Although it's a far cry from Víctor Estupiñán's statement that he would score 30 goals in his rookie season, Vancouver Whitecaps forward Darren Mattocks made headlines this week when he said he thought he could score 20 goals this year. Now I don't doubt that Mattocks has the talent to bag a ton of goals in MLS (this goal is definitely one of my favorites), but 20 goals for anyone, let alone a player entering his second full season of professional soccer, is a lot.
So it got the folks at MLSsoccer.com thinking about which player in Major League Soccer could be the next 20-goal scorer. Last year, San Jose striker Chris Wondolowski became just the third player in the past ten years to score at least 20 goals in a season. Wondolowski finished with 27, falling one goal short of breaking Roy Lassiter's record for regular season goals.
MLSsoccer.com's Nicholas Rosano listed three players who he thought could follow in Wondolowski's footsteps and be the league's next 20-goal scorer and No. 2 on his list was Dynamo forward Will Bruin.
In 2012, Bruin scored 12 regular season goals, seven more than his rookie campaign. He added another four goals in the postseason to set a Dynamo franchise record for goals in a year in all competitions.
Here is what Rosano had to say about Bruin's chances:
Not only will he be linking up with Brad Davis once more, he will also enjoy his first full season of play with Boniek García and Giles Barnes, midseason arrivals in 2012. The addition of Omar Cummings may deprive him of some opportunities, but it also gives the Dynamo the pace to stretch defenses, which Bruin can certainly benefit from.
After a strong national team camp, it is not a stretch to imagine a 20-goal season from Bruin and the increased USMNT chances that would follow. Plus, it would be a boon to my colleague the Armchair Analyst’s claim that the 23-year-old will net 200 career goals.
Bruin's first opportunity to leave a mark on the 2013 season will be March 2, when the Dynamo host D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium. United is a team Bruin has had prior success against, tallying six goals in five career regular season games with one additional goal in last year's postseason.
So will Bruin bag 20 in 2013 and be well on his way to Matt Doyle's prediction of 200 career goals? Let us know in the comments below!
