Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By IVES GALARCEP
Jack McInerney’s breakout season really took off in April, with a league-leading four goals during the month, good for the MLS lead and good for a spot on the SBI MLS Best XI for the Month of April.
From his stoppage-time equalizer vs. Toronto FC, to his virtuoso performance in the Philadelphia Union’s 3-2 win vs. D.C. United, McInerney has thrust himself into the U.S. Men’s National Team conversation at the age of 20 and is now poised to challenge the MLS record for most goals before the age of 21 (currently held by Columbus midfielder Eddie Gaven).
McInerney is joined on April’s Best XI by a trio of Portland Timbers who helped drive the Timbers to an unbeaten month. SBI Player of the Month Will Johnson leads the way for a Portland side that also included a pair of honorable mention selections that could have easily been on the Best XI.
The April Best XI wouldn’t be complete without at least one Cinderella story, and Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin fits that bill. He helped the injury-ravaged Rapids compile a 2-1-1 record despite losing a starting lineup’s worth of players to injury.
Here is the rest of the SBI MLS Best XI of the month of April:
SBI MLS BEST XI OF THE MONTH (APRIL)
Dominic Oduro———–Ryan Johnson—————Jack McInerney
————Michel———-Will Johnson———Diego Chara————
Roy Miller—-Matt Besler———–George John——-Josh Williams
———————————-Clint Irwin————————————–
HONORABLE MENTION
Raul Fernandez, Mikael Silvestre, Omar Gonzalez, Aurelien Collin, Zach Loyd, Brian Mullan, Matt Hedges, Dax McCarty, Tim Cahill, David Ferreira, Andrew Jacobson, Nigel Reo-Coker, Oriol Rosell, Rodney Wallace, Graham Zusi, Thierry Henry
————
What do you think of our selections? Who are you happy to see included? Who do you feel was the biggest snub?
Share your thoughts below.
That Irwin kid is sick. Anybody seem him save that PK early in April?
Jose Goncalves deserves AT LEAST an honorable mention… other than the 1 RBNY game (where he wasn’t really at fault for any of the goals), the NE defense has been the best in the league and he has been a rock back there.
Raul Fernandez was robbed.
Where’s Mike Magee?? C’mon, Ives. He’s been lighting it UP.
Biggest snub is Rimando for GK – if not in the starting 11 should at least be honorable mention
Rimando’s a good shout, but I must say it was a VERY good month for goalkeepers. There were five or six who had great months.
Timbers have done well even though Valeri isn’t one of the five Timbers mentioned here. Outstanding.
Holy hell, that’s a mini Tom Cruise.
I mean, mini-er.
“I want the truth!”
I thought that Giles Barnes has had an exceptional month as well.
Good money? Sure. Exceptional? Nobody on Houston had an exceptional month. Three of their four performances were pretty forgettable.
Over or under how many of these players..
Are starting at the All Star game: 2
Play in the Post Season: 8
Make their nations’ WC rosters: 2
If Jamiaca manages to qualify Johnson’s in, Roy Miller will make Costa Rica’s squad, Chara could get another look for Colombia since he’s been playing great so far this season.
Oduro won’t figure for Ghana if they qualify, and Michel obviously won’t for Brazil. Canada’s out, so no Will Johnson, and I don’t see any of the American’s making it either.
So 2 seems like a good guess since the odds of the US, CR and Jamaica all qualifying is pretty low.
All-Star – Over
Playoffs – Under
WC – Even
Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying and fat ladies are singing, ROY MILLER is a BEST XI and probably deserves it
Mircales do exist
Agree with everyone accept I think A Collin for Sporting KC should be on the back line. Great defense and he had an assist and a goal in month of April
Monster game vs. RBNY, and could have made it, but feel like he tailed off in final two games, whereas I thought Besler had a more complete month.