From Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane to Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, MLS has featured some high-octane duos
Major League Soccer is built on star power, but not always on individuals. Sometimes the stars align, quite literally in this case, to create something even better. Throughout the league's history, dynasties have been formed by high-profile pairings, tandems that have helped lead some of the best teams in league history.
From the early days in MLS, some of the league's all-time teams have been led by two dynamic attacking players. And we might just be seeing another league-altering duo emerge. Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga are running right through MLS, and not just the regular season. Austin FC were recently put to the sword by LAFC's new duo, who combined for two goals and three assists in a 4-1 MLS playoff win on Sunday.
Like all great duos, Son and Bouanga have a natural chemistry. They're also individually dangerous. Son, of course, has long been one of the best wingers in the world. Bouanga, meanwhile, has blossomed into one of the most fearsome goalscorers in the league, one that was striking fear in defenses long before his South Korean running mate arrived.
GOAL takes a look at the all-time great MLS duos.
Getty Images SportLA Galaxy: Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane
Yes, there was the David Beckham era for the LA Galaxy. But there was another following the English icon's departure: the Donovan-Keane era.
Landon Donovan remains the true face of the LA Galaxy, the star that accomplished it all during his extended run as the guy in MLS. There's a reason the MLS MVP award is named after him. He didn't do it alone, though, as, starting in 2011, he was joined by Irish star Robbie Keane to form a duo that turned winning MLS Cups into something of a habit.
During their four seasons together, they lifted the big trophy three times. Each time, Donovan and Keane were a huge part of it.
"It’s been an honor to play with him," Keane said of Donovan at the time. "The understanding that we’ve both had on the field, the amount of goals both of us have scored and assists we have provided over the last four years has been fantastic. It is definitely up there with the best partnerships I’ve had in the game."
During their run together, they accounted for 174 combined goals and assists, nearly half of the Galaxy's numbers in total in that stretch. It's why, for many, Keane and Donovan remain the gold standard for partnerships in MLS.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSeattle Sounders: Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins
They were here for a good time, not a long time, and those in Seattle would say it was a very, very good time. In the spring and summer of 2013, the Sounders took two big swings to bring Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey on board from Europe. It was, particularly at the time, a massive statement from the club. In truth, the ball didn't get rolling right away but, once it did, there was no stopping it.
In 2014, the Oba-Deuce duo exploded, leading the Sounders to the Supporters' Shield and the U.S. Open Cup. Martins finished with 17 goals, a club record, as well as 13 assists. Dempsey had 15 goals. What made those so special, though, was the manner in which they were scored.
Throughout their run together, Dempsey and Martins often made it look like they were playing in a recreational league, not in MLS' biggest matches. There was a certain ease and flair to every goal they scored.
"I love playing with Oba," Dempsey said in 2015. "He’s one of the players I’ve enjoyed the most playing with in my career because it reminds me of being a kid playing pickup style, just thinking alike and knowing that if you make the right run, he’s going to find you."
Unfortunately, neither Dempsey nor Martins were around for the Sounders' crowning achievement two years later. Martins had, at that point, headed to China for a massive payday. Dempsey, meanwhile, was sidelined with a heart condition that prevented him from helping the Sounders lift the MLS Cup that winter.
For those who remember that era, though, the Dempsey-Martins combo was just as iconic as the MLS Cup trophy – and they paved the way.
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY SportsToronto FC: Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco
During the mid-to-late-2010s, MLS was often defined by Seattle and Toronto, who met in the league final three times in a four-year span. Toronto was led by an attacking duo of their own. One big, one small, but Toronto FC's two attackers – Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco – ultimately ended up being a perfect pairing.
“For me, it’s a pleasure to play with Jozy," Giovinco said. "He’s more physical, I’m more technical, so we complete each other.”
After swinging and missing with Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC handed the attacking keys to Altidore and Giovinco, who arrived in January 2015. What followed was nothing short of magic. Giovinco, the diminutive Italian, became the first player to lead MLS in goals and assists in the same season. He was also the first player to record consecutive seasons of 30-plus goals and assists.
Altidore, meanwhile, was right there with him, hitting double figures for goals in each of their first three seasons together. With Altidore and Giovinco leading the line, and Michael Bradley anchoring the midfield, Toronto FC made it to three MLS Cups, winning in 2017. They also won a Supporters' Shield and three Canadian Championships, with Altidore and Giovinco playing definitive roles.
Getty Images SportD.C. United: Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno
One for the OGs here. Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno were the league's original duo and, to this day, their achievements match up with virtually any other. The two Bolivian stars were the iconic faces of MLS' early years, with Etcheverry so often the creator and Moreno so often the one finishing.
Together, they won three MLS Cups to establish D.C. United's dominance in the league's first years. To take it one step further, they also lifted a CONCACAF Champions Cup, too, to prove that D.C. – and MLS – could compete with the very best in the region.
“I’ve known Marco since my first cap with the national team in the 1991 Copa America," Moreno said in 2013. "Since then, we have always had an amazing friendship. We then met at D.C. and my arrival to the club was so quick, I don’t think he was even expecting it. Marco means titles, and with him, we had the best years in D.C.
"Today, soccer is different and is not as exquisite as it was before. Marco used to put that exquisite touch to the game and to D.C.”
For many, they will be the best on this list, and there's plenty to back that up. Both were named to MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005 and, while MLS has evolved since they ran things in the late '90s, they remain part of the league's foundation.