Major League Soccer announced today that FC Dallas midfielder Ronnie O'Brien has been named MLS Player of the Week. O'Brien helped lead FC Dallas to two wins last week and pushed them to the top of the Western Conference standings.
O'Brien, 26, earned Man of the Match honors on both Wednesday, May 18 vs. Colorado and on Sunday, May 22 @ Chivas USA. He scored his third goal of the year against Colorado (2-1 win) and then posted his fourth goal as well as his fourth and fifth assists of the season at Chivas USA (5-2 win). The last player for Dallas to win the Player of the Week award was O'Brien during Week 22 of last season.
In nine matches with FC Dallas this season, O'Brien has tallied four goals and five assists with 29 shots and 17 shots on goal. Among league leaders, he ranks tied for first in shots on goal, second in shots, tied for second in assists and tied for sixth in goals.
During his previous three seasons with Dallas, O'Brien recorded five goals in 46 matches compared to the four goals he has already scored through nine games this season. In 2004, he was one of three nominees for MLS Comeback Player of the Year and ranked tied for second in MLS in assists (10).
FC Dallas (5-1-3 for 18 points) currently sits in first place in the Western Conference and is off to their best start in team history after nine matches. They will travel to DC United this Saturday, May 28 (6:30 p.m. CST) in a match that will be televised on FSN Southwest. It will be the second match of four straight on the road for the club from May 22 - June 12.
