There were plenty of impressive fantasy performances among the underdog wins and clean sheet victories from this past week in the MLS. The highlight of the week had to be the incredible goal-scoring performance that star strikers Sebastian Giovinco and David Villa produced in a 4-4 draw Sunday afternoon. Let’s take a look back at the top fantasy performers at each position from this past week in the MLS.
GK: Tim Melia, Sporting KC
It was a busy weekend in the MLS and it was a strong one for the goalkeepers as six different netminders registered clean sheet wins. Melia edged out Montreal’s Evan Bush for the best fantasy stat line in the final game of the weekend. Melia stopped all six shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps and pushed Sporting KC five points clear of the San Jose Earthquakes for the sixth and final playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference. Honorable Mention: Evan Bush, Montreal; Brian Sylvestre, Philadelphia
D: Kevin Ellis, Sporting KC
Sporting KC was deadlocked in a scoreless tie with Vancouver until the 52nd minute when Ellis pushed forward and scored the goal that stood as the game-winner in the 1-0 win over the Whitecaps. Ellis isn’t exactly known for his offense but he scored the lone goal in a clean sheet win in which he was all over the field for Sporting KC. That’s enough to earn him the top spot among MLS defenders for this week.
D: Jared Watts, Colorado
Colorado’s 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake was a complete team effort with three different goal scorers finding the back of the net including Watts, who was one of two defenders that score a goal for the Rapids. Drew Moor also found the back of the net for Colorado but Watts gets the slight nod ahead of him thanks to his ability to stuff the stat sheet in other areas. Honorable Mention: Drew Moor, Colorado; DeMarcus Beasley, Houston
M: Vincent Nogueira, Philadelphia
Philadelphia was one of a couple of teams that secured an important three points as an underdog over the weekend and Nogueira’s performance was absolutely integral for the Union. He scored twice in a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers. Nogueira was all over the field for Philadelphia with four shots – including the two on target that found the back of the net. The Union have closed the gap on an Eastern Conference playoff spot to just two points and if they are going to have a shot this season, they will need more performances from Nogueira like the one they got this past weekend against Portland.
M: Dominic Oduro, Montreal
Oduro was an absolute stud for the Impact in a crucial 3-0 win over a Columbus Crew team that they are chasing in the Eastern Conference standings. He scored twice on as many shots on target. Montreal continues to be one of the hardest teams in the MLS to project on a week-to-week basis but Oduro has been excellent overall. He starred again this week when he scored two crucial goals in their victory. Honorable Mention: Ricardo Clark, Houston; Lloyd Sam, New York Red Bulls
F: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
The fact that Giovinco missed a penalty kick but still managed to score a hat trick and finish a 4-4 tie with four points is absolutely incredible. There is no doubt that Toronto’s entire offensive attack is based around his skillset. Giovinco fired a penalty kick off the bar early in the first half but he buried a second penalty kick later in the game. He wasn’t done there as he added another two goals in the next 10 minutes for the hat trick to give TFC a 3-2 lead at the half. Later, he assisted on Marco Delgado’s 82nd minute goal to earn an important point on the road. Giovinco has been an absolute beast for Toronto and after a four-point game in New York there is no doubt about where he stands among the elite MLS strikers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPwFF00JadU
F: David Villa, New York City FC
Villa did everything he could to try to help NYCFC steal an important three points from Toronto. On most days, two goals and six shots on target would have been enough but that wasn’t the case in their 4-4 draw. Villa has consistently been among the elite strikers in the MLS this season and the opportunity to see he and Giovinco trade blows over the weekend was absolutely incredible to watch – especially for those that had both of them plugged in to their MLS fantasy lineup. Honorable Mention: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls; Will Bruin, Houston
