TEAM OF THE WEEK | Fall Season Week 6
In a week that was full of goals, Atlanta Silverbacks forward Pedro Mendes, Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Maicon Santos, and New York Cosmos defender Hunter Freeman all scored crucial tallies to help their teams collect three points in Week 6.
The full Team of the Week is listed below:
GK: Matt VanOekel (FC Edmonton) – Featuring in two games in Week 6, VanOekel conceded just one goal, which was especially impressive in a week that featured plenty of them. The Virginia native kept a shutout in a 2-0 win against Indy Eleven on Wednesday night and helped hold his former team, Minnesota United, to a 1-1 draw.
DEF: Ryan Richter (Ottawa Fury FC) – Ottawa stayed hot over the weekend, extending its unbeaten streak to 12 games. Throughout the stretch, Fury FC’s defensive unit continues to be nearly impenetrable. Richter played a pivotal role at the back in Ottawa’s 4-1 win against Indy Eleven, adding an assist as well.
DEF: Hunter Freeman (New York Cosmos) – The Texas native had an impressive week for the Cosmos. Freeman’s stunning strike from distance lifted the Cosmos to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night. He then followed up his midweek performance with two assists, as the Cosmos rallied back from a three-goal second-half deficit to earn a draw against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
DEF: Justin Davis (Minnesota United) – The Arizona native limited FC Edmonton’s goalscoring opportunities in a 1-1 draw against the Eddies on Saturday. Davis also had a strong game against the New York Cosmos in a midweek clash, although the Loons fell, 2-1, due to a fantastic strike from Hunter Freeman.
MID: Mauro Eustaquio (Ottawa Fury FC) – The Canadian youth international was at the forefront of Fury FC’s rampant attack against Indy. In fact, Eustaquio tallied his first professional goal in the win that moved Ottawa back to the top of the Combined Standings.
MID: Walter Ramirez (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) – The Honduran midfielder has been steady in the Strikers midfield this Fall Season, but last week was certainly his coming out party. Ramirez scored three times – once against Atlanta and twice against New York – in Week 6. Scoring on two goals from the run of play, one was a stunning solo effort against the Cosmos in a 3-3 draw.
MID: Andrés Flores (New York Cosmos) – Since getting more time in the starting lineup, Flores has played very well in the midfield for New York. The Salvadoran international recorded an assist when he cut the ball back for Walter Restrepo’s opening goal against the Loons, and he went another strong 90 minutes against the Strikers in the weekend contest.
MID: Lance Laing (FC Edmonton) – The Jamaican international has picked up right where he left off prior to departing for Gold Cup duty. Laing’s corner kick found the head of Albert Watson for the opener against Indy, and he played in the cross that Tomi Ameobi tapped home for the equalizer against the Loons.
FWD: Pedro Mendes (Atlanta Silverbacks) – There aren’t many forwards in the NASL in better form than Mendes. He has scored five goals in seven games, including a three-goal haul over the last two. The Brazilian forward tallied twice in a 2-1 win against the Strikers on Wednesday, before adding another in a 3-3 draw with the San Antonio Scorpions.
FWD: Maicon Santos (Tampa Bay Rowdies) – While the Rowdies have had trouble scoring in recent matches, those issues were absent against Jacksonville Armada FC on Saturday. Santos led the way with two goals in the first half, and the Brazilian added an assist as well on Brian Shriver’s strike, which turned out to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory.
FWD: Omar Cummings (San Antonio Scorpions) – The veteran Jamaican forward continued his goalscoring run, finding the back of the net twice against the Silverbacks in a 3-3 draw. The pair of goals was Cummings’ ninth and 10th of the season, as he remains in the lead for the league’s Golden Boot.
