Cooper wins final MLS POTW of 2012

New York Red Bull Kenny Cooper scored his 17th and 18th goals of the season over the weekend in a win over the Philadelphia Union, and it was good enough to make him the final Player of the Week of the MLS regular season. Cooper took eight of the 15 first-place votes from the members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Cooper scored on a penalty, then added an insurance goal in the 66th minute as the Red Bulls shellacked the Union 3-0, and earned a first-round playoff bye. How The 11 voted: Federico Higuain enjoyed the same sort of weekend as Cooper. The Columbus Crew striker scored from open play and added a penalty kick goal. And you could argue that Higuain’s open-play goal, which split two Toronto FC defenders, was nicer than Cooper’s open-play goal. But there are two massive strikes against Higuain — and it explains why our vote went to Cooper. 1. Higuain was scoring in a lame-duck game between two teams that were out of the playoff race. Cooper’s goals mattered as they helped New York’s playoff seeding. 2. Higuain’s goals came against Toronto FC. And while the Philadelphia Union is a bad team, it isn’t nearly as bad a team as TFC. And, we have to consider that — two goals against Toronto FC isn’t that big a deal anymore. At least when it comes to awards.