USL Western Conference Best XI - Week 19

With only a single draw, the potential for high scoring games was in the air for Week 19 of USL play in the West. It was, however, a week for the ages for goalkeepers, with three stunning performances that in a typical week would win Player of the Week honors.

The Team:

Goalkeeper: Kendall McIntosh, Portland Timbers 2 – 4790 pts, Player of the Week

Defender: Sebastian Ibeagha, San Antonio FC – 1738 pts

Defender: Ben Newman, San Antonio FC – 1926 pts

Defender: Nick von Neiderhausern, Reno 1868 FC – 2850 pts

Midfielder: Shane Malcolm, Colorado Springs Switchbacks – 2348 pts

Midfielder: Villyan Bijev, Portland Timbers 2 – 2474 pts

Midfielder: Regan Dunk, Real Monarchs SLC – 2624 pts

Midfielder: Victor Pineda, Orange County SC – 2898 pts

Midfielder: Omar Mohammed, Portland Timbers 2 – 3050 pts

Forward: Dane Kelly, Reno 1868 FC – 2644 pts

Forward: Antoine Hoppenot, Reno 1868 FC – 3302 pts

Honorable Mentions:

Goalkeeper: Connor Sparrow, Real Monarchs SLC – 3900 pts

Defender: Justin Schmidt, Real Monarchs SLC – 1725 pts

Midfielder: Daniel Haber, Real Monarchs SLC – 2344 pts

Forward: Chandler Hoffman, Real Monarchs SLC - 1828 pts

Thoughts:

Timbers 2 took their second win of the season in a convincing manner, putting in a performance worthy of three team of the week spots, all of which were in the best five scores for the week. Their keeper McIntosh having a stunning performance in the goal, saving two penalty kicks in a week where three goalkeepers broke the 3000 point mark. In a year where in eight weeks to date no keeper has even reached 3000, it was a great week for the man in the box.

Will week 20 be another week of the keeper, or will the offensive players take back their spot as the favorites to take home the player of the week? Let us know in the comments below!