyone else.

Speaking ahead of their playoff opener Nancy described Hernández as “the best modern forward in the league.”

“He’s able to score goals, but also able to assist and also is able to help us defend,” Nancy said. “He does not like to fail. Step by step, he understood that you need to do certain things to get better and to be consistent.”

Atlanta United’s ruthless streak

Columbus may have the edge when it comes to the sheer number of offensive efforts, but few teams in the league can match Atlanta’s ruthlessness in front of goal. They boast two of the most effective attackers in the league in Georgios Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada.

Giakoumakis hit 17 goals in his first season in the league, putting him second in the list of regular season top scorers. He excels in the air and his six headed goals is second only to Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White (eight).

But the big Greek’s output is particularly impressive when you consider that injury has limited him to just 21 starts. He averages 0.85 goals per 90 minutes, the highest rate of any player to score more than ten goals in 2023.

Giakoumakis’ incredible scoring has been facilitated by Argentinian playmaker Thiago Almada, who is one of three finalists for MLS MVP. The 22-year-old World Cup winner has registered a league-high 19 assists in 2023,

Almada has also completed more dribbles and scored more long-range goals than any other player in MLS, while only Riqui Puig and Hector Herrera have completed more opposition half passes.

The Almada-Giakoumakis partnership has fired Atlanta to MLS Cup contention this season, but they will be without one half of the duo for their open playoff fixture. Almada was dismissed for a petulant kick in Atlanta’s final game of the regular season, meaning that he will miss the first game of this best-of-three series due to suspension.