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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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MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 26: Orji Okwonkwo #18 of the Montreal Impact greets fans against the Portland Timbers during the MLS game at Saputo Stadium on June 26, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Impact defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 26: Orji Okwonkwo #18 of the Montreal Impact greets fans against the Portland Timbers during the MLS game at Saputo Stadium on June 26, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Impact defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

1. Lassi Lappalainen & Orji Okwonkwo

The Eastern Conference leaders are coming to town. You currently sit in sixth, nine points behind them. You would happily take a draw, right? Nope, not Montreal. The Impact stunned the Philadelphia Union at the weekend, putting four past them and denting their hopes of winning the Conference title and bagging the No.1 seed in the playoffs.

It was thanks to two men. Orji Okwonkwo, who has already been on this list this season, and a man on debut, Lassi Lappalainen. Both men scored twice and worked brilliantly together as an attacking threat all night, causing the Union all sorts of problems.

Lappalainen was only acquired by the Impact two days before the game, but introduced himself to the fans by scoring less than five minutes into his debut. He got his second just after the break on a wonderful counter-attack. Okwonkwo scored the second goal of the game before the half time interval, and then finished the rout halfway throug h the second stanza.

With this victory, the Impact are now just six points off the Conference-topping Philadelphia, and having snapped a four-game losing streak, they will be looking for an upturn in their fortunes for the res of the regular season.

Next. Toronto FC Vs FC Cincinnati: 3 things we learned. dark

The signing of Lappalainen looks to be a positive one, and with Okwonkwo already embedded into the Impact’s starting XI, this could become a blossoming partnership.

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