WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. United midfielder and leading MVP candidate Christian Gomez has been named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 26. Gomez had a hand in all four United goals - earning a goal and two assists - in the team's 4-3 win over the New York Red Bulls on September 23.
The award marks the third time in his career - and second time this month - Gomez has taken home Player of the Week honors. He previously won the award for Week 23 following his two-goal performance against Chivas USA. With two assists on Saturday, Gomez now leads the League with 11 assists, and has scored the third-most goals in the League, with 11.
Gomez played a part in each of United's four goals against New York, as it was his dangerous free kick in the 10th minute that caromed off a defender's leg and into the back of New York's net to put D.C. up 1-0. In the 60th minute, After the Red Bulls tied the score, Gomez raced onto Jaime Moreno's through-ball and calmly slotted the ball between onrushing Tony Meola's legs. He opened up the Red Bull defense again in the 73rd minute, showing great vision to find Ben Olsen with a pass that would result in a Jaime Moreno goal. Gomez's long outlet to Moreno was the second assist on Matias Donnet's goal in the 89th that gave United a lead it would not relinquish.
The Black-and-Red play their final road game of the regular season this Saturday with a trip to Houston to take on the Houston Dynamo (8:30 p.m. ET), before returning home for two final regular season home games - Oct. 7 versus the third place New England Revolution and Oct. 15 versus the second place Chicago Fire.
