MetroStars forward Fabian Taylor was named MLS Player of the Week by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA) for the week ending April 17, 2004 (Week 3). The 23-year-old St. Catherine, Jamaica native also earned Man of the Match honors after notching two goals in Saturday’s 3-2 Metros win over D.C. United at Giants Stadium (Taylor Scores Two:56K | 350K).
Taylor, who replaced Mike Magee in the game at the half, scored his first goal of the season and first as a Metro just five minutes after entering the contest. Metros midfielder Mark Lisi played a cross into the box, and Taylor headed the ball with force toward the lower right corner. United goalkeeper Doug Warren made a spectacular save on Taylor’s attempt, but the Jamaican international pounced on the rebound first and put it over Warren from a tight angle to tie the score at 1-1.
"(Taylor) made a huge difference for us today," MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley said. "The first goal really turned things around.”
The MetroStars added to their lead in the 63rd minute when the striker got his second of the game. Midfielder Eddie Gaven created space by turning D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff to the inside and slipping through a short pass into the left side of the penalty area where Taylor collected the ball and fired a shot that Warren got a hand on but could not stop as the ball trickled into the goal to make the score 3-1.
"We just weren't going to accept a loss today," Taylor said. "We stepped it up a notch and our midfield played well for us."
Taylor became the first Metro to score a goal in his Giants Stadium debut since John Wolyniec on August 18, 1999 in a 4-2 MetroStars loss to the Columbus Crew. Taylor also becomes the first MetroStars player since goalkeeper Jonny Walker to earn Player of the Week honors (Week 19 – 2003) and the first Metros forward since Mamadou Diallo in 2002.
Formerly a top scorer in Jamaica with Harbour View, Taylor has appeared in each of the team’s first two games in 2004 after being signed by the team on March 3.
The 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). Dallas Burn forward Eddie Johnson and San Jose Earthquakes forward Dwayne DeRosario finished behind Taylor as the runners-up for this week’s award.
