ProSoccerTalk’s Best XI from Week 5 in Major League Soccer includes two very young men from Real Salt Lake and one prominent “reservist” off the bench:
Goalkeeper:
- Seattle’s Michael Gspurning
Why we like him: Rarely does the man find his way onto this list whose team has suffered a weekend loss. But Michael Gspurning heroically prevented his team from being laughed on the field in Utah. The Sounder’s Austrian ‘keeper had six saves in the first half alone. That’s a full days work and then some on most MLS afternoons.
Back line:
- FC Dallas’ Zach Loyd
- Houston’s Jermaine Taylor
- LA Galaxy’s Todd Dunivant
Why we like them: MLS scorer extraordinaire Chris Wondolowski was oddly quiet in the Earthquakes’ loss to Houston; Taylor was a major reason.
As for Dunivant, he wasn’t just on top of things (as usual) along the Galaxy’s left side. He also had the bonus of doing something important to help cement the Galaxy’s locker room and team chemistry.
Loyd had a great night up and down the right side against New England, just edging a good performance out of right back from Sporting KC’s Chance Myers.
Midfield:
- Real Salt Lake’s Luis Gil
- Sporting Kansas City’s Benny Feilhaber
- Houston’s Ricardo Clark (pictured)
- Portland’s Will Johnson
- Real Salt Lake’s Sebastian Velasquez
Why we like them: SKC needs the Big Benny Feilhaber, not the shrunken one seen in recent weeks, and also seen too often last year in New England. The former U.S. international had two assists in a big win over Montreal, the Impact’s first loss this year.
Gil, as previously noted, is just 19. We need to keep reminding everyone of that. This kid’s upside is spectacular. Midfield mate Velasquez is just a wee bit older at 22.
We could have picked pretty much anyone in the Dynamo midfield, which spent the evening making Houston hash of the Earthquakes central core. When in doubt, go with “Rico” and all the miles he covers over an evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. That’s what we always say.
More on Johnson later. Hint, hint.
Forwards:
- Chivas USA’s Eric Avila
- New York Red Bulls’ Thierry Henry
Why we like them: Avila operated as a wide attacker (not really as a forward) in the Goats’ 3-5-2. But details, details. His work in possession was and in pushing the Chivas USA attack was stellar, not to mention that game-winning goal in the latest forward surge under “El Chelis.”
Yes, Henry’s minutes were limited off the bench. And, yes, he scored just one goal. (We like our forwards to have a couple of them, or at least a goal plus an assist) to land on our team. But you saw that freakin’ goal, right? It was the game-winner, a late one … and absolutely essential for a club so desperate to break the seal on the win column for the year.