August 16, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK – Seattle Sounders FC forward Raúl Ruidíaz has been voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 19 of the 2021 MLS season.
Ruidíaz scored two goals in Sounders FC’s 6-2 victory against arch-rivals Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sunday evening.
With the score tied 2-2 early in the second half, Ruidíaz gave Sounders FC the lead in stunning fashion. Just after Nicolás Lodeiro was fouled outside the box, Ruidíaz hammered a remarkable free kick over the wall and high into the upper right corner of the goal. It was the first direct free kick goal for Ruidíaz in his four MLS seasons.
Then in the 72nd minute, Lodeiro took a free kick that skirted past the wall, but was saved by Timbers goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. But Ruidíaz was quickest to the rebound and tucked it home past the sprawling ‘keeper.
With the two goals, Ruidíaz now has 13 goals for the season, leading the standings for the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi by one goal ahead of Gustavo Bou of the New England Revolution. The 13 goals are also a single-season career-high for Ruidíaz in his four MLS campaigns, the Peruvian international having hit for double digits in goals in each campaign.
Ruidíaz and the Sounders will be back in action on Wednesday evening when they face FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (8:30 p.m. ET ; ESPN+)
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
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