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Buchanan First Canadian Named to MLS Best XI For A Decade

Last Canadian honoured was Dwayne De Rosario in 2011.

Canada v El Salvador - 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying
Tajon Buchanan is the first Canadian to be named in the MLS Best XI Team since 2011.
Photo by Refugio Ruiz/Getty Images

As breakthrough seasons go, 2021 has been a pretty spectacular one for New England Revolution’s Tajon Buchanan.

This week he was named on the MLS Best XI team for 2021, the first Canadian to earn such recognition since Dwayne De Rosario played for three different clubs (Toronto FC, NY Red Bulls and DC United) in 2011.

Beyond Soccer Series - Beyond The World Cup: Impact & Legacy
Dwayne De Rosario was the last Canadian to be named in the MLS Best XI team, way back in 2011.
Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Not only that, he’s been selected for the MLS All-Star match, gained international recognition for the first time-ever (at any level) when called up for senior camp in January, and earned an exciting move to Club Brugge KV, the champions of Belgium and perennial Champions League group stage contenders.

Buchanan also added full international and u23 caps, was awarded CONCACAF Gold Cup Young Player of the tournament and helped the Revs carry off the MLS Supporters’ Shield in an amazing year of success.

All a far cry from his 2017 and 2018 college years at Syracuse Orange, itself an establishment growing a reputation for producing international soccer stars. It’s where both Patrice Bernier and Kamal Miller each developed their soccer skills as well as US internationals, Alex Bono and Miles Robinson.

There’s really only one way Tajon Buchanan can top all of that in 2022.... and that’s to help Canada to World Cup qualification for the first time since 1986.



The selected MLS Best XI for 2021 is as follows....

Goalkeeper: Matt Turner (NE Revs)

Defenders: Walker Zimmerman (Nashville), Miles Robinson (Atlanta) and Yeimar Gomez (Sounders)

Midfielders: Joao Paulo (Sounders), Carles Gil (Revolution) Hany Mukhtar (Nashville) and Tajon Buchanan (Revolution)

Forwards: Raul Ruidiaz (Sounders), Valentin Castellanos (NYCFC) and Gustavo Bou (Revolution)