John Tolkin And Miki Yamane Set For Full-Back Battle In MLS Cup Final

By James Nalton.

Chatham, New Jersey native John Tolkin played a key role in the New York Red Bulls’ unexpected progress to the 2024 MLS Cup final, sending in the cross from a free kick that was headed in bravely at the far post by Andrés Reyes in the Eastern Conference final against Orlando City.

Tolkin will be one of the players to watch in the final, and the left-back’s battle with LA Galaxy right-back Miki Yamane could be one of the big game’s most notable narratives.

The two will regularly be direct opponents on that side of the field, and judging when to attack and when to prioritize defense will determine the dynamic.

With Riqui Puig missing through injury, the Galaxy will be looking elsewhere for its game-changers and to other areas of the field where the game could be won.

Yamane might not be the most high-profile name in the team, nor the most obvious player to turn to, but he has been one of the underrated parts of the Galaxy’s turnaround in 2024.

His contribution was recognized by the fans as he won the LA Riot Squad supporters’ group’s 2024 Player of the Year award.

The @LARiotSquad Player of the Year: Miki Yamane pic.twitter.com/tj1Of2Wdg5

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) October 6, 2024

The ACL injury picked up by Puig in the Western Conference final against Seattle Sounders was a big blow for the player and for the Galaxy itself as the Spanish midfield orchestrator will miss the final.

Puig has completed more passes this season than any other LA Galaxy player and indeed more than any other player in MLS with 2,443 in total. He averages 87 completed passes per 90 minutes and also leads the league for total touches of the ball with 3,146, showing the influence he has on every game. When he plays, the game goes through him.

Aside from Puig, the Galaxy, thanks to its possession-oriented style of play, has a few players in the top ten for total touches and passes completed this season.

Some names on this list, such as Maya Yoshida who plays the ball into midfield from defense, and Marky Delgado who supports Puig in that midfield, might be fairly predictable, but Yamane is consistently at the top of these lists too.

Yamane has completed the 5th most passes in MLS this season with 1,963 and has had the 5th most touches in the league with 2,529—all of this from the right-back position.

Yamane is also 3rd in the Galaxy team for progressive passes this season with 156, behind Puig’s 425 and Delgado’s 218.

Yamane’s season heatmap from 2024 shows plenty of work down the touchline but also more involvement infield than might normally be evident for a full-back.

Tolkin’s heatmap is more standard for a full-back, though still includes some midfield work.

The most notable aspect of Tolkin’s heatmap, however, are those solid red marks in the two corner quadrants.

Set pieces are a big part of Tolkin’s game, as was shown in the conference final against Orlando.

The only goal of that game came from one of Tolkin’s free-kick deliveries, and he can provide similar service from corners.

Tolkin is 10th in MLS this season for shot-creating actions from set pieces, 9th for total corner kicks taken, and 4th in the league for passes attempted from free kicks.

In Puig’s absence, plenty of attention will fall on the likes of Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil for the Galaxy, and Emil Forsberg and Lewis Morgan for the Red Bulls, but this battle on the flank between Yamane and Tolkin could set the tone for the respective finalists.