The 2015 MLS season continued down the home stretch with another busy weekend that included a full slate of games. The New York Red Bulls clinched top spot in the Eastern Conference in style while the Portland Timbers put themselves in position to climb as high as second in the Western Conference with a statement win over the LA Galaxy.
New York and Portland combined for nine goals in the victory, so it’s no surprise their players made their way on this list.
Here is a look at the top individual fantasy performances from this past weekend in the MLS.
GK: Steve Clark, Columbus
Four different goalkeepers registered clean sheet victories this past weekend but Clark was the best of them as he stopped all six shots he faced in a 2-0 win over Toronto FC. That performance allowed the Crew to at least temporarily leapfrog TFC in to third spot in the Eastern Conference and they could still finish as high as second if they win out and get a little help at the top. Honorable Mention: Bill Hamid, DC United; David Bingham, San Jose; Jesse Gonzalez, FC Dallas
D: Bobby Boswell, DC United
DC United is the team that Columbus is chasing for second spot after they completely shut down Chicago in a 4-0 win on Sunday. Boswell played an integral role shutting down the Fire offense and he also chipped in at the offensive end of the pitch with the second goal in the 4-0 win.
D: Kemar Lawrence, New York Red Bulls
The Red Bulls clinched top spot in the Eastern Conference in style with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. Even their defenders were able to pitch in offensively with Lawrence scoring a goal on one of the two shots on target he registered. Damien Perrinelle chipped in with an assist as well as New York cruised to another lopsided win. Honorable Mention: Damien Perrinelle, New York Red Bulls; Kwame Watson-Siriboe, New York City FC
M: Mike Grella, New York Red Bulls
Leading the way for the Red Bulls in the middle of the pitch was the midfielder Grella, who led all scorers with a pair of goals – including the eventual game-winner which came in only the first minute of play. Grella added another goal in the 17th minute to make it 3-0 and pretty much seal the victory and top spot in the Eastern Conference for New York.
M: Dax McCarty, New York Red Bulls
Grella scored twice and had three shots in the Red Bulls win to earn top honors for MLS midfielders but McCarty was in the mix as well as he had two assists in the victory. New York will finish the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference but even their fans had to be surprised with how quickly they managed to dismantle a Chicago side that has now lost six of its last seven games overall. Honorable Mention: Ignacio Piatti, Montreal; Darlington Nagbe, Portland; Ethan Finlay, Columbus
F: Cyle Larin, Orlando City SC
There was plenty of scoring around the MLS this past weekend but no forward did more for his team than Orlando City’s rookie sensation Larin. The 20-year-old fired seven shots at the net including four on target and his two goals were the difference in the 2-1 victory over New York City FC.
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F: Fernando Adi, Portland
Portland is coming off consecutive wins and has won three of its last four games to climb in to a tie for third spot in the Western Conference. Adi played the hero this past week as he scored twice in the Timbers’ 5-2 win over the LA Galaxy. The Nigerian striker is up to 15 goals in 32 games this season and will need to continue to step up his game as Portland heads in to the postseason with the potential to really do some damage. Honorable Mention: Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy; Fabian Espindola, DC United; Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
