Los Angeles Galaxy forward Jovan Kirovski was selected as the Honda MLS Player of the Week by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA) for the week ending Oct. 10 (Week 28). Kirovski scored a pair of second half goals to give the Galaxy a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Burn in front of a sold-out Home Depot Center crowd of 27,000 on Saturday night. The 28-year-old has torched Dallas in his first year in MLS, scoring a pair of goals in each of the three games he has played against the Burn, accounting for six of his eight goals on the year and winning the award after each of the three games (Week 6 and Week 9).
The Galaxy broke the scoreless tie on a goal by Kirovski in the 68th minute. Minutes after coming on as a substitute, midfielder Andreas Herzog drove in a corner kick that was flicked to the back post by Burn forward Jason Kreis. Kirovski was in position to calmly head the ball into the back of the net to give the Galaxy the 1-0 lead.
Kirovski would strike again in the 85th minute off a well-taken free kick. Substitute Joseph Ngwenya earned the kick when he dribbled up the right side before being taken down just outside the box by Burn defender Milton Reyes. Kirovski then bent the ensuing free kick around the wall inside the near post as goalkeeper Scott Garlick was far too late to arrive.
"I thought we played very well tonight and we needed to get a win before the playoffs," said Kirovski afterwards. "I'm glad I was able to do my part and score the two goals."
The two-goal performance was Kirovski's third of the year, tying him with D.C. United's Alecko Eskandarian and the Burn's Eddie Johnson for most multi-goal games on the season. D.C. United goalkeeper Nick Rimando was the runner-up for the weekly award. 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)
Week 19: Brian Mullan (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 20: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Week 21: Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew)
Week 22: Ronnie O'Brien (Dallas Burn)
Week 23: Ross Paule (Columbus Crew)
Week 24: Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United)
Week 25: Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew)
Week 26: Andy Herron (Chicago Fire)
Week 27: Andy Herron (Chicago Fire)
Week 28: Jovan Kirovski (Los Angeles Galaxy)
