MLS Team of the Week: Kelyn Rowe Shines for New England in Slow Week 4
Just like the three weeks that preceded it, Week 4 of action in Major League Soccer wasn't exactly a great two-day advertisement for the league.
Despite the lack of impressive team showings, plenty of individuals delivered for their respective sides across North America this weekend.
One player who thrived in the spotlight was Kelyn Rowe, who bagged the only brace of Week 4. Rowe is one of five midfielders who appear in our best 11 of the week.
Because of the wealth of strong individual displays in midfield, we chose to mold our MLS Team of the Week in a 3-5-2 formation.
Continue reading to see who joined Rowe on the list of the best players from Week 4.
GK: David Ousted, Vancouver Whitecaps
1 of 12
Minutes before Vancouver earned its game-winner at home over Portland, David Ousted made a massive block on Fanendo Adi on the other end of the pitch.
Ousted sprawled in front of the shot by the Nigerian in the 89th minute, which at the time helped preserve a 1-1 draw at BC Place.
The Vancouver goalkeeper was rewarded for his tremendous effort late in the second half when Robert Earnshaw scored his first goal in a Whitecaps shirt in the 90th minute.
Ousted ended the match with four saves and his first victory in the 2015 edition of the Cascadia Cup.
CB: Ike Opara, Sporting Kansas City
2 of 12Ike Opara displayed his terrific aerial skills on the lone goal netted by Sporting Kansas City at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
Opara sprung into the air and headed home Matt Besler's long throw-in in the 12th minute of Sporting's 1-0 victory over New York City FC.
The goal was the second of the season for Opara, who also scored against the New York Red Bulls in the season opener.
The 26-year-old now has 30 games to tie, or even beat, his career high of three goals in a season. He scored a trio of strikes for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2010 and for Sporting KC in 2013.
CB: Zach Loyd, FC Dallas
3 of 12
Offense came at a premium Saturday night at Toyota Stadium, thanks to the strong defensive performances put in by FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders.
Zach Loyd was at the center of the FC Dallas defensive effort, as he made eight clearances and seven interceptions in the 0-0 draw.
The 27-year-old also won three aerial duels against a depleted Seattle side that was without both Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins.
Although, he did face a weakened Sounders lineup, Loyd did not underestimate his opposition and put in one of the best 90-minute shifts of any defender in Week 4.
CB: Adailton, Chicago Fire
4 of 12
Chicago center back Adailton created a memorable moment for himself and his family in the 37th minute of the Fire's 1-0 win over Philadelphia.
The Brazilian found himself in a ton of space and headed home the only goal of the match at Toyota Park.
The goal came a few days after his family arrived in the Chicago area, and he told his baby before the game, "Today, I will score for you," according to MLS' Sarah Lerner.
Not only was Adailton a part of a special moment on the personal level, he also helped the Fire achieve their first victory of the young season.
RM: Pedro Ribeiro, Orlando City
5 of 12During a wild flurry of action midway through Saturday's first half in Montreal, Pedro Ribeiro earned a goal and an assist for Orlando City.
Ribeiro, who lined up on the right side of midfield due to the lack of available players on the Lions' roster, scored in the 29th minute before he assisted on Kaka's goal one minute later.
On his first strike of the season, Ribeiro cleaned up a mess in the box after Kaka created some chaos in front of the goal. Ribeiro then made a key interception before he broke into the penalty area and fed the Brazilian legend less than 60 seconds after he found the back of the net himself.
CM: Tony Tchani, Columbus Crew
6 of 12
Tony Tchani also opened his 2015 scoring account Saturday, as he provided the Columbus Crew with their only goal against the Red Bulls.
Tchani drifted away from a few defenders following a corner kick, and he benefited from his decision-making when the ball found its way to his feet.
The 58th-minute strike was the first for Tchani since June 30, 2012, when he scored against Real Salt Lake.
With his normal partner in midfield—Wil Trapp—away on international duty, Tchani recorded 63 touches and a key pass in the 2-1 defeat.
CM: Marcelo Sarvas, Colorado Rapids
7 of 12
Although, the Colorado Rapids did not score their first goal of the season Saturday night in Houston, Marcelo Sarvas tried his hardest to make sure the club could find the back of the net.
The offseason acquisition from the LA Galaxy attempted as many shots on target as the entire Houston Dynamo attack in the 0-0 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Sarvas recorded three shots, two of which were on target, 69 touches and two tackles in Colorado's third tie of the season.
CM: Javier Morales, Real Salt Lake
8 of 12
Javier Morales delivered two stellar assists on each of Real Salt Lake's goals in the 2-1 victory over Toronto FC.
The club stalwart lofted a beautiful ball over to Luke Mulholland in the 38th minute to set up the first tally earned by the Claret and Cobalt.
In the waning moments of the match, the Argentine played a cross from the right wing into Jordan Allen, who scored his first career goal in the 89th minute.
Morales, who produced 12 assists in 2014, also provided two assists on a pair of occasions last year.
LM: Kelyn Rowe, New England Revolution
9 of 12
Kelyn Rowe netted the first two goals of the New England Revolution's season in the 2-1 home triumph over San Jose.
Rowe notched the first tally of the season for the MLS Cup runner-up in the 21st minute, when his shot deflected off a defender and into the back of the net.
Sixteen minutes later, Rowe completed his brace as he played the role of opportunist off a Chris Tierney free kick.
When the final whistle blew Saturday at Gillette Stadium, Rowe had complied an impressive total of seven shots. Five of the attempts by the midfielder were on target.
FW: Jack McInerney, Montreal Impact
10 of 12Jack McInerney amazed those in attendance at Olympic Stadium with a terrific individual effort on his strike in the 27th minute.
The young American forward bounced a volleyed effort past Orlando City goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who was caught off his line on the shot from the right side of the box.
While he was trying to beat Ricketts, the 22-year-old also had to deal with the incoming pressure brought by a pair of Orlando defenders.
Unfortunately for McInerney, the two-goal advantage he handed the Impact was erased within five minutes of his goal.
FW: Chris Pontius, D.C. United
11 of 12
Chris Pontius allowed the D.C. United faithful to leave RFK Stadium with smiles on their faces after he produced a game-winning goal against the Galaxy.
Pontius fended off a defender with his strength and nodded in a Nick DeLeon cross in the 93rd minute of D.C.'s 1-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champion.
The goal capped off a strong night in the final third for Pontius, who led the Black and Red in shots and shots on target.
Bench
12 of 12
GK: Jeff Attinella (Real Salt Lake)
CB: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
LB: Chris Tierney (New England Revolution)
RM: Lloyd Sam (New York Red Bulls)
LM: Kaka (Orlando City)
CM: Pedro Morales (Vancouver Whitecaps)
FW: Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls)
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from MLSSoccer.com and WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
