Hiram Moreno
Another MLS week has come and gone, and a new batch of 11 players have been named to the“MLS Team of the Week” after their good performances during the matches.
All of these players helped their team in one way or another to a good result last weekend, and while soccer is a team sport, their individual performances have earned them a place in this distinguished group.
Here are the 11 players on the MLS Week 19 team.
All Members of the MLS Team of the Week for Week 19
Goalkeeper: Brad Stuver – Austin FC
Austin earned a valuable win away to Atlanta United and Brad Stuver was a vital part of the 3-0 victory as the keeper saved all four shots on goal by the opposition and showed his coolness despite Atlanta outshooting his team in possession (63% vs. 38%) and shots taken (19 vs. 10).
Defense: Christian Fuchs – Charlotte FC
Christian Fucks opened the scoring in Charlotte’s 4-1 win over Nashville, and finished the game with the most touches (98) and passes (71) of any player on his team, while also helping out on defense with a successful sweep and a blocked shot.
Defense: Teenage Hadebe – Houston Dynamo
The Texas derby between the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to Teenage Hadebe, who scored the equalizer in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time to save a point for his team. Additionally, Hadebe was also the Houston player who finished the game with the most touches and passes completed, with 89 and 86 respectively.
Defense: Lalas Abubakar – Colorado Rapids
Lalas Abubakar was another last-minute hero over the weekend, scoring a 89th-minute goal to help the Colorado Rapids reach a draw away at Real Salt Lake. Abubakar was also his team’s interceptions leader in the game, with two, so he was the hero in both categories after the final whistle.
Midfielder: Ethan Finlay – Austin FC
Brad Stuver was in charge of stopping the opposition goals in the Atlanta United-Austin FC match, but Ethan Finlay was the mastermind behind his club’s attacking play in that game. Finlay assisted the opening goal and scored the second on his own to give Austin the advantage before being replaced in the 69th minute after a great performance.
Midfielder: José Cifuentes – Los Angeles FC
José Cifuentes was the main protagonist of “El Tráfico” last week as his two goals in the game helped Los Angeles FC beat city rival LA Galaxy to stay on top of the MLS Western Conference. Not only was he important regarding goals scored, but he also made four sweeps and intercepted two balls, and was LAFC’s second-highest passer in that match.
Midfielder: Alejandro Bedoya – Philadelphia Union
This MLS Week 19 started with a thrashing of D.C. United by Philadelphia Union, who they beat 7-0, with Alejandro Bedoya being one of the key players. The player was one of three players to score in that match by scoring a double in the first half and was the Philadelphia midfielder with the most touches in the match with 57.
Midfielder: Derrick Etienne Jr. – Columbus Crew
After falling behind 2-0 to Chicago, Derrick Etienne Jr. began orchestrating Columbus Crew’s comeback by scoring a brace, which helped the team eventually win the match by a score of 2-3. What was the most enjoyable aspect of it? He did so when he came on as a substitute during halftime.
Forward: Julián Carranza – Philadelphia Union
Julian Carranza was another one of the key players in Philadelphia’s thrashing of D.C. United, with the player scoring a hat-trick in the historic win, ending a six-game winless drought and deservedly making this MLS Team of the Week.
Forward: Valentín Castellanos – New York City FC
Valentn Castellanos extended his streak of games with at least one goal scored to three this week, netting a brace in New York City FC’s win over the New England Revolution, which put him in first place in the MLS with 11 goals.
Forward: Jaroslaw Niezgoda – Portland Timbers
Rounding out the attacking trio of this MLS Team of the Week is Jaroslaw Niezgoda, who opened the scoring and also provided an assist in the Timbers’ 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. Both of his shots in the match were on target.
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