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Donovan named player of the week
LA forward Landon Donovan, following a one-goal, three assist effort against Seattle on Saturday, and an assist on the lone goal against the Rapids on Wednesday, was named the MLS Player of the Week for Week 7 by the North American Soccer Reporters on Monday.
The Galaxy kicked off the week on Wednesday with a game against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Donovan earned his third game-winning assist of the season as in the 21st minute, he sent a free kick to the left corner of the six-yard box for forward Alan Gordon. An unmarked Gordon got underneath the service and placed a header past Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens for the game-winner.
Donovan began Saturday’s effort in the 22nd minute of the game as he slipped a pass back to midfielder Michael Stephens, who sent a through ball to forward Jovan Kirovski as he was running toward the top of the area. Kirovski unleashed a rocket of a shot that goalkeeper Kasey Keller was unable to stop, giving the Galaxy a one goal lead midway through the first half and Donovan his fourth game-winning assist.
The Galaxy doubled its lead and Donovan notched his second assist in the 52nd minute. Donovan sent an arching corner kick to the near post, six yards out, and defender Omar Gonzalez got above the defense to place a header just inside the right post.
Donovan’s third assist came off another set piece just five minutes later. In the 57th minute, he placed a free kick, taken from the left side of the field, over the heads of the Seattle defense. The ball bounced just outside the six-yard box and defender Todd Dunivant capitalized on the opportunity by sending a diving header past Keller.
The Galaxy forward has assisted on five of teammate Edson Buddle’s nine goals in 2010 and Buddle returned the favor Saturday by setting up Donovan for his first goal of the season. In the 67th minute, Buddle carried the ball along the right sideline, cut inside toward the 18-yard box, and sent a pass through the box for Donovan running into the area. Donovan redirected the cross just inside the right post from less than six yards out to score the Galaxy’s fourth and final goal of the match.
Donovan has consistently contributed to the LA attack throughout the 2010 season with an assist in all but two of the Galaxy’s eight matches. He currently leads the league in assists with nine.
CSN vote: Donovan. This is how the most critical member of the US men’s national team should be playing in the lead up to the World Cup. Donovan has often vanished at altitude, but he didn’t last week. He was an easy pick for the top spot.
The other: The runner-up on the ColoradoSoccerNow ballot was Bobby Convey. He drew the foul that reduced New York to 10 men on Saturday, and then he chipped in three assists for the San Jose Earthquakes in a 4-0 rout.
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