Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber was announced as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week on Monday, receiving the most votes from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for week 19 of the 2014 MLS season. Feilhaber, 29, contributed to both goals in the team's 2-1 victory at Columbus last Wednesday and scored in his second straight match as the reigning MLS Cup champions defeated the LA Galaxy on Saturday at Sporting Park.
“It is exciting, because the recipients of the award usually means their team won that week," Feilhaber said. "Obviously it is more important that almost all of our players are back and healthy. We are in good form and it feels great to contribute to the team.”
Feilhaber gave Sporting KC a 1-0 lead at Crew Stadium when his corner kick was headed home by C.J. Sapong in the 42nd minute. The assist was his team-leading fifth of the season and 20th of his MLS career (including postseason). Three of his five assists in 2014 have come from set pieces, second most in MLS behind Brad Davis (4).
VIDEO: Feilhaber CK headed home
In the game's final minute, Feilhaber's first-time shot from outside the penalty area beat Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark and struck the underside of the crossbar to move the team back atop the Eastern Conference standings. The goal is Sporting Kansas City's latest game-winning goal of the season and is one of five nominees up for MLS Goal of the Week (vote here).
VIDEO: Feilhaber stuns Crew in stoppage time
The road win -- the team's fourth straight, a new single-season club record -- marked the second time in Feilhaber's four-year MLS career in which he recorded a goal and an assist in the same match.
On Saturday, Feilhaber followed the mid-week performance with his third goal of the season, second most among Sporting KC players, with a free kick from 20 yards out. The right-footed strike curled beyond the reach of LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and into the upper corner for the 11th goal of his MLS career.
VIDEO: Feilhaber buries free kick
It marked the second straight season Feilhaber scored directly from a free kick, accounting for the team's only two free kick finishes in the past two years and leaving him one behind Camilo for most by an MLS player since the start of 2012.
In 2014, Feilhaber has started the most MLS matches (19) of any Sporting KC player and has suffered the second most fouls in MLS (48). He is amongst the top five MLS midfielders in the following statistical categories: passes (1050, No. 5), passes in opponents half (654, No. 5), successful passes in opponents half (510, No. 5), passes into final third (196, No. 2), touches (1399, No. 5), duels (232, No. 4), duels won (127, No. 5) and recoveries (153, No. 4).
Today's honor is Feilhaber's first career MLS Player of the Week recognition, finishing ahead of Robbie Keane (LA) and Bernardo Anor (CLB), and second by a Sporting KC player this season (Graham Zusi, Week 4). The team has also won each of the last two MLS Player of the Month votes with Dom Dwyer (May) and Eric Kronberg (June) receiving the accolades.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR that consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at www.soccerreporters.com.
Sporting KC's MLS Player of the Week History
1996 - Preki (Week 8), Mark Chung (Week 12)
1997 - Preki (Weeks 12 & 14)
1998 - Vitalis Takawira (Week 10)
1999 - Chris Klein (Week 19)
2000 - Peter Vermes (Week 10), Tony Meola (Week 15)
2001 - Chris Klein (Week 2), Chris Brown (Week 3)
2002 - Chris Klein (Week 4), Tony Meola (Week 21)
2003 - Chris Klein (Weeks 2 & 27), Preki (Weeks 9 & 12), Igor Simutenkov (Week 15)
2004 - Davy Arnaud (Week 14)
2005 - Josh Wolff (Weeks 7 & 20)
2006 - Scott Sealy (Week 12), Davy Arnaud (Week 24), Josh Wolff (Week 27), Jose Burciaga Jr. (Week 28)
2007 - Eddie Johnson (Weeks 2, 8 & 9), Scott Sealy (Week 24)
2008 - Claudio Lopez (Week 30)
2009 - Josh Wolff (Weeks 5, 9 & 25)
2011 - Omar Bravo (Week 1), Graham Zusi (Week 23)
2013 - Graham Zusi (Week 10)
2014 - Graham Zusi (Week 4), Benny Feilhaber (Week 19)
