Chicago Fire are keenly gunning for the summit of the Eastern Conference standings and recently went on a four-match winning streaks. Now, their most prolific player is picking-up plenty of commendations in the league. With six-goals through several matches, Chicago Fire talisman Nemanja Nikolic earns the Major League Soccer Player of the Month.
With almost three months gone so far in the 2017 MLS regular season, a front runner is beginning to emerge in the Rookie of the season race. Atlanta United midfielder Julian Gressel continued his awesome season with an impressive month.
The German scored two times and assisted on two other goals to earn MLS Rookie of the Month for May. Here's a complete estimations and analysis on these players and how they came about earning MLS recognition for the Month of May.
Nikolic earns MLS Player of the Month honor
Chicago Fire forward Nemanja Nikolic apparently got-off to an impressive start in the month of May, netting in five goals through three matches in the regular season. His highlight performances for the month was an assist and a brace in a 4-1 triumph over a potent Seattle Sounders team on 14th May in front of a raucous home crowd at the Toyota Park. Nikolic followed that up five days later with another brilliant two goal performance in a 3-0 trouncing against Colorado Rapids.
Overall, Nemanja Nikolic scored six-goals and one assist through the month of May. The Fire marksman now leads the Major League Soccer scorers chart with eleven goals in fourteen appearances on the season, one-more better than Houston Dynamo striker Cubo Torres. Contributing to his superb goal scoring performance, he has attempted twenty-seven shots on target out of forty-seven total shots, which ranks him third in the Major League Soccer most attacking forwards.
Gressel earns Rookie of the month
The 23-year-old midfielder Julian Gressel opened his Major League Soccer goal account on 14th May in Atlanta United's 1-1 stalemate with Portland Timbers at the Providence Park. Afterwards, the German followed that up with one of Atlanta's four goal tallies in their home victory over Houston Dynamo six days later.
The youngster switched into the role of a ball provider in their emphatic triumph over New York City FC, setting up two assists in their 3-0 home win.
The German's fantastic month of May was bounds and leaps better than Kortne Ford and Jack Elliot, who were among the impressive rookies in the month, but no one apparently touched the output and impact of Julian Gressel.
