You can find an explanation of our methodology here.

East Rankings

Goalkeeper: Mitch Hildebrandt, FC Cincinnati: 2580 pts

Defender: Harrison Delbridge, FC Cincinnati: 4397 pts, Player of the Week

Defender: Oscar Jimenez, Louisville City: 4051 pts

Defender: Paco Craig, Louisville City: 3503 pts

Defender: Jordan Scarlett, New York Red Bulls II: 2785 pts

Midfielder: Samuel Asante, Richmond Kickers: 3174 pts

Midfielder: Vincent Bezecourt, New York Red Bulls II: 3165 pts

Midfielder: Luiz Fernando, Richmond Kickers: 3050 pts

Forward: Djiby Fall, FC Cincinnati: 3206 pts

Forward: Danni Konig, FC Cincinnati: 2749 pts

Forward: Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City: 2719 pts

Honorable Mentions

Goalkeeper: Tomas Gomez, Rochester Rhinos: 2520 pts

Defender: Noah Powder, New York Red Bulls II: 2476 pts

Midfielder: Joe Cole, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 2489 pts

Forward: Oliver, Richmond Kickers: 2654 pts

Thoughts

Interestingly, every club represented in this week’s Best XI sent multiple players. FC Cincinnati leads the way with four players, including Player of the Week, Harrison Delbridge. Louisville City dominates the East backline, as two of their three players this week are defenders. Finally, Richmond and New York Red Bulls II, each riding crucial wins from last week, send a duo of players to the team.

Delbridge has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Eastern Conference this year, a staple of the Team of the Week, and an anchor for FC Cincinnati’s defense. I would make the argument that Delbridge is the East’s best defender. In terms of total rating points accumulated, he sits only behind Charleston’s Romario Williams and NYRB II’s Vincent Bezecourt on the season.

Djiby Fall and Danni Konig represent FC Cincinnati on the Best XI this week, as the pair of forwards continue to rack up goals this year. The duo are responsible for a combined 17 scores on the year, more than the rest of FC Cincinnati combined. As a result, the Ohio club sits on the cusp of the top four in the current table.

What are your thoughts on this week’s Best XI? Which performances stood out to you? As we have seen in recent weeks, are the better performances shifting more towards defenders for the Eastern Conference Best XI? Let us know in the comments below!