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2013 MLS Season, Week 10: Player of the Week

By on May 6, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Week 10 in Major League Soccer proved to be a tough week to figure out who would be the top player. But after Sunday’s 4-0 smashing of Chivas USA by Sporting KC, one player managed to stand out for 10 of the 27 voters, including myself.

Graham Zusi took home the Player of the Week award for Week 10. His goal and assist effort against Chivas on Sunday was more than enough in my book to take home the award.

Zusi helped create Claudio Beiler’s first goal of the day. He later smashed home a great ball by Josh Gardner.

This was Sporting KC’s first POW winner of the 2013 season.

The votes were fairly split this week, four other players also received multiple votes, including Sporting KC forward Claudio Bieler with five. Other multi-vote players were Philadelphia’s Danny Cruz (4), New England’s Bobby Shuttleworth (2) and Montreal’s Justin Mapp (2).

 

Continue Reading · · in MLS, Sporting KC
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2013 MLS Season, Week 9: Player of the Week

By on April 29, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Finally some things appear to be clicking in the Big Apple for the New York Red Bulls. The club has won three out of their last four games. And this week they the league’s Player of the Week in Tim Cahill thanks to his two goal effort last Saturday against Toronto FC.

Cahill bagged the game-winner late for the Red Bulls, his first two goals of the season. This was the first Red Bulls player to win the POW award in 2013.

Cahill earned 14 of the votes this week. New England’s Lee Nguyen (4 votes) and Vancouver’s youngster Kekuta Manneh (3). Jairo Arrieta of Columbus and Portland’s Ryan Johnson also earned two votes each.

As you’ll see from the votes, Cahill was my runner-up on the week. Nothing against the two goal effort on the road in Toronto but call me when he does this to a strong defense like Montreal or Sporting KC on the road. Just sayin’. My vote went to Portland’s Ryan Johnson, who had a goal and an assist on the day in a thrilling 3-2 win for Portland in Kansas City.

Continue Reading · · in MLS, New York Red Bulls
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2013 MLS Season, Week 8: Player of the Week

By on April 22, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Not a real shocker in this week’s MLS Player of the Week race. Typically on a weekend where you score two goals and most of the other games end 1-0, that guy stands out just a little more.

That was the case for Philadelphia Union striker Jack McInerney as he scored a brace to help lift the Philadelphia Union over D.C. United 3-2 on Sunday.

It is the fourth time a Union player has been recognized, and the first since Justin Mapp was honored in Week 11 of 2011. Sebastian Le Toux received the honor twice in 2010. The Union striker was the overwhelming choice this week with 17 of the 27 votes cast. Landon Donovan (4) and Nick Rimando (3) were the only others to receive multiple votes.

As you’ll see by clicking the link, I was one of the three that voted for RSL keeper Nick Rimando. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate McInerney’s two goal effort on Sunday, I just thought that RSL would have lost to Chivas had Rimando not made the five big stops – including one penalty save. Simple as that. I still give a big kudos to Jack, he is a hell of a player to watch.

Continue Reading · · in MLS, Philadelphia Union
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2013 MLS Season, Week 7: Player of the Week

By on April 15, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

The MLS Play of the Week ballot has been filled out and thanks to a goal and assist against the Chicago Fire gives Houston midfielder Brad Davis the Week 7 honors.

Davis helped set up the first Houston goal when he sent in a nice ball to Will Bruin. Davis then slotted home the game-winner in the last 10 minutes of the match to give Houston their 35th consecutive unbeaten result at home.

Davis took the honor in an 11-7 race with Toronto FC goalkeeper Joe Bednik while George John (Dallas), Thierry Henry (NY) and Will Johnson (Portland) each received two votes each.

Continue Reading · · in Houston Dynamo, MLS
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2013 MLS Season, Week 6: Player of the Week

By on April 8, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

The Portland Timbers picked up their first win of the season and second straight Player of the Week winner in Week 6. Last week it was midfielder Will Johnson and after his two goal effort over the Houston Dynamo, striker Ryan Johnson claimed won this week’s award.

The votes were very, very split this week though. As you’ll see, I had Johnson and my number two was Colorado keeper Clint Irwin. Johnson took the selection based on a tiebreaker after he and Chicago’s Maicon Santos finished tied with nine votes as Johnson had 10 second place votes among the 30 ballots to Santos’ six.

