Roger Espinoza was at his vintage best on Sunday.
Jacob Peterson may have stolen the headlines in Sporting Kansas City's 2-1 win over Orlando City SC on Sunday, but no player turned in a better performance from start to finish than the Honduran midfielder. MLSsoccer.com and ESPNFC took notice, naming Espinoza to their respective Team of the Week squads for Week 11.
The following stat line tells you everything you need to know about Espinoza, whose tireless motor propelled Sporting KC to its most dominant showing of the season:
- A game-winning assist to Peterson in the 79th minute
- A career-high six chances created during the Opta era
- A career-high six shot attempts, including two on target
- Three tackles, three interceptions and three recoveries
- Successful in 43 of 51 pass attempts
Peterson, who entered the match in the 69th minute before assisting Dom Dwyer's equalizer and scoring the match-winner, joined Espinoza among ESPNFC's best XI. He also landed a rather appropriate spot on the Team of the Week bench from MLSsoccer.com and Bleacher Report. Peterson became the fourth player in Sporting KC history to notch a goal and an assist as a substitute.
ESPNFC added yet a third Sporting KC player to its Team of the Week squad, including Matt Besler in a four-man backline. The captain anchored a defense that limited Orlando City to zero shots on target while contributing four interceptions, three clearances and three recoveries. Besler became the sixth player in club history to reach 20,000 minutes played across all competitions.
