NEW YORK - Columbus Crew forward Edson Buddle was named Honda MLS Player of the Week by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA) for the week ending August 1, 2004 (Week 18). Buddle's fourth and fifth goals of the season carried the Crew to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Burn at Crew Stadium on July 28.
After a header from just inside the penalty spot hit the crossbar on a 37th minute corner kick, Buddle got his club on the scoreboard in the 38th minute after a Burn center back Cory Gibbs made a bad clearance and put the ball right on Crew midfielder Simon Elliott's foot. The New Zealand international's quick pass into the box found an unmarked Buddle, who easily finished to open the scoring.
Five minutes later, in the 43rd minute, it was Elliott who again provided the service, lacing a perfect ball behind the defense on a volley from the right sideline. Buddle controlled the pass inside the left part of the box and calmly chipped the ball over an on-rushing Burn goalkeeper Jeff Cassar to give Columbus a two-goal advantage at the half.
"I thought Edson was strong tonight throughout the game," Crew head coach Greg Andrulis said after the game. "I thought Edson stepped up to the plate big time and a good response to a sub-par performance probably from Saturday night but he knew it, and he wanted to go out and make his stamp on the game, and he did."
The 23-year old earns his second career MLS Player of the Week award (Week 1 - 2003), and is the second Crew player to win the award this year (Jeff Cunningham Week 11).
Buddle was an overwhelming choice for this week's highest honors, ahead of teammates Amado Guevara and Cornell Glen of the MetroStars, and Joe Cannon and Antonio de la Torre of the Colorado Rapids. The Honda Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected every week throughout the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
2004 PLAYER OF THE WEEK WINNER
Week 1: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Week 2: Pat Onstad (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 3: Fabian Taylor (MetroStars)
Week 4: Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 5: Henry Ring (Chicago Fire)
Week 6: Jovan Kirovski (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 7: Pat Onstad (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 8: Alejandro Moreno (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 9: Jovan Kirovski (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 10: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
Week 11: Jeff Cunningham (Columbus Crew)
Week 12: Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United)
Week 13: Amado Guevara (MetroStars)
Week 14: Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 15: Jeff Cassar (Dallas Burn)
Week 16: Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 17: Brad Davis (Dallas Burn)
Week 18: Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew)
