NEW YORK (Friday, July 23, 2021) – Seattle Sounders FC forward Raúl Ruidíaz has been voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 14 of the 2021 MLS season.
Ruidíaz scored the game-winning goal in the Sounders’ 1-0 win over Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Sounders forward entered a scoreless game in the 54th minute, but it didn’t take long for the Peruvian international to make his mark on the game. In the 67th minute, Ruidíaz brought down a deflected pass with his chest and unleashed an incredible bending shot over the goalkeeper from just below the center circle, all of 40 yards out from goal (WATCH GOAL).
The goal was the cherry on top of a valiant performance from an incredibly youthful Sounders FC starting lineup that included five teenagers. It was the first time in MLS history that a club started that many teenagers in a game, and three of them went on to play the full game, part of the second-youngest lineup to start a game in league annals.
With the goal, Ruidíaz moves clear of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings with 11 goals. The goal also secured three points that maintained the Sounders’ two-point lead over the New England Revolution in the Supporters’ Shield standings.
Ruidíaz and the Seattle Sounders will be back in action on Sunday, July 25 when they host Sporting Kansas City (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+) in a top-of-the-table clash between the top two teams in the Western Conference.
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.
