MLS: Best of August

  

A flurry of transactions during the summer transfer windows, both domestic and European, jumbled the MLS mosaic during August.

Colorado and San Jose revived their playoff moves through shrewd additions and the star-laden Galaxy increased its magnitude further by rolling out Giovani Dos Santos. The month started with an astonishing 39 goals scored in eight games on Aug. 1, and ended Sunday as a raucous crowd at Red Bull Arena celebrated a 3-0 thumping of D.C. United.

Here’s a rundown of some of the month’s best moments:

BEST GAME. The obvious choice would be D.C. United’s 6-4 defeat of Real Salt Lake on that first wild Saturday of the month, but even more riveting was Sporting Kansas City’s 4-3 victory against Vancouver Aug. 15. In both games, the home team rallied from a two-goal deficit to win, but SKC prevailed by scoring three late goals thanks to the most unlikeliest of heroes, midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who equalized in the 87th minute and struck again in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

BEST TEAM. San Jose. Recent addition Anibal Godoy immediately assumed a dominant role and the Quakes rolled through August with a 4-1-1 record that included five shutouts and just two goals conceded. Sparked by Dos Santos and a rampant Robbie Keane, the Galaxy had reeled off four straight victories heading into a California Clasico Friday at Avaya Stadium, but a Shea Salinas goal and resilient defensive effort earned the Quakes a 1-0 triumph.

BEST GOAL. Two weeks before he fought through several Timbers to score in a 2-1 Cascadia Cup victory last Sunday, Sounders forwardObafemi Martins showed Orlando City what power and determination can do when he’s healthy. After missing nine games because of a groin strain, he helped Erik Friberg strip the ball from Tyler Turnerand pushed it forward to Lamar Neagle, who laid it into his path for a sharp left-footed shot into the net.

BEST ASSIST. NYCFC midfielder Andrea Pirlo can bring elegance to the long ball as few players can. His ball over the top against D.C. United Aug. 13 floated over the head of Bobby Boswell and dropped perfectly for David Villa to stab into the net before Boswell and Sean Franklin could close him down 

BEST ASSIST OFF THE DRIBBLE. There were several mazy, brazen runs that set up goals in August. The blue ribbon goes to Vancouver’s Kekuta Manneh, whose many memorable moments during the month included a crossfield, diagonal dribble and centering ball that Cristian Techera back-heeled into the net to claim Goal of the Week honors Aug. 22 against FC Dallas.

BEST SET PLAY. The Red Bulls pulled some major "trickeration" to score an illegal goal in a 3-2 loss to Chicago Aug. 26 when Sacha Kljestan dribbled an improperly taken corner kick to set up Ronald Zubar. But Seattle’s short corner that set up Nelson Valdez for his first MLS goal Aug. 16 oozed with class. Friberg played a short corner to Martins, who played it back for Friberg to hit an inswinging cross that Valdez leaped to head inside the far post. 

BEST PASS AND FINISH. Despite some exquisite interplay between Pirlo and Villa, NYCFC struggled in August, yet several times powerful attacker Kwadwo Poku rose to the moment. Against the Crew Aug. 19, he checked back to meet a low ball played forward by Pirlo, and as he knocked it to Villa spun past his marker to run onto Villa’s return pass, which he coolly clipped into the net with the outside of his right foot.

BEST FREE KICK. TFC marksman Sebastian Giovinco provided not just one but two spectacular blasts during August and either one would be worthy of this honor, but in a narrow decision his shot against Orlando City Aug. 22 takes the prize. From the left side of the field, he blasted a shot past the defensive wall and off the far post a yard under the crossbar.

BEST STRIKE FROM DISTANCE. Only goals scored from the run of play, not free kicks, are considered in this category, and it’s hard to top Taylor Kemp’s wickedly swerving knuckler in United’s goalfest with RSL. Plus, he hit it first-time on the half-volley from 25 yards with the outside of his left foot, and he’s an outside back, for Heaven’s sake.

BEST BROTHER ACT. No-brainer alert. The joy shared by Shaun Wright-Phillips and brother Bradleywhen the former’s cutback from the byline set up the latter to score against Philly Aug. 1 was wonderful to behold.

BEST SAVE. A great double-save by SKC keeper Tim Melia in a 3-1 victory at Toronto Aug. 8 edges out two excellent stops by NYRB’s Luis Robles in different games. He’d already tipped away a rising blast from Michael Bradley when he first repelled a shot from Jackson and then scrambled to block a follow-up attempt by Ahmed Kantari.

BEST HEADER. His 100th goal for the Quakes finished off a 5-0 rout of SKC Aug. 19, and to get that goal Chris Wondolowski dove in front of his marker to drive home a cross from Fatai Alashe. Wondo was about 15 yards out from goal yet still generated enough power on the shot to drive it through Melia's fingertips.

BEST VOLLEY. During the Red Bulls' 3-0 thumping of D.C. United Aug. 30. Bradley Wright-Phillips thrilled the sellout crowd at Red Bull Arena by nailing a cracker into the top corner from a preciseMike Grella cross.

BEST DRIBBLE. Diego Fagundez entered the record books as the youngest MLS player to score 25 league goals Aug. 29 by scoring the only goal of a 1-0 defeat of Philadelphia. Chris Tierney lobbed a throw-in from the left sideline to Charlie Davies, who nodded into the path of Fagundez, and the 20-year-old confidently dribbled all the way into the middle and from the edge of the penalty area drilled home a hard shot along the ground.