The stranglehold on MLS Player of the Week by LA Galaxy players has ceased and the weekly award has now made its way to the team currently holding the top spot in MLS.
Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers earns this week's SBI MLS Player of the Week honors (as well as the official MLS player of the week prize-which I also vote for). His two goals in the Crew's 3-2 come from behind victory, including this blast, earned him the honor.
As far as honorable mention this week, Juan Pablo Angel deserves mention for his game-winning goal against the Galaxy, while Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Bakary Soumare both deserve mention for their roles in Chicago's 2-0 triumph against D.C. United.
As for Player of the Weak? That goes to a goalkeeper who swung and missed, and helped a team taste victory for the first time this season.
Bouna Coundoul claims the Player of the Weak prize this week for his Whiff-Turned-Goal play in Colorado's 2-1 loss to Houston. For those of you who missed it, here's the play:
Now I'm still a Coundoul fan, but that play is terrible. And yes, I know Dario Sala made a somewhat similar play for FC Dallas but the difference there is that Sala actually connected with his clearance, which happened to hit a defender racing in.
Who else was in the Player of the Weak running? Ugo Ihemelu, Luciano Emilio and James Riley were also in the running.
Who do you think deserved Player of the Week this week? How about POWeak? Share your thoughts below
Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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While watching the Coundoul play live, my thought wasn't that he made a weak play by missing the ball, but how strange it was that both Bouna and Brian Ching swung and missed. Obviously, it worked out for Ching and the Dynamo. Glad to see the real San Jose Earthquakes get a win.
Posted by: Yusef | May 13, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Yusef- im sorry but you must have your weeks mixed up, b/c the real SJ Earthquakes lost to the Crew....
Posted by: brett | May 13, 2008 at 03:30 PM
good pick with Rogers.... always liked him, despite the fact he plays for the Crew... hope he succeeds and does well to get noticed by the Nats...
Posted by: brett | May 13, 2008 at 03:31 PM
Luciano Emilio as a runner-up? Really? Seriously? The guy is a no-show for yet another game (that's seven weeks now) while playing for a team in contention for bottom-of-the-barrel in the league and he gets a nod for runner-up on this list?
I absolutely understand the piling on by fans of other teams on the Bash-DC-United-Ban-Wagon; however, a no-show performance should not amount to a runner-up on the list of notoriously bad performances.
Posted by: Mickey | May 13, 2008 at 03:35 PM
It's nice to see the 6-0-1 Crew finally get a Player of the Week ahead of the 2-2-3 LA Galaxy...
Posted by: Brant | May 13, 2008 at 03:35 PM
Angel had a nasty game. His insane backwards flick-on header off a throw in indirectly led to the first goal as well, as it set up the blocked shot by Jozy and the rebound to Borman.
Even when he is not averaging a goal a game he is helping the team wins, never stops working and does all the little things right.
Having said that, I probably would have voted for Rogers as well this week.
Posted by: kpugs | May 13, 2008 at 03:43 PM
That miss was hilarious.
Posted by: Nick | May 13, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Well said, Ives on Bouna. While I am a big supporter of BounaTime here in Denver, this is the kind of play he needs to eliminate from his game. It seems like once a game Bouna does something silly that puts the team in danger. Really, a flying kick that takes you 10 yards outside the 18? Really? Time to lock it down Bouna.
Posted by: Bonji | May 13, 2008 at 03:50 PM
Soumare? Really? Most of the game he was matched up on Franco Neill. Didn't see that as much of a battle.
Posted by: JMR | May 13, 2008 at 04:32 PM
Yeah Franco Neill and all those players who tried to come through the middle had their way with Soumare....all those goals...
Theres probably only one player in the league who could keep Conde on the bench....
Soumare.
JMR are you really Conde?
Posted by: mike ruze | May 13, 2008 at 04:48 PM
Bouna Coundoul's miss was priceless!! That should definitely be on that Comedy Soccer Reel you had posted awhile back. :D
Posted by: inkedAG | May 13, 2008 at 05:01 PM
While Bouna's whiff was the more comical weak play for the Rapids on Saturday, Ugo's awful 87th min handball in the box was the WEAKEST play of the week. It cost the Rapids a point. And yes, two very weak plays for the Rapids.
Posted by: ghost | May 13, 2008 at 07:23 PM
Agree with ghost. two weak plays gave the match to Houston. I'm still waiting for the Dynamo to EARN their first victory.
Posted by: kco | May 14, 2008 at 11:38 AM