Castrol Weekly Top 20: Santos rises above them all

When you look at the track record of former Toronto FC players, what Maicon Santos is doing this year for D.C. United isn’t all that remarkable.

After all, guys like Edson Buddle, Conor Casey, Dwayne De Rosario, Jeff Cunningham – believe me, the list goes on, and on, and on – have gotten the post-TFC career bump, resulting in Golden Boots, MVPs, Supporters’ Shields and MLS Cups.

So Santos is merely looking to continue that trend. As such he finds himself amongst the league’s scoring leaders a quarter of the way into the 2012 season, helping drive United up the table. This past Saturday against Houston, the center forward submitted his piece de resistance, bagging two goals – including the game-winner – in a 3-2 triumph.

It was good enough to put him at the top of the Castrol Weekly Index, as he grabbed 1,498 points per 90 minutes. It also marks the second straight week a United attacker has held the No. 1 spot, as Chris Pontius wore the crown after a Week 7 hat trick against the New York Red Bulls.

Goalkeepers Ryan Meara and Matt Pickens claimed the Nos. 2 and 3 spots, respectively. Meara – the erstwhile Irish youth international – posted his first shutout as a pro, producing a double-handful of quality saves for New York on shots from both inside and outside the box. He was also quick and brave off his line, no doubt the skills that have attracted notice across the pond.

Pickens, meanwhile, put up a vintage performance in Colorado’s 4-0 throttling of Chivas USA. The veteran always produces one or two highlight-reel saves per match, and this time was no different.

Houston forward Will Bruin pulled in at No. 4. The sophomore had both goals in the Dynamo’s loss, and has finally found his scoring touch after a rough start to the season. Over the past three games he has four goals and an assist, and has been the brightest light in his club’s season-opening road odyssey.

Rounding out the top five is Pickens’ teammate, Kamani Hill. The recently acquired attacker grabbed a brace in his side’s win, and has become a vital cog in the Colorado attack since his acquisition last month. Hill has shown the ability to play either up top or in midfield, making him difficult for opposing defenders to track.

MLS Player of the Week Steven Lenhart came in No. 6 thanks to his match-winning brace against the Philadelphia Union. Lenhart was left to pick up the slack for star man Chris Wondolowski, who failed to crack the top 20 for the first time in five weeks.

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