Ranking the Top 75 MLS Players of 2024: 60. Dylan Nealis

Link to Rankings Hub

Dylan Nealis was one of the most underrated players during the 2024 season for a New York Red Bulls team that advanced to MLS Cup. The nailed in right back made 30 starts and 35 total MLS appearances, including a few looks at center back. His consistency at winning 50-50 balls gave his manager the trust to play him anywhere along the backline when injuries called for him to fill a different role. Nealis should get his respect for the quality campaign he posted, by far the best of his career thus far.

Nealis showcased his ability to push the ball up the pitch from his defensive position in an assist to Cameron Harper during a 3-0 win over Toronto. In a 1-1 draw with Colorado, Nealis won five tackles and 11 total duels. In the following game, he stepped up into the midfield and won the ball high up the pitch, leading to a Wiki Carmona goal. At the beginning of RBNY's magical run to the final, Nealis used his superior aerial quality to knock a ball down for Felipe Carballo in what was probably the most important goal of the season. The Red Bulls went onto upset the Columbus Crew to the shock of the entire league and lose a heartbreaker to the Galaxy in MLS Cup, in which his brother Sean scored the lone RBNY goal.

You simply will not find a player in MLS with better duel-winning statistics than Dylan Nealis. He wins almost eight duels a game and a significant majority of total duels he encounters, at over 63%. In the air, he's nearly unbeatable. He wins over three aerial duels per 90 and a whopping 71.5% of them. Nealis was third in the entire league in percentage of aerial duels won over the course of the 2024 sesaon. He was a key fixture all season long that won The Red Bulls important possessions on a game-to-game basis. Nealis comes in at No. 60.

60) DYLAN NEALIS | DEF, RBNY | PER 90 STATS (PERCENTILE)

7.89 DUELS WON PER 90 (98%)

63.3% DUELS WON (96%)

3.02 AERIAL DUELS WON PER 90 (100%)

71.5% AERIAL DUELS WON (97%)