TEAM OF THE WEEK | Fall Season Week 13
Ottawa Fury FC forward Tom Heinemann, Minnesota United midfielder Ibson, and FC Edmonton defender Allan Zebie helped their teams to important victories in Week 13 of the Fall Season. Heinemann and Ibson provided goals, while Zebie put in a strong shift in defense to earn Team of the Week honors.
The full Team of the Week is below:
GK: Miguel Gallardo (Jacksonville Armada FC) – The Mexican goalkeeper made a number of key saves to lift the Armada FC to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In particular, Gallardo made a superb double save late in the first half, which ultimately preserved the clean sheet.
DEF: Allan Zebie (FC Edmonton) – The Canadian youth international continues to shine for the Eddies. Zebie provided a strong and steady performance in FC Edmonton’s back line, as the Eddies moved into a postseason position after a 2-1 win over the New York Cosmos.
DEF: Paul Black (Atlanta Silverbacks) – The England native picked out Jaime Chavez to open the scoring in a wild 3-3 draw with the San Antonio Scorpions. In a physical contest, Black once again was up to the challenge in the Silverbacks’ rearguard.
DEF: Nana Attakora (San Antonio Scorpions) – The Canadian international ventured forward and helped his team mount a huge comeback, scoring the first of the Scorpions’ three goals against Atlanta. He then was involved in the equalizing goal late in the match as it was his shot that was cleared off the line before Cesar Elizondo fired the ball home.
MID: Ibson (Minnesota United) – The Loons’ high-flying attack was on display in a 5-2 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and the Brazilian midfielder was the pulse of the squad. Ibson first had an assist for Daniel Mendes’ goal and then scored two of his own to complete a fine performance.
MID: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Ottawa Fury FC) – Ottawa Fury FC picked up two huge road wins, and Ubiparipovic was heavily involved. The Bosnian midfielder had two assists in Fury FC’s 4-1 win over the New York Cosmos and then provided another strong performance in Ottawa’s 3-1 victory over the Carolina RailHawks.
MID: Pascal Millien (Jacksonville Armada FC) – The Armada FC ended its scoreless streak, and the Haitian international played a large role in doing so. He assisted on Lucas Scaglia’s tally to open the scoring in the match and then scored one of his own in the victory over the Rowdies.
MID: Lance Laing (FC Edmonton) – The Jamaican international helped the Eddies to a third successive victory (fourth unbeaten). Laing utilized a fortunate bounce to score the opening goal against the Cosmos and then was a constant threat on the outside for the remainder of the match.
FWD: Paulo Jr. (Ottawa Fury FC) – The Brazil native found his scoring touch over the last two games. He scored a fine double over the Cosmos in a midweek win and then added the third and final goal in Fury FC’s win against Carolina.
FWD: Tom Heinemann (Ottawa Fury FC) – With the Ottawa attack clicking, Heinemann provided three goals in Ottawa’s two matches. Against New York, the St. Louis native forced an own goal and then put the match away with a goal a minute later and added a pair of goals against Carolina in another victory. Heinemann was also earned Player of the Week honors.
FWD: Christian Ramirez (Minnesota United) – The reigning Golden Boot winner equalized the match against the Strikers for his 10th goal of the season, but continued his strong attacking play throughout the match. The California native added a pair of assists in a big win as the Loons are now unbeaten in their last nine games.
