Photo: Paul Rudderow

Sheanon Williams’s season—like that of the Union as a whole—has been up and down. He’s had good days and bad on offense, and the same on defense. From setting up Conor Casey’s first Union goal with a trademarked long throw to being directly at fault for several opposition goals, it’s been a bit feast or famine for him.

That lack of consistency is something of a surprise, as Williams is a team leader on the field and off. He earned that title by putting in game after game of above-average two-way play, but this season he has struggled at times.

However, in the past few games, Williams has flipped a switch. Not only has he found some consistency, he’s been consistently excellent. Against Columbus, he scored the second goal with an acrobatic volley. Against New York, he assisted on Casey’s opener. And against Dallas, he assisted two goals—the first a long throw headed in by Amobi Okugo, and the second a perfectly-placed cross to give Aaron Wheeler his first MLS goal—and also managed to include a very late goal-line “clearance” that nearly sealed a win for the Union.

While the loss of two points against Dallas surely stings, no one did more than Williams to put the Union in a position to win that game. Neither Dallas goal came from his area, and Williams had none of the lapses in concentration that had troubled him in the games preceding the Columbus match.

In short, with a settled line-up including the workhorse Sébastien Le Toux in front of him, Williams is again showing the terrific balance of attacking and defensive play that so swiftly earned him his starting job upon joining the Union.

If he can keep it up, Sheanon Williams isn’t just PSP’s Player of the Week, he’s one of the best right backs in MLS.