It's another sweep in Kansas City. Sporting KC winger Graham Zusi won MLS Goal of the Week and goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum earned MLS Save of the Week on Friday as MLSsoccer.com announced the Week 31 award recipients.
VIDEO: Zusi delivers dagger
Zusi's game-winning goal -- a left-footed shot from 25 yards out in the 80th minute of last Friday's 2-0 win over Chicago -- secured Sporting KC's fourth consecutive postseason berth and improved the club's all-time record to 17-0-2 when Zusi scores in an MLS match. The Goal of the Week honor is Zusi's second of the season (Week 20) and the team's third such accolade (Dom Dwyer, Week 4) in 2014. The highlight strike was the No. 6 play on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays and headlined KickTV's Week 31 goal compilation.
MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK VOTING (WEEK 31)
1. Graham Zusi (SKC) – 38.73%
2. Kristopher Tyrpak (CHV) – 18.79%
3. Marco Di Vaio (MTL) – 18.52%
4. Stefan Ishizaki (LA) – 13.69%
5. Fabian Espindola (DC) – 10.27%
VIDEO: Gruenebaum fends off Fire
Gruenebaum made six saves in a Man of the Match performance, with his first coming in the 21st minute on Matt Watson's volley moments after leaving his line to win an aerial dual. The Overland Park, Kansas native recorded his 21st career clean sheet in the victory and now has a 308-minute shutout streak, the longest active streak in MLS. Gruenebaum becomes the third different Sporting KC goalkeeper to win the weekly award in 2014 -- a first for any team in MLS history -- after Eric Kronberg (Week 9) and Jon Kempin (Weeks 22 and 23) previously received the recognition.
MLS SAVE OF THE WEEK VOTING (WEEK 31)
1. Andy Gruenebaum (SKC) 41.96%
2. Luis Robles (NY) 26.24%
3. Bill Hamid (DC) 13.28%
4. Tyler Deric (HOU) 10.57%
5. Bobby Shuttleworth (NE) 7.95%
Sporting Kansas City will play their final MLS road game of the regular season at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Philadelphia Union. Live coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. CT on 38 the Spot in Kansas City and across the Midwest on SKCTV. The Eastern Conference match-up will also be available for viewers outside of KC as MLSsoccer.com's Stream of the Week.
