MLS Team of the Week: FC Dallas Quartet Highlight Week 4's Best XI
The international break did not stop Major League Soccer from squeezing in a few matches over the weekend.
Six clubs took to the pitch on Saturday during a shortened Week-4 slate across the United States and Canada.
FC Dallas caught the most attention for their win at RFK Stadium over a D.C. United side that is having trouble putting things together early in the season. Vancouver was the other winner in Week 4, while New York City FC and New England played to a draw.
Due to the limited options for selection, we shaped our MLS Team of the Week in a 4-5-1 formation.
Continue reading to see who was named to our best XI from Week 4.
GK: David Ousted, Vancouver Whitecaps
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David Ousted and the Vancouver Whitecaps halted the momentum Houston carried into BC Place as they shut out the in-form Dynamo 1-0.
The Danish netminder made a total of five saves in the contest, with his most important denial coming in the 85th minute as he dove on top of a shot from distance sent in by Alex.
Ousted wasn't forced into a ton of spectacular saves, but he did get the job done when called upon on Saturday night.
RB: Ryan Hollingshead, FC Dallas
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Ryan Hollingshead was one of many FC Dallas players who thrived at RFK Stadium on Saturday in the 3-0 win over struggling D.C. United.
The American right-back silenced the impact of Lamar Neagle on the contest, as he limited D.C.'s left-sided midfielder to 37 touches and one attempt on target.
The 24-year-old should face one of his toughest tests of the season to date in Week 5 against the Columbus Crew.
CB: Pa Modou Kah, Vancouver Whitecaps
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The Whitecaps back four also deserves credit for slowing down the red-hot Dynamo attack on Saturday night.
Center-back Pa Modou Kah was a part of a defensive unit that limited Houston to five shots on target and kept Will Bruin's threat to a minimum during his 80 minutes on the pitch.
The clean sheet earned by the Whitecaps was their first of the season, and it came at the right time as the LA Galaxy come into BC Place in Week 5.
CB: Jose Goncalves, New England Revolution
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The New England Revolution survived a red card and picked up a point on the road at Yankee Stadium in Week 4.
Center-back Jose Goncalves helped Jay Heaps' side remain calm in defense against the David Villa-led New York City FC attack for the final 39 minutes of the 1-1 draw.
The 30-year-old made six clearances and five tackles while holding Villa to one attempt on target over 90 minutes.
LB: Chris Tierney, New England Revolution
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It's true that Chris Tierney has one of the most underrated left feet in the league, but he received some help on his 38th-minute free-kick goal on Saturday.
His first-half equalizer bounced off the head of a defender and found its way into the back of the net.
The 30-year-old also delivered a strong shift in defense as he produced six tackles and six clearances on the narrow pitch at Yankee Stadium.
The draw was the third of the season for the Revolution, who enter April without a win in 2016.
RM: Michael Barrios, FC Dallas
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Michael Barrios took advantage of D.C.'s suspect defending in the first half to put FC Dallas ahead by a pair of strikes at half-time on Saturday.
The 24-year-old capitalized on United's poor play at the back for the first time in the 14th minute, when he picked up the ball on the right side of the pitch after a miscommunication between a pair of D.C. defenders.
Fourteen minutes later, Barrios surged into space and linked up with a Mauro Diaz pass to finish off his brace.
The two-goal performance was the second for the 24-year-old Colombian in his MLS career.
CM: Thomas McNamara, New York City FC
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The legend of Thomas McNamara continued to grow in Week 4, as the NYCFC cult hero headed home the opening goal at Yankee Stadium.
McNamara rushed the net in the 10th minute after Villa's shot clattered off the post. The effort from the 25-year-old resulted in NYCFC's lone tally of the contest.
The young American was one of the most active players on the pitch as he recorded five shots, two of which went on target, and a key pass.
CM: Pedro Morales, Vancouver Whitecaps
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Pedro Morales moved to the top of the Golden Boot standings with his fourth penalty of the season.
The Chilean midfielder, who has dropped into a deeper role for the Whitecaps so far in 2016, finished Vancouver's lone goal from the spot in the 23rd minute of its win over Houston.
In addition to netting his league-leading tally, Morales put in strong work on the defensive end of the pitch with three tackles, two interceptions and two clearances.
CM: Federico Bravo, New York City FC
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The best effort in front of goal on Saturday didn't come from an attacker.
In the 75th minute of NYCFC's match with New England, Federico Bravo darted back into his own penalty area and cleared a Charlie Davies shot off the line.
If the 22-year-old didn't hustle back to cover for goalkeeper Josh Saunders, NYCFC would've suffered a loss up a man at home.
LM: Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas
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Usually when we place Fabian Castillo into the Team of the Week, it is because he turns in a terrific offensive performance.
In FC Dallas' win at RFK Stadium on Saturday, however, Castillo did plenty of work on the defensive side of the field as he recorded a team high of seven tackles.
The dynamic Colombian also picked up an assist on Maxi Urruti's second-half tally that sealed three points for Oscar Pareja's side.
FW: Maxi Urruti, FC Dallas
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FC Dallas were able to breathe easy for most of the second half thanks to Urruti's 52nd-minute strike that put the club ahead by three goals in Washington, D.C.
In the buildup to his third strike of the season, Urruti fended off a pair of defenders in the middle of the penalty area.
The offseason acquisition from the Portland Timbers has three goals in four matches for the second-place side in the Western Conference.
Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from MLSSoccer.com and WhoScored.com.
