Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed us he has no problem playing on, and dominating on, artificial turf. Los Angeles FC showed us it has no problem dominating anywhere in MLS.
Major League Soccer's two Los Angeles-based teams made strong statements in Week 6, and the result is the teams dominating this week's Goal MLS Best XI selections.
Ibrahimovic marks his second appearance on the Best XI after registering a goal and assist in the Galaxy's 2-1 victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps. His fans turned out in force at BC Place and the Swedish superstar didn't disappoint, helping the Galaxy to a third straight victory.
LAFC cemented its place as the top team in MLS at the moment by dominating D.C. United, with Diego Rossi's hat-trick leading the way and earning him Goal MLS player of the week honors. Carlos Vela has become a staple on the Best XI, and earned his league-leading fourth selection to the team.
Portuguese star Nani secured his first appearance on the Best XI after his two-goal performance in Orlando City's thrilling 4-3 victory against the Colorado Rapids.
Here is a look at Goal's picks for the best players in MLS Week 6:
Goalkeeper
LA Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham recorded five saves, including a penalty kick stop on a failed Panenka, to help the Galaxy grab a valuable road victory.
San Jose's Daniel Vega rebounded nicely from a forgettable outing a week early to secure Honorable Mention by recording four saves, including a penalty stop, in the Earthquakes' 3-0 shutout victory against the Portland Timbers.
Defenders
Columbus Crew veteran Josh Williams had the most well-rounded performance among MLS defenders in Week 6, helping the Crew post the shutout and scoring the game-winning goal.
Minnesota United's Ike Opara continues to make the trade that brought him from Sporting Kansas City look like a steal. His dominance in the penalty area helped the Loons grab a valuable road win against the New York Red Bulls. Galaxy defender Daniel Steres headed home the opening goal in Friday's win in Vancouver, but it was his defensive work that earned him his first Best XI nod.
New York City FC's Maxime Chanot , FC Dallas' Reto Ziegler and LAFC duo of Walker Zimmerman and Steven Beitashour were all worthy of strong consideration for Best XI this week.
Midfielders
The LAFC tandem of Carlos Vela and Latif Blessing were instrumental in keeping Bob Bradley's side undefeated as both were dominant against D.C. United. Blessing's tireless work in midfield helped create turnovers and spark dangerous counters, while Vela worked his trademark magic with his left foot.
A week after a disappointing showing against Wayne Rooney and D.C. United, Nani rebounded by scoring a brace, including the game-winning penalty kick, to help Orlando City edge Tim Howard and the Colorado Rapids.
Philadelphia Union veteran Alejandro Bedoya capped a busy night with a moment of magic, as his stoppage-time winner helped the Union secure a sorely-needed home win.
Columbus' Federico Higuain , LAFC's Mark-Anthony Kaye , Seattle's Gustav Svensson , San Jose's Anibal Godoy and Minnesota United's Jan Gregus were all worthy of Honorable Mention for their midfield work this week.
Forwards
Zlatan Ibrahimovic led the way for the Galaxy in Friday's win against the Whitecaps, setting up Daniel Steres' goal before blasting home his own finish for his third goal of the season.
Though Wayne Rooney and Carlos Vela were the headliners in the LAFC-D.C. United showcase, it was Diego Rossi who stole the show, scoring a hat-trick to lead LAFC to a message-delivering triumph.
The San Jose Earthquakes recorded their first win of the season and Cristian Espinoza was the driving force behind the victory, delivering a goal and assist for Matias Almeyda's squad.
The list of forwards on this week's Honorable Mention was a long one, led by Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore , who was narrowly edged out for a place in this week's Best XI. Orlando City's Tesho Akindele , Minnesota United's Angelo Rodriguez and Chicago's C.J. Sapong drew consideraiton for this week's Best XI.
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