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Goal.com's MLS Player Of The Week: Javier Morales
Javier Morales is Goal.com's MLS player of the week for a game winner against D.C. United.
Apr 14, 2009 7:14:44 PM
In week four of the Major League Soccer season, the Goal.com editors have voted on the best display, and Real Salt Lake's Javier Morales takes the prize for his performance against D.C. United.
On the way to recording the club's first back-to-back win since 2007, Morales helped spur a comeback from going a goal down, and scored the winner himself late in the match.
“The improvisational artist on Jason Kreis's otherwise systematically impressive side, which thrives on its positioning, teamwork, and relentlessness,” site developer Greg Lalas said of Morales. “The Argentine number 10 was involved in nearly every threatening play against DC. And what a strike for the late winner!”
In the first two games Morales collected donuts for his goals and assists statistics. But in RSL's third game, the second at Rio Tinto Stadium, Morales rattled free of that with a precise shot from the top of the box.
“Morales presented himself at just the right time to snatch all three points in RSL's 2-1 win over D.C. on Saturday,” said Goal.com's Kyle McCarthy. “The Argentine playmaker collected a fortunate bounce off Marc Burch in the 80th minute and tucked home the winner past a diving Louis Crayton. The goal capped an active display from Morales, who often carved up the United defense with his passing and coped well with the suffocating presence of United midfielder Clyde Simms.”
Last year it was the assist column Morales excelled in, notching 15, which was good enough for second best in the league, but only scored six. Either way, the 28-year-old needs to be involved in the goals—creating or scoring them—if RSL holds out hope of making it past the Conference Finals, where the team fell last year.
“Utah's team is emerging as a true contender this season, and Morales is a big reason why,” explained chief editor Andrea Canales. “The wily midfielder kept his team organized and effective after they gave up an early goal to DC United, even though Real Salt Lake had had the better of the run of play. Despite picking up an early yellow, Morales orchestrated RSL's charge the rest of the match, while playing carefully enough to stay out of further trouble. His effort was rewarded with a chance late in the game, and he made sure not to waste it, scoring the winning goal to ensure RSL claimed full points.”
Morales didn't monopolize all the votes, however. The only man to assist more goals last year also received some backing. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, like Morales, took a break from creating chances, and scored a crucial goal against the Colorado Rapids.
“The reigning MVP put in another outstanding performance for the Crew on Saturday in their 1-1 draw with Colorado,” explained associate editor Shane Evans. “The veteran Argentine was all over the pitch supplying his teammates with excellent service the entire match until he finally scored off of a beautiful free kick. If wasn't for him, the Crew would have lost the match.”
Another player whose absence would have seen his team lose was Donovan Ricketts. The Jamaican international goalkeeper has struggled with injury this season and only made his debut for the LA Galaxy against Chivas USA on Saturday. He acquitted himself well, making five blocks to keep a clean sheet.
“Ricketts pulled off every save in the book in the SuperClasico,” said associate editor Zac Lee Rigg. “Long shots, shots from four yards out, headers, you name it; nothing was getting past Ricketts. His organization of the defense will improve in time as he gets to know his teammates, but there is no bettering the shot-stopping display he used to stifle Chivas USA's attack.”
Tune in next week for round five's winner.
Go to Goal.com's MLS section for all the latest on the U.S. game.
Goal.com
On the way to recording the club's first back-to-back win since 2007, Morales helped spur a comeback from going a goal down, and scored the winner himself late in the match.
“The improvisational artist on Jason Kreis's otherwise systematically impressive side, which thrives on its positioning, teamwork, and relentlessness,” site developer Greg Lalas said of Morales. “The Argentine number 10 was involved in nearly every threatening play against DC. And what a strike for the late winner!”
In the first two games Morales collected donuts for his goals and assists statistics. But in RSL's third game, the second at Rio Tinto Stadium, Morales rattled free of that with a precise shot from the top of the box.
“Morales presented himself at just the right time to snatch all three points in RSL's 2-1 win over D.C. on Saturday,” said Goal.com's Kyle McCarthy. “The Argentine playmaker collected a fortunate bounce off Marc Burch in the 80th minute and tucked home the winner past a diving Louis Crayton. The goal capped an active display from Morales, who often carved up the United defense with his passing and coped well with the suffocating presence of United midfielder Clyde Simms.”
Last year it was the assist column Morales excelled in, notching 15, which was good enough for second best in the league, but only scored six. Either way, the 28-year-old needs to be involved in the goals—creating or scoring them—if RSL holds out hope of making it past the Conference Finals, where the team fell last year.
“Utah's team is emerging as a true contender this season, and Morales is a big reason why,” explained chief editor Andrea Canales. “The wily midfielder kept his team organized and effective after they gave up an early goal to DC United, even though Real Salt Lake had had the better of the run of play. Despite picking up an early yellow, Morales orchestrated RSL's charge the rest of the match, while playing carefully enough to stay out of further trouble. His effort was rewarded with a chance late in the game, and he made sure not to waste it, scoring the winning goal to ensure RSL claimed full points.”
Morales didn't monopolize all the votes, however. The only man to assist more goals last year also received some backing. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, like Morales, took a break from creating chances, and scored a crucial goal against the Colorado Rapids.
“The reigning MVP put in another outstanding performance for the Crew on Saturday in their 1-1 draw with Colorado,” explained associate editor Shane Evans. “The veteran Argentine was all over the pitch supplying his teammates with excellent service the entire match until he finally scored off of a beautiful free kick. If wasn't for him, the Crew would have lost the match.”
Another player whose absence would have seen his team lose was Donovan Ricketts. The Jamaican international goalkeeper has struggled with injury this season and only made his debut for the LA Galaxy against Chivas USA on Saturday. He acquitted himself well, making five blocks to keep a clean sheet.
“Ricketts pulled off every save in the book in the SuperClasico,” said associate editor Zac Lee Rigg. “Long shots, shots from four yards out, headers, you name it; nothing was getting past Ricketts. His organization of the defense will improve in time as he gets to know his teammates, but there is no bettering the shot-stopping display he used to stifle Chivas USA's attack.”
Tune in next week for round five's winner.
Go to Goal.com's MLS section for all the latest on the U.S. game.
Goal.com
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