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As if the New York Red Bulls' performance against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the CONCACAF Champions League wasn't mind-boggling enough, the recently-released CCL Best XI might just be the cherry on top.
On Friday afternoon the CCL official Twitter page unveiled its Best XI from the first legs of the quarterfinal round of the 2016-17 edition. RBNY's star defensive midfielder Felipe earned a place in the lineup.
Echa un vistazo al XI ideal de la semana ida de los cuartos de final | #SCCLWeekly #SCCL #SoyAficionado pic.twitter.com/7w0ccKFePE
— THE CHAMPIONS (@TheChampions) February 24, 2017
Felipe is in good company, as MLSers Kellyn Acosta and Cristian Coleman contributed three goals for FC Dallas in a huge 4-0 victory over Arabe Unido. And he is joined by former RBNY defender, Roy Miller, now effectively on loan to Saprissa (he joins Portland Timbers after Saprissa's interest in this tournament is over). However, the Red Bulls' spot in the XI is rather head-scratching.
Though Felipe did a good job against Vancouver, it's kind of hard to make the case that he was even the best midfielder on his own team - let alone on the entire field. Notably, not a single Vancouver player made the roster: the away team, the one that arguably claimed the advantage from the 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena, had not one player who rose to the level of Felipe's contribution to the game, in CONCACAF's estimation.
Regardless, it's not our job to figure out how CONCACAF decides who makes the Best XI. It's our job to say: Congratulations, Felipe!
The honor is Felipe's second appearance in the CCL Best XI this tournament. He was previously named to the Best XI for his performance against Antigua in the 3-0 win at Red Bull Arena during the week one of the Group Stage. Gonzalo Veron also earned a spot on the team in that same week.