FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Revolution midfielder Sainey Nyassi (SIGN-nee ny-AH-see) earned MLS Sierra Mist Goal of the Week honors for Week 1 following his stunning solo effort in the season-opening 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 29, the league announced on Wednesday after national voting closed at MLSnet.com.
With the Revs leading 2-0 in the 93rd minute, Nyassi intercepted a pass at midfield before streaking down the right wing. With a defender stepping up to him at the 18-yard box, the 19-year-old Gambian used a lightning-quick stepover move to put the defender off balance before blasting a right-footed shot just under Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad's crossbar. It was Nyassi's first career MLS goal in his first-ever MLS start.
The midfielder also made history by becoming the youngest-ever opening-day starter in Revolution history, at 19 years, one month and 28 days old.
Nyassi's Goal of the Week nod is the 10th in club history. In 2004, the award's inaugural season, Steve Ralston won twice (Wks. 15 and 29) and Joe Franchino once (Wk. 5). In 2005, Taylor Twellman won twice (Wks. 1 and 24) and Clint Dempsey once (Wk. 5), while Dempsey also won the award in Week 28 of 2006. Last year, Twellman took home Goal of the Week honors in Weeks 4 and 24.
The Revolution's next match will be its first road contest of the 2008 season, as the team will travel to Chicago to take on the Fire in the 2008 premier of ESPN2's Primetime Thursday on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET at Toyota Park. The game will also be available to radio listeners on the WEEI Radio Network and on both national Spanish television (ESPN Deportes) and radio (ESPN Deportes Radio).
