NEW YORK - D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio was selected as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week after leading United to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday, June 16. With the victory, D.C. (5-3-2, 17 pts.) has now stretched its unbeaten streak to seven games.
Emilio, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season, found the net in both halves. His first goal came in the 25th minute as he beat an offside trap and lofted a Christian Gomez pass over the head of Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Emilio's second goal came in the 51st minute when Pickens saved a Gomez shot that deflected right into the Brazilian's path for an easy finish into the open net.
In his first MLS season, Emilio has five goals and one assist in 10 games. He was signed as a Senior International player on Jan. 16, 2007, from Honduran side Club Deportiva Olimpia. Emilio led CD Olimpia to league championships in 2005 and 2006, and scored eight goals in the UNCAF tournament to help earn CD Olimpia a berth in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He would eventually play against his former club as a member of United in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Emilio scored four goals in four Champions Cup games. He scored three in the opening round win over CD Olimpia and struck for another in the club's 1-1 draw with CD Guadalajara - a series United eventually lost 3-2.
This is Emilio's first career MLS Player of the Week award and it is the second consecutive Player of the Week award for United, as Ben Olsen won in Week 10. United is back in action on Saturday, June 23 as they travel to face Real Salt Lake at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel.
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).
2007 Player of the Week Winners
Week 1: Jeff Cunningham (Real Salt Lake)
Week 2: Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 3: Maykel Galindo (Chivas USA)
Week 4: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 5: Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo)
Week 6: Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
Week 7: Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)
Week 8: Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 9: Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 10: Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Week 11: Luciano Emilio (D.C. United)
