Week 8 in Major League Soccer produced a wealth of excitement, as the league tied a single-weekend record for goals scored as 46 strikes flew in over three days.
During the full 11-game slate, plenty of players stood out with remarkable performances and memorable goals, but one star and a single spectacular strike stood out the most.
Below is a look at the best of MLS Week 8 voted on by the SBI editorial staff.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City’s Johnny Russell scored his first hat-trick since 2013 in the 6-0 thumping of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Two of the three goals came before the Whitecaps had two players sent off.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
The Portland Timbers handed New York City FC its first defeat of the season by a 3-0 score Sunday. Giovanni Savarese’s men have won two straight games at Providence Park.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Chris Mueller continued his impressive start with the third goal of his MLS career in Orlando City’s 3-2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes
GOAL OF THE WEEK
There were plenty of worthy candidates for Goal of the Week, but Aleksandar Katai’s volleyed effort for the Chicago Fire was the best in our eyes.
Aleksandar Katai with a THUNDERBOLT. ⚡️ #RBNYvCHI https://t.co/7xEEsahaEN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 21, 2018