Atlanta's Pedro Mendes, Ottawa;s Rafael Alves, and Minnesota's Justin Davis highlighted the recent edition of the Team of the Week

Atlanta Silverbacks forward Pedro Mendes, Ottawa Fury FC defender Rafael Alves, and Minnesota United FC defender Justin Davis headline this week’s North American Soccer League (NASL) Team of the Week after finding the back of the net to help their clubs earn key results on the road in Week 5.

Find out what other top performers were selected to the Team of the Week below:

GK: Steward Ceus (Atlanta Silverbacks) – With a strong defense in front of him, Ceus kept a shutout away from home against Indy Eleven. The Haitian international did his job when called upon, making three saves en route to a 1-0 win.

DEF: Justin Davis (Minnesota United) – While he lines up as a defender, Davis is becoming more and more involved in the Loons’ attack. The Arizona native has now scored in back-to-back games, while also assisting on Ibson’s equalizer in a wild 3-3 draw with Jacksonville Armada FC.



DEF: Ben Sweat (Tampa Bay Rowdies) – The young fullback had the tough task of slowing down one of the league’s most dynamic players, Tiyi Shipalane, but he passed the test with flying colors. The Florida native held the South African midfielder in check as well as the rest of the Carolina RailHawks’ attack in a 1-1 draw.

DEF: Sámuel Caceres (New York Cosmos) – With the Cosmos still seeking their first win of the Fall Season, the Paraguayan defender helped the club post a shutout against the visiting Fort Lauderdale Strikers in a 2-0 victory.

DEF: Rafael Alves (Ottawa Fury FC) – Stifling the FC Edmonton attack, the Brazilian defender played a major role in Fury FC keeping its eighth clean sheet this season. He then turned into Ottawa’s hero when his headed goal deep into stoppage time clinched a 1-0 win. He was also named Player of the Week for his strong performance.

MID: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Ottawa Fury FC) – The Bosnian midfielder was effective in slowing down FC Edmonton’s midfield, while also orchestrating Ottawa’s attacks. Ubiparipovic also played in the crucial ball, on a corner, that teammate Alves nodded in for the winner.

MID: Andrés Flores (New York Cosmos) – In his first start of the season, Flores controlled the midfield to help New York snap its five-game winless streak. The Salvadoran international was dangerous throughout the match, shining as one of the Cosmos’ bright spots in their win over the Strikers.

MID: Mark Anderson (Carolina RailHawks) – With the RailHawks down a goal, Anderson took advantage of a fortuitous bounce off a Rowdies defender to find the back of the net. He controlled the ball, turned quickly, and fired past Tampa Bay goalkeeper Kamil ÄŒontofalský for the equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

FWD: Jaime Chavez (Atlanta Silverbacks) – The California native has been rounding into the goalscoring form that saw him become one of the league’s most feared strikers last year, but he played the role of provider against Indy Eleven last weekend. Chavez’s nifty pass to send Pedro Mendes through on goal notched him an assist on the game’s lone goal in the Silverbacks’ victory over the Boys in Blue.

FWD: Jemal Johnson (Jacksonville Armada FC) – The New Jersey native continues to play a pivotal attacking role for the Armada FC. He added his fourth goal of the season when he found space at the back post early in the match, and later assisted on Alhassane Keita’s tally in the 3-3 result against Minnesota.

FWD: Pedro Mendes (Atlanta Silverbacks) – Since returning to the Silverbacks early on in the Fall Season, Mendes has had a giant impact. After receiving a pass from Chavez, Mendes beat Indy goalkeeper Kristian Nicht for the game’s only goal. The 1-0 result would stand, with the Silverbacks clinching their second road win in a row.