FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper has been named MLS Player of the Week for Week 16. Cooper led FC Dallas to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday, July 15 with an assist and the game-winning goal. The win kept FC Dallas atop the standings in the Western Conference, three points ahead of second place Houston Dynamo. Cooper edged Real Salt Lake's Jeff Cunningham and Chicago Fire's Andy Herron for the honor.
Cooper's game winner and key assist helped the visiting Dallas club came from behind to defeat the Fire on an extremely hot day in Chicago. In the 8th minute Cooper slid a pass to Ramon Nunez, who let a shot fly and rippled the net from 20 yards, beating Zach Thornton to his right for his third goal of the season. With the match level in the 80th minute Cooper capped the Dallas comeback. Arturo Alvarez chipped in a cross and Cooper rose up between defenders and rifled a header inside the far post for his seventh goal this season.
Cooper is in his first season with the MLS, he was signed in February by FC Dallas. Prior to his signing, Cooper was a member of the Manchester United reserve squad. He has recorded seven goals trailing only teammate Carlos Ruiz by one goal for the team lead. Cooper has also tallied two assists to go along with his seven goals.
The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
2006 Player of the Week Winners
Week 1: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
Week 2: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Week 3: Cornell Glen (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 4: Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United)
Week 5: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 6: Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo)
Week 7: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake)
Week 8: Jean Philippe Peguero (New York Red Bulls)
Week 9: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Week 10: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake)
Week 11: Ante Razov (Chivas USA)
Week 12: Scott Sealy (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 13: Troy Perkins (D.C. United)
Week 14: Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution)
Week 15: Nicholas Hernandez (Colorado Rapids)
Week 16: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
