NEW YORK – Week Three of the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week features two players who make a return appearance. The team of MLSsoccer.com editors, who cover every minute of all the MLS action, give you the top players at their respective positions.
Chad Marshall and Tally Hall again came up big for their respective clubs for the second straight week and the forward line knocked in six goals last weekend. New England and Houston each contribute two players in the top XI despite the fact that each could only muster a 1-1 tie.
GK –Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo): A second consecutive nod for Hall, who has single-handedly earned his team a point in two consecutive weekends.
DF – Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy): His first minutes of the campaign earn him an immediate nomination. Despite playing down a man, Gonzalez and his back line completely neutralized the Union attack.
DF – Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew): Another shutout for the Crew on the heels of another dominating performance by Marshall in the back.
DF – A.J. Soares (New England Revolution): Rookie looks more comfortable with every game. Good timing and positioning helped snuff out more than a few Portland attacks.
MF – Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution): Omnipresent on the field for the Revs. Although he does it all, playing slightly further upfield has helped New England become more of an attacking threat.
MF – Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): The heart and soul of Houston’s midfield. Led his squad in gutting out a road result for a second straight match against an MLS Cup contender.
MF – Simon Dawkins (San Jose Earthquakes): The Tottenham loanee makes things happen when the ball is at his feet and he proved he can also finish.
MF – Steve Zakuani (Seattle Sounders): Terrorized San Jose for a good part of their match on Saturday. He continues to be a leader for Sounders FC early on in 2011.
FW – Caleb Folan (Colorado Rapids): The big man showed sublime skill and footwork on his two goals which could be a deadly combination in MLS.
FW – Camilo (Vancouver Whitecaps): The young Brazilian proved dangerous throughout the match against Sporting. He’s earned himself another start.
FW – Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City): His goals against the Whitecaps were superstar quality. He can create his own chances when he's around the box.
Manager – Gary Smith (Colorado Rapids): The champs are 3-0-0 and showed they're not dependent on their star strikers from 2010. That’s partly due to Smith’s latest great find in Folan.
Honorable Mentions: Adrian Cann (TOR), Eddie Gaven (CLB), Jake Gleeson (POR), Alan Gordon (TOR), Jimmy Nielsen (KC), Alain Rochat (VAN), Mauro Rosales (SEA), Jan Gunnar Solli (NY), Anthony Wallace (COL)
2011 TEAM OF THE WEEK MENTIONS:
Goalkeepers: Tally Hall (Week 2, Week 3), Nick Rimando (Week 1);
Defenders: Danny Califf (Week 1), Omar Gonzalez (Week 3), Zach Loyd (Week 1), Chad Marshall (Week 2, Week 3), Drew Moor (Week 2), Jeff Parke (Week 1), Alain Rochat (Week 2), A.J. Soares (Week 3);
Midfielders:Osvaldo Alonso (Week 2), Kyle Beckerman (Week 1), Geoff Cameron (Week 3), Brian Carroll (Week 2), Davide Chiumiento (Week 1), Simon Dawkins (Week 3), Shalrie Joseph (Week 3), Juninho (Week 1), Javier Morales (Week 2), Marco Pappa (Week 2), Teemu Tainio (Week 1), Steve Zakuani (Week 3);
Forwards: Omar Bravo (Week 1), Teal Bunbury (Week 3), Omar Cummings (Week 1), Caleb Folan (Week 3), Eric Hassli (Week 1), Javier Martina (Week 2), Paulo Jr. (Week 2), Camilo (Week 3), Chris Wondolowski (Week 2);
Managers:Gary Smith (Week 3), Hans Backe (Week 2), Ben Olsen (Week 1).
