By just one point, Leister City FC squeaked out the lead this round, scoring 141 points. Giovani dos Santos (LA, $12.1) was responsible for more than half of that, scoring an armband-aided 74 points on the strength of four goals and three assists over two games. Trailing him by a wide margin were Joao Plata (RSL, $9.7), with 19 points on two goals and an assist, and Sebastian Lletget, who scored 12 points with an assist. !BL4CKnRED-2014Champ is still the overall leader, but now just by 19 points.
Positional Leaders
Goalkeepers
Tim Howard (COL, $6.5) and Joe Bendik (ORL, $5.1) tied for the goalkeeping lead with 10 points, with Howard earning a clean sheet and Bendik saving a penalty. Jake Gleeson (POR, $4.7) earned a clean sheet and 7 points. D.C.’s Bill Hamid ($6.2) scored 3 points.
Defenders
Orlando’s Brek Shea ($7.4) scored two goals over two games for 14 points, setting the pace for the defenders. Jelle van Damme (LA, $8.8) contributed two assists and 10 points while playing in one of LA’s two games. Three players tied for third with 9 points -- Portland teammates Alvas Powell ($7.4) and Vytautas Andriuskevicius ($7.0), each of whom earned a clean sheet, and DCU’s Steve Birnbaum ($8.1), who scored a goal. The rest of the DCU midfield featured Bobby Boswell ($8.1) with 3 points, Sean Franklin ($8.0) with 2, and both Taylor Kemp ($7.9) and Luke Mishu ($4.4) with 1.
Midfielders
A trio of Orlando players led all midfielders, with Carlos Rivas ($9.4), Kaka ($11.8), and Matias Perez Garcia ($7.9) scoring 18, 15, and 14 points respectively. Rivas added a goal to two assists, Kaka scored two goals, and Perez Garcia had two assists. D.C. was led by Lamar Neagle ($8.1) with 6 points, Marcelo Sarvas ($7.3) with 5, Patrick Nyarko ($7.6) with 3, and Nick DeLeon ($6.3) with 2.
Forwards
Giovani dos Santos’s 37 points lapped the field, leading all players and nearly doubling the score of Joao Plata, the next closest forward. Three players scored 13 points — Emmanuel Boateng (LA, $7.0), who paired a goal with an assist; Juan Agudelo (NE, $8.3), who did the same; and Juan Manuel Martinez (RSL, $8.8), who scored a goal. For United, only Patrick Mullins ($6.5) scored 2 points.
Looking Ahead
Everyone plays once this week, and games start on Friday. I like Nick Rimando (RSL, $6.4) is the man in goal at home against Houston, and try on Brek Shea in defense at home against Columbus. Go with Frank Lampard (NYC, $11.0) in midfield at home against Dallas, and Jozy Altidore (TOR, $9.5) is really hot right now, so play him at home against the Red Bulls.