MLS Week 12 Best XI: Bradley Wright-Phillips can't be stopped | OneFootball

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Blaise Bourgeois·22 May 2018

MLS Week 12 Best XI: Bradley Wright-Phillips can't be stopped

Article image:MLS Week 12 Best XI: Bradley Wright-Phillips can't be stopped

A pair of excellent headed goals from Bradley Wright-Phillips led the Red Bulls to a 3-1 win over Atlanta United in a duel of the two top teams in our MLS Power Rankings.

Here’s who we liked in week 12:


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Goalkeeper:

Ryan Meara (New York Red Bulls)

Filling in for Luis Robles, who had his MLS-record streak of 183 straight starts snapped after suffering a knee injury, Meara kept the Red Bulls in the match by making several tremendous starts in his first league start since 2015.

Defenders:

Lalas Abubakar (Columbus Crew)

Abubakar helped extend the Crew’s shutout streak to 405 minutes and scored the match-winning goal in the 85th-minute goal to give Columbus a huge win over New England.

Alexander Ring (NYCFC)

Ring was everywhere in the middle of the park and was the driving force to keeping Colorado off the scoresheet. Ring had an eye-opening nine recoveries, five clearances, three tackles, and two interceptions.

Milton Valenzuela (Columbus Crew)

The 19-year-old has been one of this year’s shining stars and Valenzuela had another shining performance, making five interceptions and four clearances in yet another clean sheet for Columbus.

Midfielders:

Ryan Telfer (Toronto FC)

Telfer was the catalyst in TFC’s crucial 2-1 win, creating chances from the get-go and scored an unbelievable volley in the 87th minute to record his first-career MLS goal.

Daniel Royer (New York Red Bulls)

Kaku (New York Red Bulls)

Kaku has thrust himself into the MLS limelight with yet another two-assist performance, giving the 23-year-old Argentine a league-leading nine assists in nine matches, including seven in his last four appearances.

Luciano Acosta (DC United)

Acosta tallied two assists and was named man of the match as he helped DC United get out of the bottom of the MLS standings with a crucial 3-1 win on the road at San Jose.

Forwards:

Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls)

BWP was at it again with another brace to give him a share of the MLS lead with eight goals.

David Villa (NYCFC)

The Spanish legend opened and closed the scoring goals and added an assist in NYCFC’s 4-0 rout of the Colorado Rapids to give him seven goals on the season in just nine appearances.

Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo)

Elis first scored a penalty kick in the 56th minute to tie things up at 2-2, then sprinted by the defense on a counterattack and beat the keeper for the game winner in the 74th minute. He led both teams with four shots, with two of them on goal and one hitting the post.