Los Angeles Galaxy forward Edson Buddle was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 8 of the 2008 season. Buddle's hat trick led the Galaxy to a 5-1 victory over FC Dallas that kept his team within one point of the top spot in the Western Conference.
With the Galaxy up 1-0 in the 31st minute, Buddle chested a long ball down to Landon Donovan, who played the ball back to him. Buddle then muscled his way through three defenders and finished with a forceful strike into the upper left corner of the goal.
After an FC Dallas own goal, Buddle struck again in the 39th minute when he poached an errant clearance of Donovan's corner kick, giving the Galaxy its fourth goal in a 15-minute span.
FC Dallas got on the board in the 55th minute when Dominic Oduro headed home Kenny Cooper's cross, but unlike last year's SuperLiga contest between the teams, a wild comeback did not ensue.
A red card to Adrian Serioux for rash challenge on David Beckham reduced the home team to 10 men in the 75th minute. Then Buddle finished off the scoring by nodding down Beckham's delicate cross to the back post in the 85th minute.
Sunday's performance was Buddle's third career hat trick, placing him fourth on the all-time MLS list behind Stern John (5), Diego Serna (4), Mamadou Diallo (4), and Cobi Jones (4).
This is the sixth Player of the Week award for Buddle; he won it four times as a member of the Columbus Crew and once during his stint with the New York Red Bulls. The Galaxy (3-3-2, 11 points) return to action on Saturday, May 24 when they host the Kansas City Wizards at 10:30 p.m. ET on HDNet.
The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.
2008 Player of the Week Winners
Week 1:
Terry Cooke (Colorado Rapids)
Week 2:
David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 3:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 4:
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 5:
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 6:
David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 7:
Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Week 8:
Edson Buddle (Los Angles Galaxy)
