A weekend defined by fierce rivalries provided plenty of highlights, as grudge matches from around the league unfolded in wild ways.
From the Hudson River to Cascadia, here are our favorite moments from the weekend that was.
Dunk of the Week: Clint Dempsey
There were actually a couple serious contenders for this honor, and the arguments over who had the best, most authoritative jam this weekend got a little heated in the NYCFC offices.
In the end, we absolutely had to go with Clint Dempsey's soul-crushing header that earned Seattle a point in Portland at just about the last possible second. It was a classic Deuce moment, and it's going to add plenty more hate to the hearts of Timbers fans next time around.
Bike of the Week: Ike Opara
Heck yes. There's nothing better than a center back scoring a game-winning bicycle kick goal. Nothing. Especially when it's Ike Opara, whose name rhymes with bike. He's Bike Opara now, ladies and gentlemen.
Fancy! of the Week
David Accam scored a hattrick this weekend against Orlando City, and added an assist to lock up a 4-0 win. That's an intensely impressive performance, and it was easy to tell that the man they call King David was absolutely feelin' it. As soon as he scored his first goal of the night, you just knew he was bound for glory.
Celebration of the Week: Josef Martinez
The Venezuelan international is well and truly back from a long injury layoff, and he's LIVING ON THE EDGE. He's picked up his goal-scoring duties right where he left off, and he's so excited about it that he almost lit himself on fire. Whether or not this was an elaborate metaphor for his form (which is definitely in "hot" territory) is unknown, but Atlanta United better keep the fire marshal on hand.
Tifo of the Week: Portland Timbers
The Timbers may have gone home disappointed after blowing a lead very, very late Sunday night, but their supporters never disappoint. The Timbers Army is one of the most popular supporter groups in MLS, and they have an artistic flair befitting their city. This week's display was a stunner.
Sportsman of the Week: Haris Medunjanin
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, competitive edge and the desire to win get in the way of playing the beautiful game for the right reasons. That is not the case for the Philadelphia Union's Haris Medunjanin, who saved D.C. United's Luciano Acosta from a red card.
What a lad.
Breakthrough of the Week: Kekuta Manneh
The former Vancouver Whitecaps star winger has struggled since being traded to Columbus Crew SC, making just a handful of appearances for them so far this season. He finally broke through this weekend, notching a goal, an assist, and showing off his speed and talent in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Impact.
The goal wasn't super pretty, but sometimes you just need to grunt and hustle your way there. Cheers, lad.
