It is the beginning of the second half of the season in the MLS for the Montreal Impact and the other eighteen teams. For Montreal, which is in their second year in Major League Soccer, this season has been a wonder. From a team that was a decent expansion side to now be in second place in the Eastern Division is a great advance. Though they have stumbled a bit lately it doesn’t take away from the fact that they have performed over expectations.

Due to this success it is not really a surprise that two members of the Impact were named to the MLS All-Star squad.  Striker and designated player Marco Di Vaio and holding midfielder and local boy Patrice Bernier both will take part in the AT&T MLS All-Star game on July 31st that will see the MLS All-Stars face off against Serie A side AS Roma.

The quality of play in the MLS has grown in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years. Though many will not like admitting it, the David Beckham factor has been a part of it. Having a high profile player like Beckham come over to the league even at the end of his professional career really brought the league into the world soccer spotlight. Now other high profile soccer players have followed suit and started to come over.

This all led me to ponder about the talent in the MLS and start formulating a list of the top players in the MLS. While my list won’t exactly match this year’s MLS All-Star team roster as I am not limiting myself to making a line-up rather I am just picking the top 10 players based on talent in the MLS in 2013.

10) Frederico Higuain: Team – Columbus Crew. Position – Striker. Was acquired by the Crew halfway through the 2012 season as a designated player and had an impact immediately. He finished the season with five goals and was named the 2012 MLS Newcomer of the Year. In nineteen games so far this season he has five goals and six assists. He is a playmaker from the middle distributing balls well to either side. Is excellent at set pieces. Higuain has made Columbus one of the best teams in the Eastern Division this season.

9) Matt Besler: Team – Sporting Kansas City. Position – Fullback. A strong central defender. With his great long balls he allows his team to build from the back. With his left footed precise passing he is more like a midfielder. His timing and instincts in his own defensive third are second to none. The twenty-six year old was the 2012 MLS Defender of the Year and named to two All-Star teams (2011, 2013). Could be a starter for the U.S. Men’s National Team in Brazil in 2014 after earning his first cap with the team this past January.

8) Kyle Beckerman: Team – Real Salt Lake. Position – Midfield. At thirty one years old and in his thirteenth professional season Beckerman continues to perform at a high level. Continues to be a part of the U.S. Men’s National Team, even being named the side’s captain for a friendly this year against Canada. He is the captain of the MLS’s Utah squad and is critical to that team’s success. Often he sets the tempo of the game and is excellent making short passes in the possession game. What he brings to a team is not goal scoring (the most he’s ever scored in a season is four) but with his incredible fitness he is a tireless runner covering a lot of the field and performing many of the thankless jobs. He was named to the league’s All-Star squad for the seventh year in a row in 2013. A durable player who is rarely ever hurt.

7) Chris Wondolowski: Team – San Jose Earthquakes. Position – Striker. A pure goal scorer who will sacrifice his body to get the ball in the opposition’s net. Wondolowski is the league’s reigning Golden Boot (most goals) and MVP. He was incredible last season tying the league’s single season scoring record with twenty-seven goals. He has cooled off a little this season with only five goals in seventeen games though he is still considered one of the more dangerous strikers in the league.

6) Robbie Keane: Team – Los Angeles Galaxy. Position – Striker. The Irish national player is a bit long in the tooth at the age of thirty-three but he has proven this season that there is still some skill in those legs as he has been a big part of the Galaxy’s back-to-back titles. He has had to do it without David Beckham and, for the most part, Landon Donovan this season and the service they have provided for him over the past couple of years. Over his almost two seasons with the Galaxy he has scored twenty-five goals in forty four games while also earning eighteen assists over the same time. A proven goal scorer who now uses his soccer sense rather than his brute strength or speed to get into open positions. He is also a clinical finisher. Keane has also demonstrated throughout his career that he scores under pressure situations. Last playoffs with the Galaxy he scored six goals in six games.

5) Omar Gonzalez: Team – Los Angeles Galaxy. Position – Fullback. He is an important part of the U.S. Men’s National Team that is looking to compete in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A big central defender he has become thought of as the best at his position in the MLS. There is no real weakness in his game in that he is great in the air, a good tackler and rarely out of position. You can add to his already impressive arsenal that he is a brilliant dead ball striker. Shows plenty of leadership and maturity. Gonzalez, after coming back from a serious knee injury, was the 2012 MLS Cup MVP, was the 2009 Rookie of the Year and the 2011 Defender of the Year.

4) Graham Zusi: Team – Sporting Kansas City. Position – Midfielder. He was named the league’s Breakout Player in 2011 and has become a very important player on his team. With his skill and speed Zusi has become a creative playmaker who is involved in most of the goals his team scores. This season he has five assists in eighteen games. Zusi was on the All-Star team in 2012 as well as being one of the finalists for league MVP. He also cracked the line-up of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the first time in 2012 and has been with them ever since. He is best suited as an outside midfielder and can beat you off the dribble or serve up a great cross.

3) Thierry Henry: Team – New York Red Bulls. Position – Striker. The former French national player was on everyone’s list as one of the best players in the world around the turn of the century. He was on the French team that won the World Cup in 1998. Henry brought a wealth of experience to the Red Bulls when he joined the team during the 2010 season. Right away he made his mark in the 2010 season being named to the All-Star team and also being named one of the finalists for league MVP.  Henry was named to the All-Star team two other times including this season. He continues to always be a threat when he is on the field even at the age of thirty six. Henry, with his effortless speed, has perfected goal scoring over the years and has now even become a good distributor of the ball utilizing his great vision of the field. This season over eighteen games he has seven goals and four assists.

2) Brad Davis: Team – Houston Dynamos. Position – Midfielder. Davis has been named to the All-Star team six times and been named his team’s MVP for the past four straight seasons. He is the Dynamos all-time leader in assists. In the 2011 season he was the runner-up to the league’s MVP award. His team has won the MLS Cup twice – in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Continuing to excel he notched his own personal best eight goals last season. Very proficient in dead ball opportunities. Strong at all aspects of the game for a midfielder – passing, possession and scoring. Is under consideration for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Landon Donovan1) Landon Donovan: Team – Los Angeles Galaxy. Position – Midfielder/Striker. He has returned from hiatus and is reminding people why he has to be considered one of the best players in the league. In his eighth season with the Galaxy he has played in thirteen games and has three goals and six assists. He is the all-time leading scorer on the U.S. National Team as well as the Los Angeles Galaxy. Has been named to the league’s All-Star team for eleven seasons. Is a contender for the best player ever in the MLS.  His pace and fitness is top level allowing him to do plenty of running. His skill and competitive nature combined have led to him scoring many a critical goal at an important time.