NEW YORK - In a week that saw nine players gets votes for the Honda MLS Player of the Week, Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Joe Cannon took the honors for Week 14 which ended on Monday, July 4. For the fourth time this season, Cannon and the Rapids were able to pick up points in the standings while finishing a game with less than 11 men. On Monday night Colorado held on to defeat the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 in front of more than 40,000 fans at INVESCO Field at Mile High. Cannon, the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, wins his first Player of the Week award since the 2000 season, when he won twice as a member of the San Jose Earthquakes (Week 3, 17).
Kansas City took the early lead and appeared to have caught a break after Colorado forward Jean Philippe Peguero picked up second caution of the game before the halftime break. However, after the Rapids scored twice within four minutes in the second half to take the lead, Cannon and defense held on for the three points, extending the Rapids all-time record on Independence Day to 9-1-0.
The two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year was called on to make five saves on the night, including perhaps his best save of the year to preserve the lead in the 89th minute. Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury took a shot that deflected off Colorado defender Nat Borchers, and Cannon was able to react by extending his foot to keep the ball from going in.
"The guy opened up and was going to my left," Cannon told the Rocky Mountain News after the game. "It deflected off Nat's butt; I told him to work out this week. Fortunately, it was at the level of my legs, and I was able to kick out and get a piece of it."
The Rapids are now 3-0-1 in 2005 when finishing the game with less than eleven players: May 15 - Colorado 2, Chivas USA 1; May 28 - Colorado 0, New England Revolution 0; June 15 - Colorado 1, Los Angeles Galaxy 0 (finished with nine men); and July 4, Colorado 2, Kansas City 1.
On Wednesday night, Cannon kept the Rapids in the game against his former team, taking a shutout into the final minutes before Dwayne De Rosario scored in the 88th minute to give the Earthquakes the 1-0 win.
FC Dallas midfielder Arturo Alvarez, San Jose Earthquakes' goalkeeper Pat Onstad and New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph were next in line for the weekly award. The Honda Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected every week throughout the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
2005 PLAYER OF THE WEEK WINNERS
Week 1: Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew)
Week 2: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 3: Jon Busch (Columbus Crew)
Week 4: Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution)
Week 5: Amado Guevara (MetroStars)
Week 6: Freddy Adu (D.C. United)
Week 7: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 8: Ronnie O'Brien (FC Dallas)
Week 9: Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas)
Week 10: Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire)
Week 11: Zach Wells (MetroStars)
Week 12: Jeff Cunningham (Colorado Rapids)
Week 13: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
Week 14: Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids)
