MLS 2024: Who and where are all the hard yards run?
A common football cliché suggests the team that wins is the team that "wanted it more," often referring to the effort and hard running players are willing to sacrifice for success. While desire can be difficult to quantify, a common proxy for effort is the number of high-speed runs a team completes during a game or season.
With this in mind, we analyzed the recently completed 2024 MLS season to see how this narrative holds up, examining which teams and players covered the "hard yards" often associated with success.
For context, a high-speed run (HSR) is defined as a run where a player reaches a speed of over 20 km/h and maintains it for at least one second.
Who completed the most High-Speed Runs?
On average, MLS teams completed 926 HSRs per game this season. New York FC emerged as the HSR kings , clocking up a league-high 39,501 HSRs across their campaign - an impressive average of 1,097 per game.
At the other end of the spectrum, CF Montreal struggled to match the intensity of their rivals, registering just 25,047 HSRs (or 737 per game), the lowest in the league.
HSR performance among playoff teams was mixed. Five of the semi-finalists exceeded the league average for HSRs, including finalists New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy, who showcased both effort and intensity on their way to the final.
Where do these hard runs take place?
Unsurprisingly, the middle of the pitch sees the highest concentration of high-speed runs. A significant 49.5% of all HSRs took place in the middle third, accounting for nearly 450,000 runs. Additionally, the central channel alone accounted for 29.5% of HSRs - nearly 269,00 runs.
That’s a lot of intensity focused in the heart of the pitch!
Which teams ran hardest in these areas?
Teams often vary their exertion depending on tactics and game situations. The chart below highlights which teams recorded the most HSRs per game across the 30 zones of the pitch.
Over the course of the season, several teams stood out based on where their HSRs occurred:
Minnesota United led the league in HSRs in and around their penalty area.
New York FC dominated the middle of the pitch, topping the HSR charts in 9 of the 12 central zones.
Toronto FC concentrated their HSRs on the right wing, showcasing a clear focus on that area of the field.
Who is sweeping up in the Minnesota defense?
Minnesota’s defensive intensity is anchored by veteran center-back Michael Boxall. The Kiwi completed 2,753 HSRs this season—second only to teammate Jeong Sang-Bin. Known for his speed throughout his career, Boxall continues to deliver high-intensity performances, even at 36 years old.
Despite Boxall’s efforts, Minnesota remains below the league average for HSRs per game, with 919. The heatmap below reveals that their HSRs are heavily concentrated in defensive areas, highlighting their focus on protecting their goal rather than pushing forward in attack.
Who is running the midfield for New York FC?
Given the Big Apple side’s impressive HSR totals, it is no surprise that the workload is shared across several players, with three players standing out in particular: full back Kevin O’Toole, and attacking midfielders Santiago Rodriguez and Hannes Wolf.
O’Toole dominates the left-hand side of the pitch with 79% of his HSRs occurring in the wide-left and left half-space channels. In more advanced, central midfield positions, Rodriguez is most active in the left half space and central channels, while Wolf predominantly works in the right half-space. All three players ranked in the top 15 in MLS regular season for sprints (runs exceeding 25 km/h), with each completing 750+ such runs.
Overall, New York FC remains the hardest working team in terms of HSRs, averaging a remarkable 1,097 per game.
Who owns the right side of Toronto?
Federico Bernardeschi is the right wing of Toronto - and that is no exaggeration. He dominated the right wing and right half-space channels this season, accumulating 77% of his HSRs in those areas. This back-to-front dominance reflects his versatility, as he seamlessly shifted between roles as a wing-back and an attacking midfielder depending on Toronto’s team needs.
Bernardeschi's relentless effort saw him finish 10th overall in HSRs during the regular season, with an impressive 3,160 in total. While Toronto FC missed the playoffs, no one in Ontario can question the former Juventus star’s tireless work up and down the right flank.
Summary
The 2024 MLS season revealed intriguing insights into high-speed running, a key indicator of player effort and team intensity. From an ageless New Zealander covering at the back in Minnesota to an Italian rampaging down the right wing in Toronto, HSR data can reveal what players and teams are putting in the “hard yards” and where they are doing it to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
And despite a heartbreaking defeat to their crosstown rivals in the Eastern semi-finals, New York FC's relentless running and standout individual performances earned them the title of MLS HSR champions for 2024.
This article was crafted using PFF FC's Physical Metrics platform, Epitome. If you're affiliated with a club and would like to explore its capabilities, feel free to contact us at sales-fc@pff.com to arrange a demo.