There were no fullbacks in the league-issued Best XI, but this selection usually includes one. Mears edged out New York Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence (a standout for both club and country this year, but he played just 23 league matches) for the sole berth in this team. Ex-Bolton and Marseille defender Mears marched through an assured debut season by joining the attack at the right times without abdicating his defensive responsibilities. He even added a rasping winner against D.C. United to offer a punctuation mark.