The Houston Dynamo ended the Vancouver Whitecaps surge up the Western Conference standings on the same day the Columbus Crew handed New York City FC another tough blow. Federico Higuain and company have kept the pressure on DC United for first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
However, no performance was more impressive than San Jose’s 1-0 win over the LA Galaxy with their goalkeeper coming through with an outstanding performance in an extremely difficult situation. Here is a look at the top individual fantasy performances based on position from this past weekend in the MLS.
GK: David Bingham, San Jose
Bingham was an absolute beast in goal for the Earthquakes as he made four saves to make sure that midfielder Shea Salinas’ goal in the 18th minute would hold up as the winner against the first-place LA Galaxy.
The Galaxy had averaged over three goals per game over the course of a four-game winning streak heading into that matchup but Bingham stopped all four shots that he faced to help make the difference. That’s extended his run to four straight clean sheet victories for the surging San Jose.
GK: Jesse Gonzalez, FC Dallas
The Earthquakes’ keeper wasn’t the only one that stood out for his excellent performance this past weekend as Gonzalez also stopped all four shots that he faced in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
It was a huge victory for an FC Dallas side that had scored only twice while dropping three straight games. Gonzalez matched Bingham with an identical fantasy stat line as the top MLS goalkeepers for the weekend. Honorable Mention: Tyler Deric, Houston; Bobby Shuttleworth, New England; Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls
D: Raul Rodriguez, Houston
Houston had gone three straight games without a win before finally breaking out of their funk with a 2-0 win over a Vancouver side that entered that match with four victories over their previous five games. Ricardo Clark got the Dynamo on the board with a goal in the 34th minute and then Rodriguez put the game away with a header goal, which was his second of the year. That sealed the win for Houston.
D: Maynor Figueroa, Colorado
Figueroa didn’t score the game-winning goal in the Rapids’ 2-1 win over Sporting KC but he did get Colorado on the board when they trailed 1-0 in the 53rd minute. That sparked a comeback win that kept the team’s slim playoff hopes alive. The Rapids are still five points back of the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference but it was a big win and Figueroa played an integral role in earning the three points. Honorable Mention: Jeremy Hall, New England; Shaun Francis, San Jose
M: Federico Higuain, Columbus
Higuain was the star for Columbus in its 2-1 win over New York City FC as he scored in the 10th minute. Then assisted on Justin Meram’s game-winning goal in the 83rd minute. Higuain has seven goals and four assists this season and the Crew will need him to play at an elite level the rest of the way as they try to catch DC United at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
M: Diego Fagundez, New England
The goal Fagundez in the 51st minute against Philadelphia held up as the eventual game-winner in New England’s 1-0 win over the Union. It was his first goal since he scored in a 2-0 win over Chicago back on June 13th. The Revolution will feel much better about their chances in the Eastern Conference come playoff time if Fagundez can continue to capitalize on his opportunities in the midfield. Honorable Mention: Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas; Michael Bradley, Toronto FC
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F: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
After seeing their remarkable run of earning at least a point in six straight games – including five wins – end in a shocking 3-2 loss to Chicago, the Red Bulls got back on track in a major way with a statement 3-0 win over DC United to close the gap on them for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Wright-Phillips finished with two goals and an assist as he separated himself from the pack as the top fantasy forward in the MLS from this past weekend in the final game of the week.
F: Kevin Doyle, Colorado
Doyle provided the game-winning goal for Colorado in their comeback win over Sporting Kansas City and that was enough to earn him a spot on this list. FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele, Sporting KC’s Dom Dwyer and Montreal’s Dominic Oduro all get honorable mention for registering single points over the weekend. Honorable Mention: Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas; Dom Dwyer, Sporting KC; Dominic Oduro, Montreal
