Sebastian Gionvinco was voted toughest individual opponent in the MLS, according to to a Major League Soccer players' poll conducted by ESPN FC.

Giovinco received 10 per cent of the vote, as did David Villa of New York City FC to top the list.

Montreal Impact midfielder Ignacio Piatti was next on the list at five per cent.

Piatti was a popular choice in the player pole, also being named the league's most underrated player, receiving seven percent of the vote. 

A two-time All-Star, Piatti, 33, is in his fourth season with the Impact and coming off of back-to-back seasons of 17 goals and six assists.

"I think he's a top-five player in the league," one respondent to the poll said of Piatti.

Piatti was placed ahead of Dax McCarty of the Chicago Fire, the Seattle Sounders' Cristian Roldan and Wil Trapp of the Columbus Crew.

On the other side of the spectrum, LA Galaxy's Giovanni dos Santos (11 per cent) edged out TFC captain Michael Bradley (10 per cent) for the ignominious honour of the league's most overrated player.

Though Bradley's Reds side won an historic treble in capturing, the MLS Cup, the Supporters' Shield and the Canadian Championship, the polled players felt that he was culpable for the USMNT's failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Bradley's international and club teammate, Jozy Altidore, also placed high at seven per cent of the vote.

It might be cold comfort for the TFC pair, but one player said that identifying the most overrated players in MLS has become more difficult.

"It was easier with Mix [Diskerud, formerly of NYCFC and the player named most overrated in the previous two players' polls] and [Frank] Lampard and even [Andrea] Pirlo," the player said. "Before it was easy. Me answering like that is probably a good sign for the league.''

As for the current coach that players would most likely want to play for, Patrick Vieira topped the list at 23 per cent of the vote. This was due to his international experience of winning major trophies. 

TFC's Greg Vanney finished sixth with eight per cent of the vote and players spoke highly of the manager.

"Vanney. Toronto is a team of leaders and guys who are definitely invested in the direction of the team and drive that team forward, but it takes a certain type of manager to bring all those leaders together."

Kansas City topped the list for the hardest place to play in the MLS at 17 per cent. The only Canadian team on the list was Toronto at six per cent of the vote.