The Fire’s Daniel Paladini was also a major contender with seven votes, giving the previously winless club 16 total on the week. Also worth noting is the three votes Clint Irwin of Colorado received.

Two other Timbers players picked up first place votes as well. So in all, a pretty good week for those Portland Timbers fans out there.

Continue Reading · · in MLS, Portland Timbers
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2013 MLS Season: Mike Magee Wins POM

By on April 3, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Forgive me for the lack of posting today, I’m just a tad caught up in some things. But I did want to post my vote for the MLS Player of the Month award for March out there.

Today, it was announced that LA Galaxy forward Mike Magee was named the league’s first player of the month in the 2013 season. Magee scored a league-high five goals in the opening month for the Galaxy. But for me, his bigger contributions were in other places on the field like leadership when Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane were both missing.

Magee opened up the month with a hat trick against the Chicago Fire and added in two more by the end of the month.

I know some folks thought otherwise on this and picked Montreal midfielder Patrice Bernier, a good pick as well. Bernier was my second pick in the voting, which you can see here.

Magee took 17 of the 36 votes cast compared to 15 for Bernier with the other four ballots going to four different individuals.

Continue Reading · · in LA Galaxy, MLS
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2013 MLS Season, Week 5: Player of the Week

By on April 1, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

The Portland Timbers may not have a win yet on the new season for manager Caleb Porter but they have their first Player of the Week winner in midfielder Will Johnson.

The Canadian international scored two goals, including a fairly controversial penalty kick to bring the Timbers back to level grounds with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

I had voted for Sporting KC’s Benny Feilhaber in this week’s voting for the NASR (the group that handles the weekly and month voting for the league). The votes were pretty split all over the place too. Johnson landed 12 of the 30 votes this week followed by Graham Zusi and Feilhaber.

 

 

Continue Reading · · in MLS, Portland Timbers
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2013 MLS Season, Week 4: Player Of The Week

By on March 25, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Well, for the first time this season, my top vote didn’t end up winning the MLS Player of the Week. Instead the guy who got my second place vote did. Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo scored a goal and slotted an assist on the 4-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Sunday earned the Week 4 POW.

Agudelo got 10 of the 28 votes from the NASR. This week the votes were fairly split after Agudelo as there wasn’t a clear cut winner like in weeks past.

Montreal’s Patrice Bernier was second with five with Agudelo’s teammate Mejia receiving four. Andy Gruenebaum (Columbus) and Jackson (Dallas) each received three votes.

Here are the highlights from the Chivas-Chicago game.

Continue Reading · · in Chivas USA, MLS
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Bill Hamid Named Player Of The Week

By on March 18, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Thanks to the large amounts of draws in Week 3, it was only a matter of time before a defensive-type player got the honors of MLS Player of the Week. This week it was D.C. United keeper Bill Hamid.

Hamid received 16 of the 28 votes with Montreal Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier picking up seven nominations as the only other selection with two or more votes.

Hamid’s seven save performance over the New York Red Bulls was very impressive. He made several huge saves in the 0-0 draw for United. The most talked about save was of course the last big save of the day. Hamid used a goal-line stop in stoppage time where he recovered on a corner to pull back a low Brandon Barklage close-range waist-high off the line.

Big saves like that will earn you honors such as this.

My second choice vote went to Montreal’s Bernier. He was a very close second due to his goal and assist on the day for the Impact as they downed Toronto 2-1.

You can see the rest of the NASR votes here.

Continue Reading · · in DC United, MLS
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2013 MLS Season, Week 2: Player of the Week

By on March 11, 2013 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Toronto FC newcomer Robert Earnshaw has taken home the Player of the Week prize for Week 2 in MLS. Earnshaw scored two goals in Toronto FC’s 2-1 win over Sporting KC.

Earnshaw scored just three minutes in when he picked off a lazy pass between defenders Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin. He then added a second goal in the 21st minute from the penalty spot.

Pretty impressive day considering that the Welsh forward just joined Toronto two weeks ago.

Earnshaw received 16 of the 25 votes, more than enough to earn his first POW award in MLS. Canadian club players did very well with Vancouver’s Kenny Miller and Montreal’s Patrice Bernier getting other first place votes. Not too shabby Canada. Not too shabby.

You can see the rest of the NASR votes here.

Continue Reading · · in General Soccer Stuff