It’s that time of the week again! Time for the Week 5 Best XI for the Eastern Conference!

Read up on our methodology here, and you can read last week’s Best XI, here.

Goalkeeper: Earl Edwards Jr., Orlando City B: 3563 pts*

The Baby Lions ended a three match road trip with a successful week in Pennsylvania, and Earl Edwards Jr. can be credited to a large part of that success. Edwards Jr. made fave saves in Orlando City B’s shutout win over Bethlehem on Sunday.

Defender: Harrison Delbridge, FC Cincinnati: 2498.9 pts*

Delbridge has been a stalwart defender for FC Cincinnati, and for the Eastern Conference Team of the week, as he makes his second consecutive appearance in the Best XI.

Defender: Zach Carroll, Orlando City B: 2528.3 pts*

Zach Carroll scored an equalizer in second-half stoppage time to salvage a point against Harrisburg on Tuesday. The Orlando City B captain also leads the club in passes this season with 275.

Midfielder: Fred Owusu Sekyere, Richmond Kickers: 2669 pts

Scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh, Fred Owusu Sekyere helped end a three match losing streak for Richmond.

Midfielder: Enzo Martinez, Charlotte Independence: 3756 pts

Notching a brace while helping Independence earn its first win of the season, Enzo Martinez has quickly made a splash for the North Carolina club, leading the side in goals through four matches.

Midfielder: Mike Garzi, Rochester Rhinos: 2266 pts

Like Marshall Hollingsworth of the Week 3 Best XI, Mike Garzi scored his first goal of the season off of his first shot as Rochester drew 2-2 with NYRB II.

Midfielder: Richie Laryea, Orlando City B: 4558.1pts*, Player of the Week

Richie Laryea posted a two goal performance in a win over Bethlehem on Sunday. The week five Player of the Week leads OCB in shots (11) and tackles (12).

Midfielder: Brian Ownby, Louisville City FC: 2524 pts

Ownby opened the scoring in the River Cities’ Derby with a goal in the 20th minute, helping to keep Louisville unbeaten on the season through five matches.

Midfielder: Maikel Chang, Charleston Battery: 2439 pts

Maikel Chang added a second goal to his season tally. Chang has been an efficient attacker for the Battery this year, as seven of his total nine shots have been on target.

Midfielder: Pierre Da Silva, Orlando City B: 2626.3 pts*

Pierre Da Silva has quietly ingrained himself as an integral part of the Orlando City B offense. He, alongside fellow Eastern Conference player Justin Portillo, leads the league in assists with four.

Forward: Alhaji Kamara, Richmond Kickers: 2314 pts

Leading the Kickers in shots on the season (6) and scoring an early second half goal vs Pittsburgh, Alhaji Kamara stands as the lone forward of this week’s Best XI.

*Weighted Average of two matches this week = (1.0*Higher match Rating) + (0.3*Lower match rating)

Honorable Mentions

Goalkeeper: Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto FC II: 2440 pts

Defender: Kyle Smith, Louisville City FC: 2116 pts

Midfielder: Tah Anunga, Charleston Battery: 2105 pts

Forward: Yann Ekra, Charlotte Independence: 1923 pts

Concluding Thoughts

Scoring goals in pairs seemed to be a key to success this week, as the top two performers of the Best XI, Richie Laryea and Enzo Martinez, both notched braces in wins for their respective clubs.

Orlando City B make their first appearance on the ICS Eastern Conference Best XI en masse, with four players from the Floridian club. The Richmond Kickers, who halted a three match losing streak this past Saturday, sent a pair of players to the list as well.

Like the week before, newcomers certainly made an overwhelming presence on the Best XI, as nine players made their debuts among the best and brightest of the Eastern Conference. As of this week, 44 different players have have featured on the Best XI, leading to a very competitive race for the Team of the Month!

What are your thoughts on this week’s Best XI for the East? Which player not listed do you think is most deserving a spot? As we approach the end of April, which players do you think will make the first ICS Eastern Conference Team of the Month? Let us know in the comments below!