With his team in need of a win or draw to secure first place in the Western Conference on Decision Day, captain Matt Besler saved a vintage performance for the final match of the regular season.
The center back stuffed the stat sheet in Sunday's wild 2-1 victory over LAFC at sun-drenched Children's Mercy Park, propelling Sporting KC to top spot in the West, a No. 1 overall seed in the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs and a Knockout Round bye to the conference semifinals, slated for Nov. 4 and 11.
Besler earned MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors for the second straight week after racking up eight clearances, five interceptions and four successful duels against an LAFC side that entered Sunday with an eye-watering 35 away goals through 16 matches.