The US and Canada rosters have been released for their upcoming matches, but there is still the fight for playing time and another round of international games on tap for October.
With that in mind, we're back with our weekly report on which US and Canada hopefuls are enhancing their national team prospects and who is currently tumbling down the depth chart.
US national team
UP
Bill Hamid: The D.C. United netminder added another pair of 1-0 victories this past week, giving him three clean sheet wins in a row. Hamid made six saves look easy in the victories over Atlanta and New England to extend his shutout streak to 296 minutes, his longest such run of stinginess in over two years.
Ethan Finlay: The Minnesota United winger hasn't enjoyed a US call-up in nearly a year-and-a-half, but he could soon re-enter the picture if his form since a recent trade from Columbus is any indication. The Duluth, Minnesota native opened his Loons account last week, and then followed it up on Saturday by helping the team post their first ever away win. With one of his three key passes in Chicago, Finlay set up Abu Danladi for the opener.
DOWN
Juan Agudelo: The forward has come up completely empty in August as New England's playoff hopes withered away. In 280 minutes of play this month, Agudelo has yet to so much as unleash a shot attempt. After a torrid start to the season, he's bagged just two goals in 11 league appearances since the start of May.
Matt Hedges: The reigning MLS Defender of the Year had quite the rough round, to say the least. Beginning with a monumental handling gaffe on the opener, Hedges was among the guilty on all three Houston goals as FC Dallas blew a two-goal lead to settle for a midweek draw at home. Then, on Saturday, he was lured out of position on the Columbus icebreaker as the Toros lost their third straight road game.
Canada national team
UP
Kofi Opare: Just last month, the D.C. United defender was benched by Ben Olsen and wearing a down arrow on this stock ticker. My, how things have changed. On Saturday, Opare helped his resurgent side post a tight 1-0 victory for the third game in a row. Not content just to stop goals, he also notched the first assist of his MLS career by blooping a header to the back post for Lucho Acosta to bury the winner.
Alphonso Davies: Following a brief injury layoff, the Vancouver Whitecaps' teen phenom was initially brought back slowly. This past week, Davies piled up two shots on goal, four successful dribbles, four free kicks won, four total defensive stops and Wednesday's game-tying assist in 62 minutes of work across two longer sub appearances.
DOWN
Raheem Edwards: Though it's surely a temporary blip, the 22-year-old flank handyman has fallen out of the rotation at Toronto FC. Edwards was called up for their upcoming Jamaica friendly, despite the fact that he's sat the bench for four straight MLS games.
Marco Bustos: During the preseason, the young playmaker seemed to be closing on a breakthrough. Bustos made five first team appearances for Vancouver in 2016, which led to five Canada caps between last October and this March. However, he's been limited to a pair of short Canadian Championship shifts this year, and is now even struggling with Whitecaps II in the USL.
