Toronto FC are in first place in the Eastern Conference and pushing FC Dallas for the Supporters' Shield.

Two major reasons for that? Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco.

Toronto FC's striker tandem terrorized opposing defenses and lit up the scoreboard in August, combining for eight goals and four assists to push the club high up the standings. Their impressive numbers and runs of form not only helped Toronto FC win games and give their fans reasons for optimism ahead of the stretch run, but also made each of the two veterans nominees for Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month.

The MLSsoccer.com editorial staff selects the five final nominees at the end of each month. The winner is then determined by your vote - voting ends at 2:59 am ET on September 1.

Here are the nominees:

Jozy Altidore, Toronto FC: Welcome back, Altidore. After easing his way back into things at the end of July following a lengthy injury spell, Altidore rediscovered his scoring touch and dominant form with Toronto FC. He tallied in four straight matches for the club, helping it go unbeaten at 4-0-2 while he took turns serving as a starter and super sub.

Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC: The Italian playmaker's month ended on a sour note because of a pair of injuries, but he still managed to dazzle during his time on the field. In six games, Giovinco scored four goals and assisted on four others to push the club into the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nicolas Lodeiro, Seattle Sounders: Talk about a first impression. While most foreigners take time to adjust to MLS, Lodeiro made the type of immediate impact that the Sounders were hoping for when they signed him. The Designated Player recorded two goals and six assists, leading Seattle as they posted a 3-1-1 record that has them dreaming of a postseason berth again.

Patrick Mullins, D.C. United: Capped his first full month with D.C. United with an impressive hat-trick performance, and finished with four goals and one assist in five matches. Mullins started in four of those games, and he and D.C. finished August unbeaten at 2-0-3 to take possession of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls: Shook off an injury picked up in the Red Bulls' first match of the month to finish on a three-game scoring run that saw him net four times. That total pulled him into a three-way tie atop the MLS Golden Boot race, and helped the Red Bulls go undefeated with a 2-0-2 record. Wright-Phillips also had an assist in his four appearances.

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