We start off Week 18 with a relatively well-rounded 2-4-3, and two ‘keepers in goal. (Stop laughing. This is the AAXI. Unless this is your first time here, you should expect lineups like that by now.)

Joe Cannon – (2)

He absolutely stood on his head at the end of the game, making up for a Rapids defense that lacked a lot of bite without Petke in there. Made three excellent diving saves, controlled his box, and helped the Rapids stay dominant at home.

Bill Gaudette – (1)

Gaudette is supposedly out for the year with a broken hand. And it hurt - you could really tell a couple of times. But, it did not hurt his play, which was inspirational as he saved a deserved point for the Crew on the road by stymieing the Fire on the occasions when Chicago seemed ready to make a go of it. Well done throughout.

Eddie Robinson – (3)

Robinson played well for Houston, keeping things tidy in front of Houston’s goals for most of the game. He coordinated well again with Ryan Cochrane and Ricardo Clark. Edson Buddle and Mike Magee were active all game for the Red Bulls and Robinson kept them in check. Basically, he controlled the backline.

Clarence Goodson – (1)

If you remember, Clarence had a nightmarish game against Colorado earlier in the season that earned him a regular spot on the bench. To his credit, he’s worked hard, kept his mouth shut, and is making the most of this “second chance”.

Carey Talley – (3)

If all you saw were minutes 50-55 of the midweek game between RSL and Chivas, you saw why Talley is the fan favorite in Salt Lake City and such a key performer this year in MLS. In minute 50, he suffered a crunching tackle from Jesse Marsch that looked like a high ankle sprain and a certain substitution. He tried to walk it off, but was stretchered off with his shoe and sock off as fans pondered who the sub would be. In minute 54, he hobbled back onto the field after being taped up, and in minute 55, he hit a thirty yard bomb that gave RSL a short-lived 2-1 lead. Did anyone see much of DC United’s Argentine wonder Christian Gomez on Saturday night? No? That’s because Talley allowed him precious little space, save for those times when he had to slide over to close down Ben Olsen. Once Olsen subbed out, Talley had Gomez the rest of the way. A gritty, solid 90 on both offense and defense earns Talley a return trip to the AAXI. If those reasons are not enough for you, we have one final reason for nominating Talley to this week’s XI: the headband. Need we say more?

Ricardo Clark – (5)

We know it sounds odd to say, but he’s really a fun defensive midfielder to watch. His tackles are usually pretty clean, he reads passing lanes well, he passes intelligently, makes good runs with the ball, and isn’t afraid to unload from distance. His run drew the PK that helped Houston salvage a tie from a game they really should have won. Performed well again on both sides of the ball. He helped keep possession and tracked down NY’s midfielders for most of the game. His run down the middle of NY’s defense resulted in the penalty kick. He also unleashed a long-range blast early in the game that barely missed.

Justin Mapp – (3)

Maybe supersub is a role that suits him? He played with energy, vision, pace, and derring-do in a thirty minute stint rarely seen from him in a ninety minute stint. It was only upon his insertion into the game that Chicago looked destined to score - except for the aforementioned Bill Gaudette manning the nets for Columbus.

Mehdi Ballouchy – (1)

Ballouchy had a very good game for RSL. He’s demonstrated superior vision and the skill to send very nice balls over the top of the defense. He also mixed it up well on defense, winning balls in his half of the field. Although he faded a bit in the second half, he came on strong near the end of the game and drew the tying penalty kick. (So it turns out he’s not eligible.)

The Ubiquitous One – (4)

The Ubiquitous One, a.k.a. Jonathon Bornstein, was all over the field this past week. After much deliberation by the AAXI staff, we have nominated him to the top XI for his play in defense, midfield, and as a forward. We also suspect that he would make a fine ‘keeper, but that spot was already taken. Basically, he’s the man, the ubiquitous one, the spark of the team we call Chivas. Thomas Rongen may have been a little ahead of himself when he said Bornstein should get a look at forward from the new USNT coach, but his form has been terrific so far this year in MLS. He’s blossoming right before our eyes.

Kenny Cooper – (7)

Cooper was everywhere during the match. Tracking back on defense and sprinting forward for offense. Yes, it’s become a cliché to nominate young Cooper, but his work on the pitch, from what we can see, makes it well worth it.

Jeff Cunningham – (4)

Cunningham would have done well in post-group play World Cup (ok, in group play too, but we’re trying to make a point here); he managed to score two goals off PKs this past week. Oh, and he also scored another goal and added two assists for good measure. Not only that, but he also generated just enough offense on breakaways earlier, in the game that DC had to be cautious about pushing too many players forward. If he could learn to pass better, he’d be an outstanding forward, not just a really good one.

The Bench

Kevin Novak, Bobby Rhine, and Chris Henderson
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