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The 5 most underrated players in MLS

Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Montreal Impact fans lamented the early-season loss of Didier Drogba, but in the end, his absence wasn't much cause for any real concern. On the opening weekend of the 2016 MLS season, Ignacio Piatti showed his star shines as bright as as any other's, both within his own team and throughout the league.

There are plenty of footballers whose raw metrics alone ought to earn them the spotlight but whether by circumstance or misfortune, these key performers just haven't gotten the same recognition as others in their positions.

Here are 5 of the most underrated MLS players:

Cristian Maidana

Last year, all of MLS seemed to fall in love with both the play and the plight of Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber; his absence from the U.S. national team, coupled with his claim for the MVP title had everyone talking, after all.

However, over at the Philadelphia Union, Argentine midfielder Cristian Maidana was putting up comparable numbers with little fanfare. Maidana, 29, recorded 15 assists, just like Feilhaber, and on a much weaker Philadelphia outfit. Now with the Houston Dynamo, he's looking to establish his name and get into the conversation for the title of best creative central midfielder in MLS.

Eclipsed by: Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen, Dax McCarty

David Bingham

Goalkeepers, even underrated ones, don't come as ignored as San Jose Earthquakes shot-stopper David Bingham, who enjoyed a solid 2015 campaign and was somehow second-fiddle in the "up-and-coming" ranks to the Vancouver Whitecaps' David Ousted.

But the numbers don't lie, and Bingham's superior save percentage (71.4 percent to Ousted's 72.3 percent) coupled with a poorer back four in front of him makes the 26-year-old a pretty impressive figure in between the sticks for San Jose. A paltry 39 goals conceded over 34 league games puts him above Goalkeeper of the Year winner Luis Robles (43 GA), too.

Eclipsed by: Luis Robles, David Ousted, Josh Saunders

Dom Dwyer

Not only is Dom Dwyer one of the best pure goal-scorers in the league, he's also one of the brightest characters, so how is it that this Sporting KC striker is referred to more often in regards to his relationship with wife Sydney LeRoux than for his individual ability?

Dwyer is perhaps the most underrated striker in MLS; he also put up 22 goals in 2014, the same figure Kei Kamara and Sebastian Giovinco pulled off in 2015, but Dwyer's legacy today is far less widespread as those of the aforementioned duo.

Eclipsed by: Clint Dempsey, Kei Kamara, Chris Wondolowski

Matias Laba

Here's everything you need to know about Matias Laba: He led the league with 303 tackles over the 2014 and 2015 regular seasons, and had the second-highest interception count in that time, too, with 168 interceptions for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

He is the single most effective midfielder in MLS today, so let's quit talking about Jermaine Jones already.

Eclipsed by: Michael Bradley, Toni Tchani, Darlington Nagbe

Ignacio Piatti

The player who inspired this particular list, Piatti isn't just underrated within the league, he's also underrated within his own team. Drogba stole so much of the show last season that Piatti fell well under the radar and that's a real shame, because the Argentine winger/attacking midfielder has the skills and the output (nine goals, eight assists in 2015) to be a contender for an MLS All-Star nod.

Eclipsed by: Mauro Diaz, Federico Higuain, Javier Morales

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