Photo by Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

With his performances in recent weeks, it may be high time to stop comparing Cyle Larin to the rest of his rookie class. Rather, it appears it may be more fair to compare him with his true competitors: the best forwards the league has to offer.

The Orlando City forward has surged up the goalscoring charts in recent weeks, now sitting behind only Kei Kamara, David Villa and Sebastian Giovinco on the league’s leaderboard. With five goals in his last two appearances, Larin’s numbers are impressive, but what’s more impressive is how he’s gotten there.

Having already leveled the MLS rookie record previously set by fellow UConn product and former Chicago Fire forward Damani Ralph, Larin is scoring 0.95 goals per 90 minutes, second in the league among regular contributors. When it comes to scoring rate, Larin is cruising past nearly all of his world-class contemporaries in making his minutes count.

But how exactly does the forward score at such a high rate? Having Kaka pulling the strings behind him doesn’t hurt, but it is Larin’s growth on the mental side that has set the Canadian international apart this season.

During his time at UConn, Larin’s physical presence was easy to spot. Standing 6-foot-2, Larin provided a physical presence for a UConn team among the best in the country, and the goals certainly followed. Using his combination of strength and speed, Larin frequently overmatched many NCAA defenders, while his ability to hold the ball proved crucial in getting his teammates more room to gallop down the flanks.

In total, Larin scored 23 goals in 39 college games, an impressive haul that was more than enough to justify Orlando City selecting the youngster first overll in January’s MLS Draft.

But, if there has been one consistent flaw in his game, it is on the mental side, a deficiency that is easy to understand for a forward still learning the tricks of his trade.

At times during his college career, Larin was hesitant to make the run to carve open a defense, the Canadian proving to be a bit more battering ram than surgeon. Generally, Larin relied on the body he had been given rather than the brain between his ears, a trait that would produce just fine in college while perhaps signaling struggles against the more physical, intelligent defenders that MLS offers.

Yet, this year, Larin has demonstrated the smarts for the game, utilizing that to great success in creating goals for both himself and his teammates.

Gone are the days where Larin would plant at the top of the box and hope for the best. Rather, when one watches Orlando City, Larin is seen darting in and out of the box, finding open spaces throughout the backline.

With a world-class provider like Kaka, that intelligence is essential. Larin’s hustle to open spots and ability to recognize them have helped the Canadian find himself on the end of plenty of one-touch finishes, providing easy goals for an expansion Orlando City team very much in need of a consistent finisher.

At the end of the day, Larin will always be one of the league’s most physical strikers. Blessed with the combination of size and speed, the 20-year-old forward should be able to bruise and buzz past many a defender. Those traits are why he had European clubs salivating as recently as six months ago.

However, as Larin continues to improve his soccer IQ, he will only become more dangerous. Given the option of blitzing past you or cutting back into open space, Larin has the potential to become one of the toughest match-ups in the league.

With the Rookie of the Year trophy already all but reserved for his trophy cabinet, it’s now up to Larin to continue to refine his game. If he does, it will be time to admit that Larin more than deserves his place among the Villas, Giovincos and Kamaras of MLS.