When teams break the bank for players, and hand over a coveted designated player spot, it's imperative that those players perform as expected. The MLS roster rules simply make it too hard to win consistently with underachieving DPs.
This weekend proved to be a big one for designated players. You have some of the bigger names such as Christian Benteke leading the way with a fabulous bicycle kick goal, dependable stars like Hany Mukhtar putting in another great match and then some who have struggled to find their footing, such as Evander, have their best match yet. Toss in a Cucho Hernández, who returned from injury with a goal, and it was a good week for DPs.