It was a great week for LA Galaxy and Riqui Puig as they built on a 2-1 win against LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek with another fine outing in Matchday 24 of Major League Soccer.
There were several other notable performances in the Western Conference this week, and a few of the individual displays within teams from that side of MLS have made a mark at the top of the Player Power rankings.
The majority of teams in the league will still believe they have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and some star players appear to be stepping up at just the right time for their clubs
By James Nalton, MLS expert
Pablo Ruiz (Real Salt Lake)
All eyes were on RSL’s new signing up top, former LAFC striker Cristian Arango who joined this month as a designated player, but it was Argentine midfielder Pablo Ruiz who stood out in a 4-0 win against Orlando City.
It took Arango just 23 minutes to open his account for his new club, but the goal was also the first of three assists on the night for Ruiz.
The first two came via pinpoint set-piece delivery which Orlando couldn’t defend. The third was a clever ball played through a busy defence to send Anderson Julio through for RSL’s fourth goal.
There was some defensive work from Ruiz, too, including 4/6 tackles won and 15 ball recoveries, in what was an outstanding all-round display.
Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)
LA Galaxy has turned a corner after a poor and troubling start to the season during which fans were boycotting games due to unhappiness with the front office.
The team only won twice in 14 games, losing nine of them, and this led to the departure of president Chris Klein.
Since then, there has been a better feel around the place. The team is unbeaten in seven games and a 3-1 win against Philadelphia Union in Matchday 24 gave them back-to-back wins for the first time this season after they also defeated LAFC at the Rose Bowl in midweek.
Back-to-back wins against two of the most difficult teams to beat in the league, no less.
This upturn in form has also seen Puig begin to show his class in MLS.
The former Barcelona midfielder ran the show against the Union, touching the ball 109 times and creating four chances for his teammates.
His performance was capped off by one of the goals of the round, fired in from outside the box to make sure of the win.
It was another man-of-the-match contribution following on from his goal and assist in El Tráfico in midweek which gave his side a 2-1 win against their rivals.
LA Galaxy has gone from having the worst record in MLS at one stage of this season, to now having an eye on qualifying for the playoffs. If Puig carries on like this, you wouldn’t bet against the Galaxy adding their name to the post-season bracket.
Sebastián Driussi (Austin)
As the Galaxy have shown, it only takes a short burst of good results to see a team move up the table in a tight Western Conference, and Austin FC has experienced something similar lately as they put themselves right in the mix.
Austin have won three of their last four games, drawing the other, meaning they’ve now won six of their last ten.
Just as Puig has been driving the revival for the Galaxy, Austin’s own star, Sebastián Driussi, has himself started to step up.
The captain scored twice and assisted another in a 4-1 win against Minnesota in this latest matchday. It was his first multi-goal game of this season and gives him six goal contributions in the last seven.
Having already scored a penalty, his second goal was an excellent finish on the volley as he glided in at the far post to get on the end of Ethan Finlay’s cross.
Driussi rounded off his performance with a well-worked assist for Emiliano Rigoni as Austin moved up to fifth in the table.
Karol Świderski (Charlotte)
Over in the Eastern Conference, two well-taken goals from their Polish designated player gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead in the first half against table-toppers FC Cincinnati.
The first was scored at the near post from a near-impossible angle but the striker did well to get something on Kerwin Vargas’s cross ahead of two Cincinnati defenders, and somehow direct it goalward.
The second came in a similar manner but this time more centrally. Świderski created some separation between himself and Nick Hagglund as a cross came in from Jaylin Lindsey before showing good agility and technique to get good contact on the ball from an awkward position.
These were the finishes of a striker hungry for goals, looking to score in any way possible and getting in the best positions to do so.
They weren’t long-range thunderbolts or mazy runs taking on numerous defenders, but they were high quality finishes in their own way.
Świderski went on to miss an easier chance for a hat-trick in the second half having gone through one-on-one with the keeper, and also hit the post with an effort from outside the box.
Charlotte were not able to hold on to the 2-0 lead, though, conceding twice in the second half as Cincinnati showed why they have been so difficult to beat this season, and why they’re still leading the race for the Supporters Shield.
Frankie Amaya (New York Red Bulls)
The 22-year-old American midfielder was heavily involved as the Red Bulls eventually took advantage of a New England red card to record a 2-1 win.
Amaya created five chances throughout the game and opened the scoring himself with a header after making a good run into the box from midfield.
He also drew the foul which led to Latif Blessing being sent off for New England, and though the visitors did manage to score, despite being a man down, a late strike from Wikelman Carmona gave the Red Bulls the win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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