Nine games. Ten goals. Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri has been on a tear. Along with becoming the first Timbers player across all eras to score 20 goals in a season, he also became the first midfielder in MLS history to accomplish the feat when he bagged a brace against Orlando City SC Sunday in the team's 3-0 win at Providence Park. Valeri also scored in his ninth straight match further extending his own MLS record. The performance earned Valeri a spot on the MLS Team of the Week for Week 29.
Getting a bench spot on the MLS list was Valeri's teammate Diego Chara. His incisive passing freed up Darren Mattocks early in the first half that set up a penalty kick–which Valeri converted–and then Chara unlocked the Lions defense with another pass minutes later to help set up a goal of Mattocks' own. The Colombian also pitched in with a team-leading six tackles and a 91.7 percent passing accuracy mark in the match.
Bench: Bobby Shuttleworth (MIN)-Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (ATL)-Diego Chara (POR)-Jeff Larentowicz (ATL)-Federico Higuain (CLB)-Chris Pontius (PHI)-Yordy Reyna (VAN)
Coach: Mike Petke
