D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio was selected as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week after pacing the D.C. offense with four goals as D.C. strengthened its lead in the Eastern Conference with a 2-2 draw versus Chivas USA and a 4-2 victory over the New England Revolution.
Emilio began Week 23 with a two-goal performance on ESPN2's MLS Primetime Thursday, notching both of his team's goals in the draw. Emilio opened the scoring in the third minute with a rising blast from about 17 yards out. He struck again in the 26th minute when he stretched out his right leg to jab the rebound of a Jaime Moreno shot past Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Three days later, Emilio led the attack in United's 4-2 win over Eastern Conference foe New England. In the 67th minute, he jumped to avoid blocking a Christian Gomez shot and deflected the ball past New England goalkeeper Matt Reis to give United a 3-2 advantage. United added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute when Emilio met Brian Carroll's lofted cross with a powerful header into the net.
This marks the third time this season Emilio has been awarded MLS Player of the Week honors, having been recognized in both Week 11 and Week 18. D.C. United has garnered this accolade six times in 2007; Emilio (3), Ben Olsen (2), and Nicolas Addlery (1) have earned the recognition.
In his first MLS season, Emilio leads the race for the Budweiser Golden Boot with 18 goals, four ahead of New York's Juan Pablo Angel and Kansas City's Eddie Johnson. His four game-winning goals are tied for third most in Major League Soccer. Emilio has scored eight goals during his team's current eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1).
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)
Week 12: Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)
Week 13: Nicholas Addlery (D.C. United)
Week 14: Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo)
Week 15: Juan Toja (FC Dallas)
Week 16: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 17: Ante Razov (Chivas USA)
Week 18: Luciano Emilio (D.C. United)
Week 19: Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)
Week 20: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls)
Week 21: Maykel Galindo (Chivas USA)
Week 22: Ben Olsen (D.C. United)
Week 23: Luciano Emilio (D.C. United)
