With MLS action set to return in full force this week, I thought now would be the perfect time to reflect on a couple standout performers from this record-setting MNUFC regular season. With a new record points total, more wins than any other season, and a shot at securing a Concacaf Champions Cup spot, your Loons have been flying in 2025, and while the whole team and support staff deserve plaudits, there are two players in particular that could use a little special recognition.
Oh, would you look at that? Apparently end-of-season award voting is open! What a fun, totally-not-intentional coincidence. Let’s take a look at those Loons who have made 2025 one of the best years in club history, and let’s keep an open mind regarding — I don’t know — our thoughts on who the best defender and goalkeeper in the league might be.
The Best Defense is a Good Attack
A solid, effective center back that leads by example. A stalwart defender that helps shape his team’s attacking style as well. A veteran player who earned his first All-Star nod this season. Yes, I’m describing 2024 MLS Defender of the Year winner Steven Moreira, but I doubt my “clever” little trick is fooling anyone.
It’s Boxy, obviously. I’m saying that Boxy is the defender of the year.
In 2025, 37-year-old Michael Boxall has already played 2,600 regular season minutes, good enough for third on the team and making him one of just three outfield players over 37 to feature so prominently for an MLS club this year (Sergio Busquets and Maxi Moralez are the other two: not bad company!). The only time he’s missed has been due in large part to international duty, and while his exploits with the Kiwis don’t necessarily matter in league play, I’ll just point out that he scored the goal that sent his nation to the World Cup. Do with that what you will.
I would be remiss if I didn’t spend some time talking about what got Boxall the most recognition this season: enter long throws. While this tactic is nothing new in the game, it’s a feature that’s oft-overlooked in a team’s game plan. But anyone that’s watched the Loons this year knows how aggressive they’ve been on set pieces, squeezing every scrap of attacking opportunity out of the moments that call for elevated execution and attention to detail. The captain was a huge part of that.
Boxall’s ability to heave the ball into the 18 from just about any part of the sideline in the attacking third enabled his side to pin opponents in, supplementing what was an attack that otherwise relied heavily on counters. His wealth of experience mixed with a youthful energy that should make all (nearly) middle-aged men jealous makes him one of the league’s most notable players, full stop, and certainly puts him among the most elite defenders in Major League Soccer.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, chew on these cold, hard facts. He represented the Loons at the 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin, added five official assists on top of all of the dangerous chances he created with his throw-ins, and led the league’s joint third-best defense (37 goals conceded through 33 games). Get you a center back who can do both.
Gloves of Gold
When teams (rarely) managed to get past the Loons’ backline this season, they were met by the brick wall that is Dayne St. Clair. Canada’s number one has been on fire this year, and while no goalkeeper can be quite as vital to play style as an outfield player, DSC’s dominance this season shows up in nearly every statistical category.
With the best save percentage in all of MLS (80.3%), St. Clair has given the spiders plenty of time to build their webs in the net behind him. His 0.97 goals allowed per 90 is second only to Philadelphia’s Andre Blake, who has only played 20 regular season games compared to DSC’s 29. Dayne has already kept 10 clean sheets this season, the highest mark in his professional career, tying him for third in all of MLS. He’s allowed just 28 goals in 29 games, contributing mightily to all of the defensive accolades that I credited his captain with.
The further you go down the stat rabbit hole, the better DSC has been. To get fancy for a moment, his Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed metric is second-best in the league, meaning he has been making saves that he was not expected to make at a remarkable rate. His distribution has played into his side’s style as well, as he’s attempted and completed the most passes of 40 yards or more of any goalkeeper in the league. On more than one occasion, a direct, launched ball from the back has sprung the Loons’ attack, giving his side a verticality that proved difficult for any opposition to handle.
Much like Boxall, St. Clair’s inclusion in this season’s All-Star Game was no coincidence, and the impressive performances didn’t stop at the All-Star break. There’s still plenty of soccer to be played and one big ‘ol trophy yet to be lifted, but based on the body of work we’ve already had the privilege of seeing, these two players deserve their spot in the discussion of the league’s most effective defensive assets. On a team that has been firing on all cylinders this season, these two leaders have elevated their games, and I for one would love to see their efforts rewarded.