Two Eastern Conference teams got big road wins this weekend to cement or improve their standing heading into the playoffs, and their players have been rewarded with spots on the latest Team of the Week.
On Thursday, the New England Revolution traveled to Houston to face the Dynamo in Dominic Kinnear's final home game with the club. Lee Nguyen and the Revs spoiled that going-away party with two goals in the final 25 minutes. The win helped New England secure the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
After clinching their own playoff spot on Oct. 11 with an exhilarating comeback win over Philadelphia, the Columbus Crew headed to Harrison, New Jersey to see if they could improve their postseason positioning. With a 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls, they did that and more. Wil Trapp and Ethan Finlay were only two of the many young players that helped Columbus outplay the Red Bulls on their home field.
Who else earned a spot on the latest Team of the Week? Read on to find out.
GK: Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) Came off his start for the US national team on Tuesday and had his best game of the season against the Timbers, making several incredible saves in RSL's 0-0 draw.
D: Zach Loyd (FC Dallas) – Made all the plays you would want a center back to make defensively as FC Dallas got a crucial road win at Colorado.
D: Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United) – Was again a force in the air, keeping Chicago's two forwards at bay as D.C. won 2-1 at RFK.
D: A.J. Soares (New England Revolution) – Kept his solid run of form going in Houston as the Revolution beat the Dynamo 2-1.
D: Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake) – Nothing's ever fancy for the veteran left back, but he did make the play of the game, hunting down Darlington Nagbe to block a potentially dangerous shot.
M: Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew) – Once again showed how well-rounded his game is, using speed of thought as well as foot to tear the New York defense apart. On the stat sheet, it added up to a goal and two assists..
M: Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew) – His passing and tactical awareness earned the ultimate praise from the legendary Thierry Henry, leading Columbus to a win at RBA
M: Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution) – He should still be in the MVP discussion after scoring both goals in New England’s comeback win over the Dynamo and creating a number of good looks for teammates..
M: Cristian Maidana (Philadelphia Union) – Created five chances, including assists on both Union goals, as they collected three points against Kansas City.
F: Eddie Johnson (D.C. United) – In his first start since Aug. 27, EJ had a beautiful cross on DC's first goal and scored the game-winner off a Fire mistake.
F: Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders) – Awoke in the second half at LA, narrowly avoiding a red card before jump-starting the Sounders attack and assisting on both goals as the Sounders drew 2-2 against the Galaxy.
Coach: Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Crew) – His team completely outplayed the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena, something very few teams do.
Bench:Jon Busch (San Jose Earthquakes), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Norberto Paparatto (Portland Timbers), Baggio Husidic (LA Galaxy), Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew), Felipe (Montreal Impact), Aaron Schoenfeld (Columbus Crew)
