Houston’s Davis edges out TFC’s Bendik for MLS Player of the Week honour By Steven Sandor Posted on April 15, 2013 Comments Off on Houston’s Davis edges out TFC’s Bendik for MLS Player of the Week honour 0 757 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Joe Bendik Brad Davis played a key role in helping the Houston Dynamo extend its home unbeaten streak to 35 games. His assist and winning goal in a 2-1 decision over the Chicago Fire earned him the MLS Player of the Week honour. But it wasn’t a landslide by any means. Davis got 11 first-place votes out of the 24 ballots cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Toronto FC keeper Joe Bendik got seven. Bendik made a series of ridiculous saves, including a tie-preserver on an Antoine Hoppenot stoppage-time breakaway, to allow TFC to escape Philadelphia with a wholly undeserved point. Yes, Philly scored late to get the 1-1 draw, but if not for a series of fantastic stops by Bendik, the Union would have enjoyed a laugher of an afternoon. Bendik also got two second-place votes. As well, it’s worth noting that Canadian midfielder Will Johnson, who won the Player of the Week voting back on April 1, got two first-place votes this week. His brilliant free kick earned the Portland Timbers a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes Sunday night. How The 11 voted: We went with Bendik. Whether it was the double-save in the first half, or the outstanding reflex stop of a deflected shot from the Union’s Kleberson, he gave TFC one of the best goalkeeping performances the club has seen in its history. Bendik got his chance after Stefan Frei suffered a broken nose in the preseason. And, since that time, he’s done nothing to show that he’s willing to give up the starting job. Will Frei get a chance any time soon? Until Bendik slips up or gets hurt, the Swiss keeper has seen what was supposed to be a comeback season decline into another campaign of waiting on the sidelines.
