Goalkeeper:
- D.C. United’s Bill Hamid
Rationale, motive and intent: He could have nailed down a place on this team just for brilliant performance in the final, frenetic 10 minutes of Saturday’s bail-biter, the 2-1 win over New England (which propelled the Black and Red back into a playoff position). FYI: His club will need more of the same going forward.
Apologies to Houston’s Tally Hall, whose work was essential in the Dynamo’s road draw at Sporting Kansas City.
Back line:
- Philadelphia’s Sheanon Williams
- Portland’s David Horst
- Portland’s Rodney Wallace
Rationale, motive and intent: Wallace was generally in control defensively along Portland’s left side. And to score such an important goal off a corner kick, in a huge rivalry game that meant so much to Timbers supporters – I think they call that “the stuff legends are made of.” Street named after him in the Rose City soon? Stranger things have happened.
Horst made all the important challenges in the same game, even if he could not do enough to turn away Fredy Montero’s second-half golazo.
Yes, yes, everyone scores late against Toronto. Still, Williams was the one to do so in Saturday’s draw, getting forward off his right back spot for the Union’s late equalizer at BMO Field.
Midfield:
- L.A. Galaxy’s Marcelo Sarvas
- D.C. United’s Chris Pontius
- FC Dallas’ Julian de Guzman
- Chicago’s Alvaro Fernandez
Rationale, motive and intent:
Young Sarvas always seem to look good when he gets into the lineup – which isn’t often considering David Beckham and Juninho occupy the central midfield spots in front of him in the Galaxy order. Sarvas’ body of work represented a complete night in L.A.’s 2-0 win over Colorodo.
Dallas was about 25 seconds from realistic playoff elimination before de Guzman happened, hitting what is surely the club’s biggest goal this year. He was highly capable all night as a linking man in the home team’s critical win over Vancouver.
In a close, 2-1, result over New England, Pontius did exactly what everyone said he needed to for D.C. United: kick up his already excellent season another notch to cover for the Dwayne De Rosario gap.
Fernandez has been solid since coming over from Seattle. In Saturday’s 3-1 win over Montreal, he saw that “solid” and raised it by an “exceptional.” This was “Flaco’s” top performance yet around Toyota Park.
Forward:
- New York’s Thierry Henry
- Seattle’s Fredy Montero (pictured)
- San Jose’s Alan Gordon
Rationale, motive and intent: Henry hit one goal that mattered and then an encore effort that was pretty much just for show. But, oh, what a sweet one his “show goal” was!
Talk about making a goal out of very, very little! Did you see the Montero strike? That kid can turn a match like so few others in MLS.
As for Gordon, it was really a matter of “take your pick” between he and teammate Chris Wondolowski. Both helped set up one goal and scored the other.
