photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today Sports

By FRANCO PANIZO

Eight goals, three assists, two hat-tricks. There is simply no stopping Sebastian Giovinco right now.

Toronto FC has consistently been inconsistent since the start of July, winning two games, losing two games, and tying two others. The club has not only struggled on the field during that stretch, but has also seen one of its stars sent off for a needless red card, lost another to injury, and had coaching rumors pop up.

In the midst of all the madness, the one constant, at least positive one, has been Giovinco. The 28-year-old Italian has lit up opposing defenses, and almost singlehandedly kept Toronto from plunging down the Eastern Conference standings. The Reds currently sit in third place in the East, but only four points separate them from being in seventh and on the outside looking in with regards to the postseason.

Giovinco has put the team on his back, accounting one way or the other for 11 of Toronto’s last 14 goals. The diminutive attacker has even scored two hat-tricks in the past month – one of which came on Wednesday night in a rout of Orlando City – and that, combined with all his other impressive achievements, is only further strengthening his case for becoming this season’s MLS MVP.

There is still plenty of time left in the season before that award is given out, but Giovinco will stand a good chance of winning it should he keep up this run of form. He leads the league in goals scored with 16, and has an impressive 10 assists to complement that. He has been dynamic for Toronto on the field, constantly finding the ball and threatening opposing defenses who know what is coming but still can’t stop it.

So far, he has the look of a player that could be considered one of MLS’s best signings, rivaling the legendary and productive likes of Thierry Henry and David Beckham. Giovinco scores from the run of play, on set pieces, is crafty on the ball, and a real treat to watch if you’re a neutral or not a fan of the opposing team he is playing.

Of course, there are other deserving candidates for the MVP award. The consensus is that Sporting Kansas City’s Benny Feilhaber and Columbus Crew forward Kei Kamara currently form the three-horse race. Each of them, like Giovinco, has had tremendous seasons to this point, with Feilhaber scoring seven goals and assisting on 11 others while Kamara has netted 15 times and set up five more.

Feilhaber and Kamara might find it tough to keep up with the dizzying pace that Giovinco is racking up stats, however. The Toronto FC Designated Player has dominated almost from the onset, showing none of the rust or hiccups that initially tend to plague players who are making the jump from Europe. Even when he’s been without fellow DPs Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore – as he was this past weekend and for a couple of weeks in July – Giovinco has still produced.

Giovinco will need to keep scoring goals and delivering assists to remain as one of the frontrunners for the MVP award, but he will also have to continue to help Toronto pick up wins on the way to clinching a playoff spot. The club has yet to reach the postseason since entering MLS back in 2007, and Giovinco was brought on board in part to help put an end to that damning streak.

Should Giovinco accomplish that, his chances of being named MVP will be that much greater. He has enjoyed a strong first five months in his MLS tenure, but the last three will be just as important, if not more so, in determining how good this year truly is for him and quite possibly Toronto, too.

—–

What do you think about the form Giovinco is in right now? Is he your frontrunner for MLS MVP? How many goals do you see him ending up with?

Share your thoughts below.