For the first time in their MLS NEXT Pro era, Portland Timbers2 celebrated clinchmas.
T2 secured their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup playoff appearance and made a little league history in the process in their 3-0 win over North Texas SC, earning their first Team of the Matchweek selection of the season.
St Louis CITY2's road trip to San Jose Earthquakes II also had massive playoff stakes, and newcomer striker Nighte Pickering took center stage with a brace to secure a massive road win and his first Player of the Matchweek nod.
Los Angeles FC Academy midfielder Liam Lambert's 1g/1a performance in a 90-minute start for LAFC 2 proved vital in a 4-3 win over Tacoma Defiance. He is rewarded with his first-ever MLS NEXT Rising Star of the Matchweek honor.
Read more about Matchweek 24's winners below:
What a week it was for Timbers2.
After a successful interim stint with the Portland first team, head coach Jack Cassidy returned to T2, and his side hadn't missed a beat. Extending their unbeaten run to seven and securing a Western Conference playoff spot made for quite a homecoming for the first-year head coach.
Their 3-0 win at North Texas SC also made league history as it marked their 13th clean sheet of the year, the most in a regular season in league history.
Built on another strong performance from reigning Goalkeeper of the Month Sam Joseph, Timbers2 outshot NTSC 23-12 on Saturday.
Daniel Cervantes, Eric Iziota, and Max Kissel all got on the board to make it a comfortable, yet high-stakes, win.
Now in second place in the West, it'll be about keeping hold of a pick-your-opponent spot in their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup Playoff appearance this fall.
The exact type of performance a newcomer can capitalize on.
Pickering joined CITY2 in July and quickly announced himself as a provider by scoring both goals in Sunday's 2-0 win at San Jose Earthquakes II.
Striking first in the 25th minute, Pickering opened things up by fighting through traffic on a CITY2 build-up and slotted it in at point-blank from a tight angle. He finished the job in the 56th minute on a breakaway, beating the Quakes II back line in a foot race before executing a one-on-one from close range.
The win puts CITY2 back in fifth place in the Western Conference and in the fight to host playoff games once again this fall.
Pickering, 21, came to St Louis CITY2 from USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights FC, where he scored seven goals in 39 appearances. Originally an FC Dallas academy product, Pickering also had a stint with Memphis 901 FC, where, at 17, he was the club's youngest-ever professional signing. Internationally, he featured for the United States youth national team at the U-17 and U-19 camps in previous years.
The 18-year-old LAFC Academy midfielder came up clutch in LAFC 2's 4-3 win over Tacoma Defiance.
Opening the scoring in the 10th minute and assisting Marius Aiyenero's stoppage-time winner, Lambert's efforts were vital in a big win that keeps LAFC 2 in the battle for a hosting playoff seed.
Lambert has added 2g/2a across 10 appearances for LAFC 2 this season.
