NASR Archive

0

No contest: Johnson is MLS Player of the Week

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/21/2013

Eddie Johnson

Eddie Johnson

Sometimes, you are so sure of the Player of the Week outcome, you almost forget to fill in your ballot and have it to the head office in time.

Sorta like an Alberta election: Voter turnout suffers because it’s assumed that the election is a done deal before the writ is signed by the lieutenant-governor.

This was one of those weeks. With two goals and an assist against FC Dallas, the team with the league’s best record, Seattle Sounders forward Eddie Johnson ticked off all the boxes when it comes to Player of the Week-worthiness. So, it wasn’t a surprise that he got the most checkmarks on the ballots from the members of the North American Soccer Reporters.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Bruin named MLS Player of the Week: The 11′s nod went to Teibert

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/13/2013

Russell Teibert

Russell Teibert

Most of the time, the bodies of work we look at are fairly consistent when voting for an MLS Player of the Week.

Most of the time, we judge players on the basis that they each play a single match on the weekend.

But in the odd weeks where some teams play two games because of the midweek schedule and others play one — that makes it difficult.

This week, Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin won the Player of the Week vote. He scored twice and added two assists in a midweek 4-0 win over D.C. United, but didn’t do much in a 1-0 loss at home Sunday to Sporting Kansas City. And that brings up an uncomfortable question: Does a “meh” game on Sunday weigh down what was a spectacular midweek effort?
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Zusi named MLS Player of the Week: The 11 selected Joao Plata

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/06/2013

Graham Zusi

Graham Zusi

With a goal and an assist in a 4-0 demolition of Chivas USA Saturday, Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi did enough to earn the MLS Player of the Week nod.

In what was a very scattered vote, Zusi got 10 first-place votes out of the 27 ballots cast by the North American Soccer Reporters. With no player really having a career-best game or a head-turner, the voters had no clear consensus.

But, like a Canadian election. Zusi got the prize despite earning only a little more than a third of the vote.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

McInerney is MLS Player of the Month for April

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/03/2013

Jack McInerney

Jack McInerney

Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney was named the MLS Player of the Month on Thursday.

After the ballots from the members of the North American Soccer Reporters were counted, McInerney got 13 of the 26 first-place votes. The Union striker leads MLS with six goals so far this season, and four of them came in April.

But here’s the scary stat. Through Philly’s first seven games of the season, McInerney has either scored or assisted on, ahem, all of the team’s goals. That’s right, all of them. If there is a better definition of “player judged to be most valuable to his team,” find it.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Cahill named MLS POTW for breaking hearts at BMO Field

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/29/2013

Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill became just the latest in a long line of players who have broken the hearts of the fans at BMO Field with a late goal.

But the Australian’s two-goal performance, including an 89th-minute headed winner, earned him MLS Player of the Week honours. Cahill got the most first-place votes from the membership of the North American Soccer Reporters.

The fact that Toronto FC coughs up points late in games has become sort of a cruel joke with the team’s long-suffering supporters. Cahill gave the New York Red Bulls a 1-0 lead over the Reds on Sunday with a left-footed finish that was set up by a wonderful dummy from Thierry Henry. But, Cahill had more to do — after Jonathan Osorio had drawn TFC level, the Aussie won the game late with a powerful header.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

McInerney named the MLS Player of the Week

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/22/2013

Jack McInerney

Jack McInerney

Is it safe yet to begin the “how many players were drafted ahead of him” talk about Jack McInerney?

The Philadelphia Union forward scored twice in a 3-2 win Sunday over D.C. United, and earned enough votes from the membership of the North American Soccer Reporters to take the MLS Player of the Week honour. McInerney got 17 of the 27 first-place votes cast by the members.

With six goals on the season, McInerney has taken over the MLS scoring lead.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Houston’s Davis edges out TFC’s Bendik for MLS Player of the Week honour

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/15/2013

Brad Davis

Brad Davis

Brad Davis played a key role in helping the Houston Dynamo extend its home unbeaten streak to 35 games. His assist and winning goal in a 2-1 decision over the Chicago Fire earned him the MLS Player of the Week honour.

But it wasn’t a landslide by any means. Davis got 11 first-place votes out of the 24 ballots cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Toronto FC keeper Joe Bendik got seven.

Bendik made a series of ridiculous saves, including a tie-preserver on an Antoine Hoppenot stoppage-time breakaway, to allow TFC to escape Philadelphia with a wholly undeserved point. Yes, Philly scored late to get the 1-1 draw, but if not for a series of fantastic stops by Bendik, the Union would have enjoyed a laugher of an afternoon.

Bendik also got two second-place votes.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Ryan Johnson wins Player of the Week award: The 11 gives nod to former CSL keeper Clint Irwin

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/08/2013

Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson

For the second time in a row, someone named “Johnson” from the Portland Timbers has won the MLS Player of the Week award.

Last week, it was Canadian Will Johnson, who scored twice. This week, it’s former Toronto FC forward Ryan Johnson, who scored two second-half goals to give the Timbers a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. Johnson got the most first-place votes out of the membership of the North American Soccer Reporters.

Johnson’s two-goal game was deemed to be more Player-of-the-Week worthy than the two-goal game of another ex-TFC striker, Maicon Santos. Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Magee narrowly edges Impact’s Bernier for MLS Player of the Month

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/03/2013

Mike Magee

Mike Magee

The MLS Player of the Month vote was almost close enough to warrant a recount.

In the end, Los Angeles Galaxy striker Mike Magee edged Montreal Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier for the March honour. Magee scored five goals for the Galaxy, a team which has had to deal with an injury to Designated Player Robbie Keane and that star Landon Donovan has been out of the lineup until a sub appearance last weekend in Toronto.

Bernier’s contributions aren’t as obvious on a stat sheet. Holding midfielders are hard to quantify. Heck, on his own Twitter feed, Bernier has stated in the past that it’s one of the most underappreciated positions in the game.

Still, Bernier’s work in leading the Impact to a four-game winning streak to start the season didn’t go unnoticed. He got a significant number of Player of the Week votes throughout the March voting periods. And, he got 15 Player of the Month first-place votes.

But Magee got 17.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Timber! Canada’s Johnson’s two-goal performance earns him MLS POTW honours

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/01/2013

Will Johnson

Will Johnson

Canadian national team-regular Will Johnson is the MLS Player of the Week, after his second-half brace allowed his new club, the Portland Timbers, to roar back from two goals down in the Colorado altitude and earn a 2-2 draw with the Rapids.

Johnson began the rally when he headed home a cross from ex-Toronto FC forward Ryan Johnson. Will finished the brace when he converted a penalty late in the second half.

Of course, we’re all still getting used to the site of Johnson in Portland Timbers green and white; he’s been a fixture at Real Salt Lake, and it still sounds weird to say “Portland Timbers’ captain Will Johnson.” Of course, with the years spent in Salt Lake City, the Colorado altitude would have affected Johnson the least out of anyone in the Portland lineup.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
Older Entries