On a week when Real Salt Lake was expert in keeping possession, left back Demar Phillips stood out among the rest. After completing 90% of his 69 total passes with a team-high six recoveries, Phillips was named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week as RSL came back for a 1-1 draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday.
It was his heads-up play that led to RSL’s equalizing penalty, too, as he raced to the endline and worked to keep the ball in play before Joao Plato was felled in the box for the spot kick.
Phillips has nine starts among his 14 appearances this season, connecting on two assists in that time. In his second season with RSL, Phillips has split time at left back with Chris Wingert, but has also subbed on late on the wing – where he sometimes plays with the Jamaican National Team.
Joining Phillips on Team of the Week were goalkeeper Jake Gleeson (Portland Timberrs); defenders Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy), Justin Morrow (Toronto FC) and Matt Hedges (FC Dallas); midfielders Ilsinho (Philadelphia Union), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Jeff Larentowicz (LA Galaxy) and Roland Alberg (Philadelphia Union); and forwards Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids) and Kei Kamara (New England Revolution).
For more on the Week 18 Team of the Week, click here.
Team of the Week
Week 1: Juan Manuel Martinez
Week 2: Sunday Stephen
Week 5: Aaron Maund, Joao Plata
Week 7: Nick Rimando, Demar Phillips
Week 9: Jordan Allen
Week 12: Justen Glad
Week 14: Yura Movsisyan
Week 15: Juan Manuel Martinez
Week 18: Demar Phillips
