Chicago Fire forward Nate Jaqua was selected as the Honda MLS Player of the Week for Week 10 which ended on June 5, 2005. Jaqua recorded his first career hat trick in the Fire's come-from-behind 5-2 victory over Chivas USA on Saturday, June 4 at Soldier Field. The third year player, whose four goals on the season match his goal total of 2004, earns his first career Player of the Week honor.
Jaqua wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, scoring the first of his three goals only two minutes into the game. Fire midfielder Thiago took a pass from Logan Pause to the Chivas USA endline and after running toward the goal, threaded a pass to Jaqua at the near post. While Chivas USA keeper Martin Zuniga had committed to stop Thiago, Jaqua had beat his mark and tapped the ball past defender Ryan Suarez for his second goal of the year.
Three minutes after Ivan Guerrero gave Chicago the lead back at 3-2, Jaqua added two insurance goals to seal the victory. In the 60th minute, the Fire's Justin Mapp freed up Gonzalo Segares down the left side, and Segares sent a first time cross into the center of the box. Jaqua again was able to get in front of Suarez and his diving header found the net.
"Things just were going right for us in the second half," Jaqua said after the game. "I got that early one [in the second minute] and then we were just flat in the first half. We realized we had to come out a lot harder in the second half and we did. Jesse [Marsch] and Ivan [Guerrero] got two big goals for us and then I was able to get on the end of those two."
Jaqua finished off his hat trick in the 74th minute, putting away the rebound of a shot from striker Chris Rolfe, who had broken in alone on Zuniga.
Jaqua was selected ahead of MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara and FC Dallas midfielder Ronnie O'Brien to claim the award. The Honda Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected every week throughout the MLS regular season by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
2005 PLAYER OF THE WEEK WINNERS
Week 1: Edson Buddle (Columbus Crew)
Week 2: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 3: Jon Busch (Columbus Crew)
Week 4: Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution)
Week 5: Amado Guevara (MetroStars)
Week 6: Freddy Adu (D.C. United)
Week 7: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
Week 8: Ronnie O'Brien (FC Dallas)
Week 9: Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas)
Week 10: Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire)
