Inside MLS Team of the Week: Eastern Conference teams lead the way in Week 17
Goalkeeper: Bill Hamid (D.C. United)
Hamid features prominently alongside Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando in the discussion of the league’s best goalkeepers. His assured displays this week -- including a smart save on Sebastian Giovinco in the latter stages of the 0-0 draw at Toronto FC -- led to two shutouts for the Supporters’ Shield leaders.
Defenders: Steven Birnbaum (D.C. United), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Chance Myers (Sporting Kansas City)
United coach Ben Olsen played Birnbaum in the right side of defense for the victory over Chicago in midweek and then shifted him into his natural spot in the middle for the draw against TFC. Birnbaum acquitted himself well in both spots as he continues to shine for the Eastern Conference leaders. … Few young defenders perform as consistently as Miazga. After playing a key part in subduing RSL in midweek, Miazga added his first MLS goal to help the Red Bulls defeat NYCFC on Sunday. Next step for the U.S. under-20 defender: working on that swing. … Goodson capped a fine performance for the Earthquakes with his first goal for the club. His steady presence is a key reason why San Jose continues to exceed expectations. … Myers finally ended his injury hell when he returned to the field during a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match earlier this month. His showing against Colorado on Saturday offered plenty of room for encouragement as he works his way back toward top form.
Midfielders: Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC), Juninho (LA Galaxy), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Finlay continues to impress with his incisive, intelligent runs for Crew SC. He sits atop MLS’ assist chat with 10 after playing a part in two goals in Columbus’ four-point week. He also snatched a goal of his own to lift Crew SC to a point at RSL. … Most members of the Galaxy will attempt to forget the defeat at San Jose on Saturday promptly. Juninho might remember his own contribution fondly after he struck yet again. The goal reinforced his standing here after he pulled the strings in the Galaxy’s comprehensive 5-0 victory over Portland in midweek. … Kljestan sat out in midweek through suspension and waited until the second half against NYCFC to make his impact. It proved worth the wait, though: His influence turned the tide in that victory at Yankee Stadium. … Nagbe struggled to produce any semblance of impact in Carson, but he responded with his best performance of the season in the 4-1 triumph over Seattle on Sunday. His technical ability is never in question, but his inability to translate his tidy work on the ball into end product makes him a frustrating figure to watch. His screaming opener against Sounders FC marked his first goal since Oct. 25 last year.
Forwards: Fanendo Adi (Portland Timbers), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC)
Adi posed all sorts of problems with his prototypical target play before he finally broke through in the final 20 minutes. His robust approach provides the Timbers with a more direct element (and Caleb Porter has streamlined the efforts this year to reflect this reality), though his occasional wastefulness presents issues. There were no such problems on Sunday, though. His two goals -- combined with a cautionable, yet amusing, celebration involving a chainsaw after his second -- increased his haul on the season to eight (fifth in MLS). … Kamara leads the MLS scoring charts by three goals (12 on the season) after pouncing twice in the midweek victory over New England. His typically industrious work up front provides Crew SC with an outlet to facilitate in possession and an option to spread the field vertically. His increasingly precise finishing makes him an increasingly likely selection for the MLS All-Star Game later this month.
