In a week where the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo posted impressive victories, the Western Conference powers accounted for nearly half of this week's SBI MLS Best XI.
Edson Buddle and Juan Pablo Angel are familiar names on the Best XI, but Houston forward Dominic Oduro joined that elite group after his stellar performance in leading the Dynamo to a 3-0 humbling of Kansas City. Dynamo teammate Brian Mullan was also part of the action, and part of this week's squad.
The Galaxy led the way with three Best XI selections, with Buddle and Landon Donovan joined by first-time selection A.J. DeLaGarza.
One of the toughest calls was in goal, where Joe Cannon and Wil Hesmer were both deserving, but New England goalkeeper Preston Burpo stepped up to help his team salvage a point despite finishing down two men against FC Dallas.
Here is this week's SBI MLS Best XI
SBI MLS Best XI (Week 6)
——–Edson Buddle——–Juan Pablo Angel——-Dominic Oduro——–
Steve Zakuani–Andy Williams———Landon Donovan——Brian Mullan
—Ramiro Corrales———Wilman Conde——A.J. De La Garza———-
——————————-Preston Burpo————————————
HONORABLE MENTION– Joe Cannon, Wil Hesmer, Tim Ream, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Jamison Olave, Sacha Kljestan, Dane Richards, Bobby Convey, Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Nyarko, Luis Angel Landin,
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What did you think of this week's selections? Which players were left off that you think deserved a place?
Share your thoughts below.
Watch the Open Cup game against Philly if you don’t believe him.
Interesting criteria. Of course, the Red Bulls have had 3 players in the SBI Best XI multiple times already this season, so I guess that makes us the best team in America.
Cristman hustled and battled for the shirt.
LOL! I’m on the ground!
LOL.
If only!
I heard there is a guy rostered to San Jose, I heard he is a pretty good goalie but is currently second string… Fire should try signing him, I think his name is Jon Busch.
LA Galaxy is definitely the best team in MLS, but I won’t be saying that when Donovan leaves!
Well I could say that Chris Wondolowski played as well as JPA, he scored a beautiful goal and played great.
I agree with you regarding MLS players. The more the better for soccer in this country.
However, they underperformed when they needed to perform in caps that were too close to the World Cup. Whether they just aren’t that good, or just didn’t get it done doesn’t really matter.
That being said, the pair of Buddle-Donovan has to look somewhat appealing right about now.
If he had even finished one chance, I think he would be on there for sure.
He didn’t and Seattle tied because of it.
He disappears sometimes, but I think that is because his teamates don’t get him the ball enough. Columbus had no answer for him, Hejduk didn’t know what to do.
kidding aside. Ives, how does Tim Ream get Honorable Mention? I thought he played okay Saturday, but Cristman made him work hard. It was a good battle to watch, but I don’t see how he made the list.
(SBI-He was the best defender on a team that posted a shutout and I don’t really recall Cristman delivering many great chances. It wasn’t Ream’s best game, but he was the best defender on the field and made no mistakes. A defender doesn’t have to do outrageous things to have a good game, and a forward having a lot of balls sent to him doesn’t mean he had a good game. I’m referring to Cristman on that one because I really don’t see what he did that was all that impressive.)
Burpo from the Troll familia?
That Beckham guy is out too.
love andy williams, great guy, great heart. i’m an LA fan and it was hard to see him almost die from exhaustion in the final last year. guys got great skill
Its good to see Williams on that list.
all of this ball breaking on calling Ives a fans, left him and his staffers a little perterbed… so they decided to leave out Tim Ream and Buona condoul. Not that this XI is end all be all, it just would be nice to be flat out blunt on who gets the spot or not.
Raise your hand if you ever thought you’d see Luis Angel Landin mentioned in an MLS best XI article.
Yeah, me neither.
Kljestan, sorry.
Palmer has been very solid so far, great pickup for the Orange.
I know few will agree, but Klejistan should go to the WC. I think its important to have MLS players, and he is one of the best central mids in the U.S. from a passing standpoint.
RBNY is very deep as well. We have a ton of reserve players who would easily start on other teams.
That has got to be the most unfair assessments of Messi, on any level, in his entire career!
Throwing him in there with the likes of Ribery and Tevez?
Harsh, Bud, harsh indeed.
Ouch!
that dude in the pic is one ugly looking mofo. I thought only the good players were ugly (Riberly, Tevez, Messi, etc.)
Galaxy are easily the deepest team. Berhalter was out to start the season, and Leonardo did a great job filling in. Then Leonardo went down and DeLaGarza filled in at centerback against RSL. Now Franklin’s out (who was playing some right mid too) and AJ is filling in at his right back position.
Also keep in mind that Kovalenko has been out for a while, and Gordon and Mathis are just getting just getting back too.
OK, he totally outjumped his marker and put in a nice flick on that goal and helped set up RBNY’s first goal by picking out Richards on the wing.
Not sure why Juan Pablo Angel is in the best XI. There are other players that scored a goal with header. So I’m no sure what JPA did that was so impressive.
(SBI-Angel set up the first goal, scored the second and put in great defensive work. I’d also argue that Angel’s header goal was the best header of the weekend.)
Ain’t it amazing!! 4 of the best 11 used to be Metrostars/Red Bulls: Buddle, Oduro, Williams, Corrales. WHY WHY WHY did they underperform for us? I look around the league and see former players doing outstanding jobs for other teams. This year I can finally hold my head up among soccer fans. Thanks JPA and the rest of the guys. GO RED BULLS!!
only saw the first half, but the 4-3-3 formation looked scary good
Burpo did play that well! He was the bright spot in a really awful game, though I do give props to the Revs defense. Dallas did outplay us, and I felt a little bad for them, but they couldn’t finish multiple chances. It also would have been a little nicer if the ref had some control of the game.
How about Lovel Palmer? He has really filled in nicely for Rico Clark.
I don’t know if Burpo played that well as much as he just looked really, really good compared to Dario Sala.
Andy Williams definitely deserves it. He was “vintage” Andy Williams. And his goal was sick.
Wilman Conde = MLS Best 11 Defender
as to
Andrew Dykstra = MLS Best U-11 Goalkeeper
He was great. Scored a goal, made several threatening runs and sent in some solid crosses. Made Hejduk look like a fool. Faded a bit in the second half along with the rest of his team.
STEVEN LENHART
Come on Ives. Ljungberg played a great game and would have had multiple assists if the sounders could finish. He played great last night.
The old 3-4-3 formation , eh?
I think you can get the worst 11 goalkeeper from the same game as best 11 Goalkeeper. Dario Sala’s mistake cost FC Dallas the game which is why Burpo’s play gets on the Best 11
I gotta be honest out side a few runs i didn’t think Zakuani was that good.
im no galaxy guru but it seems like Franklin goes down ALOT. Such a shame
I got 3 as well, 4 if you count the honorable mentions.
don garber play GK?
Ives, would you say the Galaxy are probably the deepest team in the league right now? When Sean Franklin goes down, De La Garza steps right in to and has played beyond being a 2nd year player.
You know you’re the best team in America if 3 of your guys makes the Top 11 from SBI!! I’m LA ’til I Die!!!
3 boys from the G’s. That’s what I’m talking about.