"Playing in the right half-space of Gregg Berhalter's attacking setup, the first-year MLS man is the straw that stirs the Fire's drink. Zinckernagel thrives on the dribble, ranking in the 89th percentile in FBref's data for successful take-ons among his positional peers, and could be the perfect piece to glide through Orlando City's defensive block and break into the box."
"X-factor: It's rare that a fullback gets named in any category with the phrase "X-factor" in it, but Alex Freeman isn't your run-of-the-mill fullback. No, the burgeoning U.S. men's national team regular has the capacity to take over games -- and he's shown it on repeat this season. With six goals and three assists on the year, Freeman ranks third among pure fullbacks in total goal contributions only behind Inter Miami's Jordi Alba and the Philadelphia Union's Kai Wagner."
The MLS Cup postseason begins with Wild Card play-in games matching eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in each conference, with winners advancing to face the No. 1 seed in a best-of-three Round One. Chicago Fire (8) face Orlando City (9) in the Eastern Conference while Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake in the West. Philip Zinckernagel posted 27 combined goals and assists and excels on the dribble, ranking in the 89th percentile for successful take-ons. The 30-year-old helped return Chicago to the postseason for the first time since 2017 without being a Designated Player. Alex Freeman has six goals and three assists, ranking third among pure fullbacks in total goal contributions.
Read at ESPN.com
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