10/14 - Matchday 29

New York Red Bulls midfielder Ronald Donkor

Ronald Donkor is emerging as one of MLS' best young midfielders. Born in Accra, Ghana, Donkor went to Mali to begin his youth career with JMG Academy. After a year with Malian club Guidars FC, Donkor joined the Red Bulls youth setup when he was 18 years old. Now in his fourth season with Red Bulls, Donkor has become a permanent fixture in Michael Bradley's midfield. He has more first team starts than the previous 3 years combined and has developed a great relationship with fellow RBNY II graduates Mohammed Sofo and Adri Mehmeti.

Donkor is essential to New York Red Bulls' system. What he does both on and off the ball is a perfect fit for how Michael Bradley wants his side to play. First and foremost, Donkor never gets tired. He covers every blade of grass from his role as a box to box midfielder. For a Red Bulls team that likes to press high, Donkor is key. His mobility allows him to make life really difficult for opponents if they try to build out against New York. In possession, Donkor has turned into an elite progressor of the ball. Whether it's with his dribbling, passing, or receiving, the Ghanaian is excellent at linking defense to attack and getting his team up the field. And once Red Bulls are in the final third, Donkor has leveled up this year, chipping in 2 goals and 5 assists. Ronald Donkor has been an integral of Red Bulls' new identity as they look to return to the playoffs.

Portland Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis

For the first time in his career, James Pantemis is the undisputed number 1. The 29 year old Canadian has taken this opportunity and ran with it, excelling for the Portland Timbers. Born in Québec, Pantemis came up through CF Montréal's system, where he failed to ever establish himself. In 2024, he joined Portland, ostensibly to back up fellow Québécois Maxime Crépeau. However, they mostly split starting duties over the past couple seasons, playing identical number of matches for the Timbers across all competitions in that time. James Pantemis won the job, and is enjoying his best season as a pro so far.

Pantemis has been a key figure for the Timbers, often keeping them in games with timely saves. His reactions are strong and he's good at coming off his line. These qualities are well suited for a team that gives up a lot of chances. Exhibit A: Portland's 0-2 loss at Real Salt Lake on May 9th. Pantemis made a club-record 13 saves, registering a staggering 2.7 goals prevented as he ensured the home side stayed within reach in the match. This has by and large been the story for Portland this season. Pantemis has 121 saves in league play, which is third among all keepers. He's also one of the better keepers in the league in terms of goals prevented, demonstrating that it's not just a high volume of shot stoppage, but also high quality. Portland, who sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, are still in the playoff race thanks to the stellar goalkeeping play of James Pantemis.