10 Bright Spots of Week Seven

1. Juan Pablo Angel - the Colombian showcased his power AND finesse in a 4-0 drubbing of Columbus; Bruce Arena tried to paint the picture as if it was a spanking, but the truth is...it was, and Angel was at the head of it; Angel also started off his MLS career versus Schelotto, making the all-time series now Guillermo 2 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties.


2. FC Dallas - these guys keep on winning, almost to the point where I am going to have to stop ragging on their defensive quartet; Alex Yi and Chris Gbandi were strong against both Real Salt Lake and Chicago; they are doing all of this without the input of Carlos Ruiz

3. Michael Parkhurst - the kid's consistent play has been overshadowed by Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph's goalscoring antics; before long, Parkhurst will plying his trade in Europe, but for now, Parkhurst is the heart of the Revs' run right now


4. Dane Richards - I keep singing this guys praises and Bruce Arena still thinks he is not running at full speed; scariness would be 'full speed'; he looks to get a rest sometime soon as Markus Schopp is slowly worked back into the line-up

5. Sal Caccavale - it was nice to see a young'un come in for a couple minutes and nutmeg a decent goalkeeper like Andy Gruenebaum; not to mention his assist was provided by another rookie Sinisa Ubiparapovic


6. Colorado Rapids' fans - since opening day and a 2-1 win over D.C. United, Rapids fans' have been patiently waiting for another win, a 1-1 tie with the Kansas City Wizards this past weekend kept the winless streak alive

7. Shalrie Joseph - whatever his problems are with his contract and his desire to play abroad, there is no doubt he makes New England a much better team; his 9th minute cracker sunk Houston as the Revs continue to surge and Houston continue to slide

8. Pablo Ricchetti - his presence at defensive midfield allowed Juan Carlos Toja to move forward and really piss the Real Salt Lake defense off; Ricchetti is not big but he is extremely effective with his possession and passing abilities; I really think Dallas is one piece away from a solid line-up; what defenders are on the market?

9. John Wolyniec - nice to see the journeyman get his couple minutes in the spotlight; one goal and one assist was a good showing; the goals could have kept flowing but Angel and Wolyniec had trouble connecting well up top with consistency (to the point where Angel was getting visibly disturbed with Wolyniec's decision-making); yes - the inundation of Red Bulls in the top ten continues


10. D.C. United - for somehow coming away with that win against Toronto FC; it wasn't pretty and by all means, it wasn't fair, but they go the three points and seem to be getting back on track