It was an interesting week in Major League Soccer, what with three scoreless draws, a few rather awful matches, and one beautiful display of soccer between Los Angeles and New York.
The Galaxy-Red Bulls tilt didn't produce a winner, but the quality of soccer led to several players from the match earning SBI MLS Best XI honors this week. A total of four players from the match, two from each team, made the Best XI.
As for the most well-represented team? It was actually a good balance, with only D.C. United joining New York and LA with two selections on this week's team. There were some new faces in the group, such as Joao Plata, and some familiar faces to the Best XI, such as FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
Now, without further ado, here is the SBI MLS Best XI for Week 7:
HONORABLE MENTION: Bill Hamid, Ugo Ihemelu, Drew Moor, Omar Gonzalez, Heath Pearce, Juninho, Jack Jewsbury,Dwayne DeRosario, Josh Wolff, Fredy Montero.
Some thoughts on the picks:
As you may notice, I had buyer's remorse on my initial Dwayne DeRosario pick and swapped in Thierry Henry. I wound up initially punishing Henry for being a non-factor in the second half of Saturday's match, but the fact is he was a major factor in the first half and his play merited the nod over DeRosario.
Some may wonder why only three defenders in a week where we had three scoreless draws and so many shutouts. I looked long and hard for outstanding defensive performances and came away noticing more standout goalkeeping performances. More often than not, the shutouts posted came courtesy of amazing saves or awful finishing.
This also made me put a premium on players who were actually able to finish chances. That's why Scott Palguta made it for his game-winning goal (as well as playing 180 minutes on a D that allowed just one goal in two matches). Same went for Will Johnson, who to his credit did more than just score the game-winning goal.
What did you think of our selections? Who is missing that you would have liked to see make the squad?
Share your thoughts below.