Nine total saves and two clean sheets, the second with only eight field players in front of him? That was Joe Bendik's Week 14 of the MLS season, earning the Orlando City SC goalkeeper a well-deserved spot on the MLS Team of the Week.
Bendik had three saves in a 2-0 victory over D.C. United at midweek, and six more as the nine-man Lions withstood two red cards to gut out a scoreless home draw with Chicago on Sunday. Right back Jonathan Spector also earned Team of the Week honors for his role in the two clean sheets.
Midfielder Roland Lamah's first-half hat trick and Maxi Urruti's one-goal, one-assist performance in Saturday's 6-2 spanking of Real Salt Lake gave FC Dallas two spots on the team, and New England (left back Kelyn Rowe and midfielder Lee Nguyen) also had two players selected after going unbeaten in two matches.
Columbus playmaker Federico Higuain earned honors for a week that saw him score twice, record one assist and join Crew SC's 40/40 club, and center back Kendall Waston bagged a brace in Vancouver's3-1 comeback victory over Atlanta United over the weekend.
Sporting Kansas City defender Ike Opara and midfielders Ozzie Alonso (Seattle Sounders) and Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) rounded out the squad.
Note: Team of the Week is voted on by the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff.
BENCH: Tim Melia, SKC; Kortne Ford, COL; Marco Donadel, MTL; Diego Fagundez, NE; Justin Meram, CLB; David Villa, NYC; Cubo Torres, HOU
COACH: Jay Heaps, NE
