NEW YORK (Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021) – D.C. United forward Ola Kamara has been voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 25 of the 2021 MLS season.
Kamara scored all three of United’s goals in a 3-0 win against Chicago Fire FC at Audi Field on Wednesday evening, extending the club’s undefeated streak to three games and maintaining their position above the qualification line for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Kamara now has 16 goals for the season, taking over the lead in the standings for the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, passing Raúl RuidÃaz of Seattle Sounders FC. The hat trick was the second of Kamara’s career, his first coming in his sixth-ever MLS appearance for the Columbus Crew on May 28, 2016. Kamara has scored five goals over United’s three-game undefeated run, and is also tied for the league lead with six game-winning goals.
Kamara gave United a two-goal lead early on, converting a pair of penalty kicks, one in the ninth minute and one in the 35th minute. Kamara became the eighth player in MLS history to score two penalty kicks in one game, and now has seven goals from penalty kicks this season.
The Norway international then completed his hat trick in the 44th minute, heading home a cross from Julian Gressel from the right flank to complete United’s victory
Kamara and D.C. United put their undefeated run on the line on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 18, when they travel to face Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, Univision / TUDN).
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.
