The penultimate week of the MLS NEXT Pro regular season delivered plenty of drama, with some teams bowing out of the competition while others kept their MLS NEXT Pro Cup dreams alive.
Atlanta United 2 are one of the teams that are still in contention for a playoff spot after knocking off one of the East’s toughest teams to claim Team of Matchweek 29 nod.
Stefan Chirila put on his superhero cape, leading FC Cincinnati 2 to a last-minute victory that kept their playoff hopes alive and earned him the Player of the Matchweek award.
And in the West, Noah Newman anchored Tacoma Defiance’s clean-sheet win over The Town FC, and took home the Rising Star honor.
Let’s take a closer look at this week’s winners:
MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 29: Atlanta United 2
Atlanta United 2 claimed the Team of Matchweek 29 honors after a 5-2 road win over Chicago Fire II that kept their playoff hopes alive heading into Decision Day.
Academy midfielder Gabriel Wesseh was at the center of it all, scoring one goal and dishing out two assists.
He scored in the 32nd minute with a one-touch finish near the edge of the box and later set up Patrick Weah’s second goal of the match, before linking up with Sal Mazzaferro off a corner kick in the second half.
After earning three points away from home, Atlanta United 2 now sits at 37 points, just one point outside of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta United 2 will finish the season with two matches in the last week of the season, both against Chattanooga FC.
They'll continue a postponed game from September 24 in which they trailed 1-0 in the 71st minute before the game was called off.
With a game (and a quarter) left to play, they control much of their own destiny in their quest for one of the last two playoff spots in the East.
MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchweek 29: Stefan Chirila, FC Cincinnati 2
When FC Cincinnati 2 needed a hero to keep their playoff hopes alive, Stefan Chirila delivered.
In a wild 4-3 victory over Heck-Is-Plausible rival Columbus Crew 2, Chirila scored twice and assisted on the game-winning goal deep into stoppage time.
The 18-year-old forward scored his first of the night in the 14th minute before adding a dramatic equalizer in the 88th minute that set the stage for a late-game comeback.
With the match tied in the final seconds of stoppage time, Chirila whipped in a corner kick that connected with centerback Noah Adnan for the 96th-minute winner.
FC Cincinnati 2 head coach Tyrone Marshall praised his young forward after the match:
“That’s what we expect him to do, to be a goalscorer. He’s in the first team, they’re looking for that from him. The more goals he scores, I think his confidence, he puts his chest out a little bit more, and that’s what we want from all the guys.”
Chirila’s clutch performance helped FCC2 to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race with two matches to go and earned him the Player of Matchweek 29 award.
MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 29: Noah Newman, Tacoma Defiance
Tacoma Defiance goalkeeper Noah Newman has earned the MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 29 award after recording his first professional clean sheet in his side’s 1-0 win over The Town FC.
Making just his third professional start, Newman held strong at goal against one of the league’s most dangerous attacks.
The Town FC had not suffered a defeat at home all season, but the young shot-stopper kept his composure and made four key saves to help Tacoma Defiance achieve a great win on the road.
With only one game remaining in their season, Newman and the Defiance will look to finish strong at home on Decision Day against a Houston Dynamo 2 team looking to grab the last playoff spot in the West.
