NEW YORK (Friday, July 1, 2022) – FC Cincinnati forward Brenner was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire for the 17th week of the 2022 MLS season.
Brenner became the first player in FC Cincinnati history to score a hat trick in the club’s 4-4 draw against New York City FC. He is the eighth player in MLS this season to score a hat trick and the first to do so since Atlanta United’s Ronaldo Cisneros on May 7. It was also Brenner’s second career game in which he scored multiple goals, joining Brandon Vázquez as the only players to do so in Cincinnati history. The Brazilian has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
With Cincinnati leading 1-0 in the 24th minute, midfielder Luciano Acosta slipped a pass into Brenner who slotted a one-timed finish past the NYCFC goalkeeper and into the side-netting for a two-goal advantage (Watch Here). Six minutes later, the forward scored a sensational second goal when Vázquez flicked the ball up to him just outside of the six-yard box, which Brenner acrobatically smashed into the net with a bicycle kick, giving Cincinnati a 3-0 lead (Watch Here).
After Cincinnati went down 4-3 in the second half, Brenner rose to the occasion again as Acosta found him at the top of the 18-yard box and the Brazilian smashed his left-footed effort past the sprawling goalkeeper and into the net for his hat trick (Watch Here).
Brenner’s 12 career goals with Cincinnati are the third-most in club history and he previously set the team record for the most goals in a season in 2021 with eight. With his hat trick, Cincinnati joins Inter Miami CF as the two clubs to record their first-ever hat trick in 2022.
Brenner is the first player in FC Cincinnati history to win MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire. Cincinnati is now the 30th different franchise in MLS history to have a player earn MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire honors.
Cincinnati will look to set a franchise record for the most points in a season when they travel to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Revolution on Sunday, July 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+).
The MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire for Week 17 was selected by media voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprised the entire vote for Week 17. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
