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Ecuadorian earns league honors
Toronto FC forward Joao Plata was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters for Week 8 of the 2011 MLS season.
The 19-year-old Ecuadorian recorded his first MLS goal and first assist in his team’s 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field.
Early in the second half, Nick Soolsma picked off a pass in the Dynamo defensive line. As he advanced into the penalty area, Soolsma was taken down by André Hainault. Plata immediately picked up the ball to take the ensuing penalty kick, confidently smashing it underneath the crossbar and past goalkeeper Tally Hall.
With Toronto leading 1-0 in the 81st minute, Soolsma sprung Plata on the left wing. Plata dribbled at his defender and slid the ball into the path of Maicon Santos, who took a touch before firing it past Hall into the far low corner. Santos’ strike proved to be the game-winner after Lovell Palmer’s late tally for Houston.
Plata was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft as the 49th overall pick.
CSN Vote: In a weekend with a host of ties, we voted for defense. ‘Keeper Kevin Hartman earned a vote for his performance in Dallas’s 0-0 draw. Defender Tim Ream made a crucial clearance to preserve New York’s 1-1 tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy in a game that featured wide open play for 90 minutes.
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