Who has won the most aerial duels in MLS during the 2022 season?

Heading the ball may be a dying art in soccer, but it still absolutely has its place in the game.

Whether it’s arriving at the far post to score a goal for your team or being in the right place at the right time to clear away danger in your own box, getting your head to the ball can be just as important as any pass or tackle.

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Though for a league that focuses primarily on keeping the ball on the ground, there are plenty of good target men and tall center-backs dominating the aerial battles in MLS right now. Keep track of who leads in this particular metric throughout the 2022 season below:

Players with the same number of aerial duels won are separated by minutes played.

1. Steven Birnbaum, DC United – 141 (2,760 mins)
2. Sean Nealis, New York Red Bulls – 135 (2,863 mins)
3. CJ Sapong, Nashville SC – 124 (2,468 mins)
4. Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls – 100 (2,282 mins)
5. Walker Zimmerman, Nashville SC – 99 (2,475 mins)
6. Nick Hagglund, FC Cincinnati – 98 (2,651 mins)
7. Brandon Vazquez, FC Cincinnati – 94 (2,669 mins)
8. Julio Cascante, Austin FC – 93 (2,628 mins)
9. Brandon Bye, New England Revolution – 81 (2,476 mins)
10. Dave Romney, Nashville SC – 79 (2,555 mins)