Central defender Finn Surman | Portland Timbers Portland (3-1-2) closed its 2024 season disastrously, losing 5-0 at home in the MLS Cup play-in game against Vancouver. Clearly, a rebuild was needed during the offseason — and coach Phil Neville started by overhauling his defensive line. Surman — an unheralded defender from New Zealand coming off three seasons back home with Wellington Phoenix — is the star of this new chapter. The 21-year-old has started all six of Portland's regular-season games and looks cemented into the team's best 11. In Portland's 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on March 30, Surman's positioning (and his breakneck speed) powered the Timbers. Midfielder Quinn Sullivan | Philadelphia Union It's tough to stand out when your little brother Cavan is a once-in-a-generation phenom who made his professional debut at age 14, but Sullivan has found a way for Philadelphia (4-0-2). The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is thriving under the watchful eye of new manager Bradley Carnell. Philadelphia's success stems from its relentless forward press, and Sullivan is the engine that makes it happen. His four assists this season are a big part of Philadelphia's league-leading 13.92 expected goals (XG). (XG is a metric that quantifies the quality of a scoring opportunity, assigning a value to each shot based on several factors, to predict the likelihood of a goal being scored.)