TEAM OF THE WEEK | Fall Season Week 4
Week 4 of the Fall Season featured plenty of goals, and among the goalscorers were Ottawa Fury FC midfielder Carl Haworth, Minnesota United midfielder Kalif Alhassan, and Atlanta Silverbacks forward Jaime Chavez. Their goals – and overall performances – earned them NASL Team of the Week honors and more importantly, wins for their respective clubs.
Here is the full Team of the Week:
GK: Romuald Peiser (Ottawa Fury FC) – Ottawa keeps on rolling as the club stretched its unbeaten run to 10 games. Peiser has been instrumental in the run and helped Fury FC to its third win in a row. The Frenchman’s most notable save in Ottawa’s 2-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks was a block on Nacho Novo’s free kick in the first half. Peiser also helped Fury FC record a victory against Atlanta in a Wednesday night match that ended with an identical score line.
DEF: Simon Mensing (Atlanta Silverbacks) – Atlanta’s attack is starting to hit top gear, but its defense appears to be as steady as ever. Mensing helped slow down an FC Edmonton team that had yet to lose in the Fall Season during the Silverbacks’ big 3-1 road win.
DEF: Frankie Sanfilippo (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) – In a Coastal Cup match against his former club, Sanfilippo limited the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ attack over his full 90 minutes on the pitch. The California native was strong in the center of defense, helping the Strikers claim a 3-1 victory.
DEF: Colin Falvey (Ottawa Fury FC) – The Irish defender has been massive in his first year with Fury FC, and he put in two more strong defensive performances in Ottawa’s pair of wins, helping the club climb to the top of both the Fall and Combined Standings.
MID: Dylan Mares (Indy Eleven) – After Indy went down a goal, Mares had an immediate response on behalf of the home side. Mares received a long ball from Dragan Stojkov, and the Indiana native fired past Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer in the 1-1 draw – the sixth consecutive stalemate between the sides.
MID: PC (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) – One of the most creative players in the Strikers’ midfield, PC found the back of the net to get Fort Lauderdale on the right track in its win over the Rowdies. The Brazilian’s run to the back post put him in a perfect position to tap in a cross from fellow countryman Marlon Freitas.
MID: Kalif Alhassan (Minnesota United) – The Loons put on a fine attacking display in San Antonio, and Alhassan was the star of the show. The Ghanaian midfielder created two goals with his passes, and then lofted the ball over goalkeeper Daryl Sattler’s head for a goal of his own in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over San Antonio.
MID: Walter Restrepo (New York Cosmos) – After scoring his first goal for the Cosmos earlier in the Fall Season against Indy, Restrepo added a second against the Boys in Blue. He linked up well with Raúl before slotting the ball into the back of the net. The Colombian midfielder was once again a dangerous threat out wide, nearly claiming more than just the one goal.
FWD: Jaime Chavez (Atlanta Silverbacks) – It may be a few thousand miles away from Atlanta, but Clarke Field is becoming friendly confines for Chavez. The forward scored a goal there in the Spring Season and then added two more this past Sunday. The California native also added an assist for the Silverbacks’ third goal when Shaka Bangura beat the offside trap in the victory over the Eddies.
FWD: Carl Haworth (Ottawa Fury FC) – Two games in a week for Ottawa. Two wins. And two goals for Haworth. Scoring the opener against Atlanta, his second tally in the week was more dramatic. He found the back of the net in the 96th minute against the RailHawks to seal the victory, also earning Player of the Week honors.
FWD: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United) – The 2014 Golden Boot winner is hitting top form. He added his third goal in as many games with his headed effort against the Scorpions. The California native also played an inch perfect through-ball to teammate Justin Davis, who scored the Loons’ second goal in the win.
