MLS Team of the Week: Chicago Fire Trio Impress in Shortened Week 26
Major League Soccer presented us with a limited slate of five matches on Saturday during the international break.
FC Dallas were the biggest winners in the Western Conference as they moved eight points ahead of Real Salt Lake at the top of the West and in the Supporters' Shield race.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire made a major leap in the direction of the playoffs with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union. The Fire, who found themselves at the bottom of the East for most of the season, are all of a sudden six points back of sixth-place D.C. United.
The New York Red Bulls also picked up a key victory as they were the only road team to earn three points during Week 26.
We shaped our latest Bleacher Report MLS Team of the Week in a 3-4-3 formation to suit the number of impressive performances in attack.
Continue reading to see who was named to our best XI from Week 26.
GK: Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire
1 of 11
The play of Sean Johnson between the pipes has been one of the many reasons the Fire have climbed out of the Eastern Conference cellar over the last month.
The American netminder, who has been out of the United States men's national team picture for a little bit, made five denials in the Fire's 3-0 win over the Union at Toyota Park.
Johnson's best save was an acrobatic one on Chris Pontius in the 31st minute that helped preserve a one-goal lead at the time for Veljko Paunovic's club.
The clean sheet at home was a welcome rebound for the Fire after they were dismantled by D.C. United a week ago.
In the last five matches, Johnson has recorded a pair of clean sheets as the Fire have picked up eight points.
DEF: Aurelien Collin, New York Red Bulls
2 of 11
The New York Red Bulls achieved a rare feat on the road in a league full of parity on Saturday.
The back line anchored by center-back Aurelien Collin held the Vancouver Whitecaps without a shot on goal at BC Place, as the Red Bulls claimed a 1-0 win.
Collin made eight clearances, three interceptions and two tackles on a personal basis against a Whitecaps side that sent all 12 of their attempts off target.
The clean sheet was the fourth for the Red Bulls during their current 10-game unbeaten run in which they've earned 20 points.
DEF: Walker Zimmerman, FC Dallas
3 of 11
Walker Zimmerman handed FC Dallas plenty of security with his 53rd-minute header that gave Oscar Pareja's side a three-goal advantage at that point in the match.
The American center-back rose above the pack in the box to connect with Mauro Diaz's free-kick and beat Portland goalkeeper Jake Gleeson.
On the defensive side of the pitch, the 23-year-old helped limit the dangerous Portland attack to one shot on target. The lone attempt that went near the goal struck the back of the net late in the contest.
The win was the second in a row for FC Dallas after a loss to RSL on August 20 that trimmed their lead in the standings. Since then, the best team in MLS have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack and earned back the title of favorite in the Supporters' Shield competition.
DEF: Chris Tierney, New England Revolution
4 of 11
Left-back Chris Tierney was one of the most effective players on the pitch at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
The Revolution defender recorded two of his team's three shots on target and struck for a tally in the 49th minute.
Tierney used his first touch on the left side of the box to finish off a dish from Kelyn Rowe past a diving Zac MacMath. The goal was the second of the season for the 30-year-old full-back.
Defensively, Tierney kept Colorado winger Sebastien Le Toux quiet as the Frenchman did little with his 34 touches over 57 minutes.
MID: Arturo Alvarez, Chicago FIre
5 of 11
Arturo Alvarez was one of two players who sparked the Fire attack for 90 minutes on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old attacking midfielder was an active participant moving forward, but he wasn't rewarded for his efforts until the 90th minute, when he struck the right side of the net.
On his way to the goal, Alvarez easily worked his way past Union center-back Ken Tribbett whose poor defending didn't help his cause either.
Alvarez totaled two shots on target and one key pass as well, as the Fire continued their surprising late-season resurgence.
MID: Sean Davis, New York Red Bulls
6 of 11
The New York Red Bulls have a strong central-midfield trio, but they also have a more than capable replacement in the form of Sean Davis.
Davis, who filled in for Dax McCarty when he was out injured, remained in the starting lineup with Sacha Kljestan off on international duty in Week 26.
The top play from Davis in Saturday's 1-0 win over Vancouver came in the 14th minute as he tracked down Cristian Techera and thwarted a scoring opportunity for the Whitecaps.
In addition to his key first-half intervention, Davis made six interceptions and three tackles for Jesse Marsch's side.
MID: Mauro Diaz, FC Dallas
7 of 11
Mauro Diaz is finally rounding back into form for FC Dallas after a dormant spell in which he provided little in the attacking department.
The 25-year-old, who got back on track with a goal in Week 25, scored from the spot and delivered a delightful assist to Zimmerman on Saturday.
The Argentine playmaker also handed out four key passes at Toyota Stadium for the first time in MLS to cross the 50-point barrier.
Diaz has a pair of goals and an assist in the last two weeks after he recorded a total of one goal and three assists in a span of seven matches from July 4 to August 20.
MID: Gershon Koffie, New England Revolution
8 of 11
Everyone in the Revolution lineup seemed to have a solid match for the first time in at least a month in the 2-0 win over Colorado.
Gershon Koffie, who was acquired from Vancouver at the start of the regular season, did a good job busting up plays in the middle of the pitch with two blocked shots, two interceptions and a pair of clearances.
The 25-year-old central midfielder also played a key role in Juan Agudelo's opener as he gifted an assist to his fellow midfielder following a give-and-go on the left side of the penalty area.
The win moved Jay Heaps' side within two points of sixth-place D.C. in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff position.
FW: Michael De Leeuw, Chicago Fire
9 of 11
Many haven't noticed the impact Michael de Leeuw has made on the Fire attack in the last month or so.
The 29-year-old Dutch forward scored a goal and assisted on another one for the second consecutive week. He also handed out an assist three games prior.
De Leeuw scored in the 71st minute against the Union as he rushed into the right side of the box to head home a rebound created by a John McCarthy save.
The first-year MLS player capped off his superb performance with an assist on Alvarez's strike that put the Fire ahead by three goals late in the second half.
FW: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
10 of 11
It shouldn't be a surprise that the lone New York Red Bulls goal on Saturday came from Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The English striker moved into sole possession of first place in the Golden Boot race with his 17th goal of the regular season in the 50th minute at BC Place.
Wright-Phillips used persistence in the box to knock his shot past David Ousted. The goal handed the Red Bulls a valuable victory in a league in which winning on the road is no easy task, especially after a trip across the continent.
The strike was the fifth in four games for the 31-year-old, who also matched his season total from 2015 in Week 26.
FW: Juan Agudelo, New England Revolution
11 of 11
Agudelo's 12th-minute strike against Colorado was vital for the Revolution in a few different areas.
The goal by the young forward was the first for the team since August 6 against Toronto FC. The Revs had been shutout in four straight league matches heading into Saturday.
The tally also broke a personal drought for Agudelo that dated back to May 21. If the 23-year-old can find some form over the final two months of the regular season behind Kei Kamara, the Revs have a chance to finish in the top six in the Eastern Conference.
In addition to those two important milestones, the Revolution picked up their first victory since July 23 and just their third win since the Copa America Centenario break.
Since this is MLS, the poor form of the Revolution didn't hurt them too much because they are still in the thick of the playoff race.
