MLS Team of Week 15

It's 4-3-3 this week.

GK Raul Fernandez (FC Dallas): He deserved better from his teammates. The Dallas 'keeper kept his team ahead despite an increasingly ferocious Timbers' onslaught. He couldn't do much about the penalty kick that evaded him; and it is hardly his fault his team melted down and left themselves with just nine men to defend a predictably spirited late Timbers' attack. Of the four 'keepers in action this week, all conceded at least two goals - and Fernandez was the least culpable of the lot.

RB Je-Vaughn Watson (FC Dallas): Was harshly judged to have tripped Fanendo Adi in the box, but otherwise did a pretty good job of winning the ball and feeding the right flank - his tackle should have been credited with a second assist on FCD's second goal.

CB Pa Modou Kah (Portland Timbers): First MLS goal salvages yet another draw for his team - that's worth a place in this team this week. Also the man who successfully goaded Blas Perez into getting sent off to create the two-man advantage he ultimately exploited for the equalizer.

CB Bobby Boswell (D.C. United): The DC backline wasn't impregnable, but Boswell did a decent job of keeping the Impact at bay once his team had gone ahead.

LB Zach Lloyd (FC Dallas): Played center back this week, but he'll slot in on the left side of defense in this lineup. The commentary says Stephen Keel, but looks like it was Lloyd who blocked Diego Valeri's shot on the line. As it turned out, it was crucial to FCD's ability to salvage a point from the catastrophe that befell them later in the match.

MID Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas): Before he and most of his team went mad at the end of the game, Castillo was absolutely terrorizing Portland, scoring one and peppering the Timbers' goal to help FCD to a two-goal cushion that should have stood up for the win.

MID Adam Moffat (FC Dallas): Did his best to shut Portland down in the middle of the field, and almost succeeded.

MID Andres Romero (Montreal Impact): Picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area, dribbled and stumbled his way all the way across goal, and didn't stop working until he'd put the ball in the net.

FWD Fabian Espindola (D.C. United): Last week, Obafemi Martins pretty much beat Chicago by himself, and ducked out of the second half to let everyone else play a game of soccer amongst themselves. This week, Espindola pulled a similar trick. He set up three goals (ish...crediting him with an assist for Silva's second is generous), and picked up a yellow card for a gratuitous foul which may well see him suspended for a game or two once the Disciplinary Committee has a look at it. And then he sat out the second half, because it's only fair to let everyone else have a go.

FWD Luis Silva (D.C. United): Three out of DC's four goals, and the second one was quite special.

FWD Blas Perez (FC Dallas): Didn't do his team any favors by stepping on Pa Modou Kah and getting sent off, but his goal was perhaps the best of those scored this week.

Coach Ben Olsen (D.C. United): Heading into the World Cup break with his team at the top of the Eastern Conference, and showed some good judgement in figuring out how much Fabian Espindola is enough to win a game.