Impact Pair Earn Team of The Week Recognition

The return of football after the long off-season spelt good news for Montreal Impact fans who watched their team win on Opening Day for only the third time in MLS history.

The 2-1 success out west over San Jose was their first-ever, at the tenth time of asking, in the sunshine state of California.

The Impact needed to be dogged and determined in a tough second-half to repel the best The Quakes could throw at them and maintain the slender lead given them by Saphir Taider’s goal just before the interval.

Taider had been set-up by Zakaria Diallo’s sumptuous ball into the box, and both stand-out players were this afternoon recognized in MLS Team of The Week Honours.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Taider was also named the Weekend’s Spotlight Player having racked up 1266 points on the Audi Player Index, the highest of any player in Week 1 of the new season.

In addition to his goal and earlier assist for the equaliser scored by team-mate Nacho Piatti, the Algerian completed three key passes, succeeded in 66 percent of his take-ons and completed 62 percent of his passes in the opposition’s half.

As well as the Montreal pair, the Team of The Week included three players from Seattle Sounders and two from DC United.

Ben Olsen of DC United was named Coach of The Week after his side brought defending MLS Cup Champions, Atlanta United back down to earth with a bump, winning 2-0 in DC.

Team of the Week Line-Up: Jordan Morris (SEA), Darwin Quintero (SEA), Nicolas Lodeiro (SEA), Benny Feilhaber (COL), Saphir Taider (MTL), Michael Bradley (TOR), Paul Arriola (DC), Gaston Sauro(CLB), Frederic Brillant (DC), Zakaria Diallo (MTL), Tim Howard (COL)

Coach: Ben Olsen (DC)

Bench: Bill Hamid (DC), Francisco Calvo (MIN), Daniel Steres (LA), Eduard Atuesta (LAFC), Victor Rodriguez (SEA), Chris Mueller (ORL), Efrain Alvarez (LA)

The Team of the Week is voted on by the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff.