Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 3 of the 2009 season. Casey struck early and often as the Rapids defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on the road Saturday night.
This is Casey's second career MLS Player of the Week Award. His last Player of the Week award came in Week 27 of the 2008 season after he notched his first career hat trick in a 5-4 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
The veteran forward got off to a quick start clinically tapping in an Omar Cummings pass into the open net only 16 seconds into the game. The goal was the second fastest in MLS history behind only Dwayne De Rosario's strike, as a member of the San Jose Earthquakes, 11 seconds into a match versus Dallas on Sept. 27, 2003.
Casey struck again in the 49th minute only 96 seconds after the Galaxy had taken a 2-1 lead in the game. With the trailing, Cummings fired a looping cross from the right side finding Casey, who buried the ball past the outstretched legs of Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders.
Casey's third goal, and the game winner, came in the 84th minute on a pass from Colin Clark. The left winger stole the ball from Galaxy defender Sean Franklin and raced up the field. Clark found Casey on a well-timed pass that put the forward behind the Galaxy defense. Casey dribbled the ball in the open space beating Saunders one-on-one before tucking the ball into the back of the empty net.
Casey, a native of Denver, Colo., played two years of college soccer at the University of Portland before heading to Germany where he played with Bundesliga sides Borussia Dortmund, Hannover 96, Karlsruher SC and FSV Mainz 05. Casey was acquired by the Colorado Rapids in a trade with Toronto FC on April 19, 2007. He's scored 16 goals for the Rapids in three MLS seasons.
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/.
2009 MLS Player of the Week Winners
WEEK 1:
Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 2:
Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 3:
Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
