FC Dallas player Jeff Cunningham named Player of the Week for fourth time

by PegNews wire

FRISCO — FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted MLS Player of the week for Week 30 of the regular season. Cunningham assisted on David Ferreira’s opening goal and scored the game-winning goal, his league-leading 17th tally of the season, to propel FC Dallas to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. FC Dallas’ third consecutive win kept them alive in the race for the playoffs.

Cunningham’s 17th goal of the season came in the 81st minute, courtesy of a Dax McCarty assist. After San Jose tied the score in the 73rd minute, FC Dallas again needed Cunningham’s heroics to grab a crucial victory. Cunningham leads the league with seven game-winning goals this season, and is the all-time MLS leader with 36 in his career.

The win moved FC Dallas to 10-12-6 with 36 points. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and Cunningham has scored 16 goals in the last 13 games. The Player of the Week award is Cunningham’s fourth of the season and the 13th of his 12-year career.

Cunningham leads the Budweiser Golden Boot race by one goal over Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey (16). Casey’s 16 MLS goals are a career high for the American forward, whose two goals on Saturday helped propel the U.S. national team to a 3-2 victory over Honduras in World Cup qualifying.

Cunningham and Casey meet on Saturday in the MLS Impact Game of the Week on Saturday, Oct.17 at 7:30 p.m. at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Rapids sit one place, and four points, ahead of FC Dallas in the Western Conference standings. A victory for FC Dallas on Saturday would keep them alive in the race for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but a loss or tie could end their season. While a win is vital for each team, Cunningham and Casey are also aiming for one of the League’s highest individual honors -- the Budweiser Golden Boot.

The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com.

2009 MLS Player of the Week winners

WEEK 1: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)

WEEK 2: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)

WEEK 3: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)

WEEK 4: Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)

WEEK 5: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

WEEK 6: Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake)

WEEK 7: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)

WEEK 8: Macoumba Kandji (New York Red Bulls)

WEEK 9: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

WEEK 10: Amado Guevara (Toronto FC)

WEEK 11: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)

WEEK 12: Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)

WEEK 13: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)

WEEK 14: Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids)

WEEK 15: Nate Jaqua (Seattle Sounders FC)

WEEK 16: Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)

WEEK 17: Chad Barrett (Toronto FC)

WEEK 18: Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire)

WEEK 19: Yura Movsisyan (Real Salt Lake)

WEEK 20: Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)

WEEK 21: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)

WEEK 22: Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew)

WEEK 23: Kheli Dube (New England Revolution)

WEEK 24: Pablo Campos (Real Salt Lake)

WEEK 25: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

WEEK 26: Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)

WEEK 27: Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)

WEEK 28: Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution)

WEEK 29: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

WEEK 30: Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas)

Source: FC Dallas