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MLS: Top 5 performances from Week 21

By Matt Coles

PORTLAND, OR - JULY 27: Portland Timbers celebrate Cristian Paredes goal during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).
PORTLAND, OR - JULY 27: Portland Timbers celebrate Cristian Paredes goal during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). /
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PORTLAND, OR – JULY 27: Portland Timbers celebrate Cristian Paredes goal during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).
PORTLAND, OR – JULY 27: Portland Timbers celebrate Cristian Paredes goal during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). /

There was a full slate of twelve matches in MLS in Week 21, with some major shocks and spoils along the way. Here are the top five performances from the weekend’s action.

The Major League Soccer match of Week 21 came on Friday night as LAFC and Atlanta United played out a seven-goal thriller, the MLS league leaders taking a narrow 4-3 victory.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference-topping Philadelphia Union lost 4-0 at home to Montreal, New York City FC continued their winning ways, while the Portland Timbers smashed the LA Galaxy at home.

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Here are our top five performers from the weekend’s action.

PORTLAND, OR – JULY 27: Portland Timbers midfielder Cristian Paredes takes a shot to score Portland’s third goal of the night during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).
PORTLAND, OR – JULY 27: Portland Timbers midfielder Cristian Paredes takes a shot to score Portland’s third goal of the night during the Portland Timbers 4-0 victory over the LA Galaxy at Providence Park, on July 27, 2019, in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). /

5. Cristian Paredes

The final game of the weekend saw the 2015 MLS Cup Champions Portland Timbers overcome the five-time MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy at Providence Park. Portland routed the Galaxy 4-0, with two goals coming from Timbers’ Paraguayan midfielder Cristian Paredes.

After the Galaxy applied some pressure in the first third of the game, Paredes was the man to open the scoring in the 37th minutes as he headed home from a Jorge Moreira cross. Portland then doubled the lead through their talisman Diego Valeri, who went on a stunning run before finishing to make it 2-0.

Paredes then made it 3-0 with nine minutes to go, as this wonderful volley from the Paraguayan flew into the top corner of the Galaxy goal.

https://twitter.com/CristhianP_25/status/1155545781543174144

The midfielder now has four goals on the year, along with one assist in his 14 appearances in MLS in the Timbers’ 2019 campaign. Portland then made it four late on in the match, with Jeremy Ebobisse rounding off the performance after LA Galaxy went down to ten men following Efrain Alvarez’s moment of madness.

Two more red cards followed after the final whistle, but let that take nothing away from Paredes, whose two goals led the Timbers to a victory which moves Portland into the playoff places.

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