FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: MLS Communications
(212) 450-1408
Philadelphia Union forward CJ Sapong voted Alcatel MLS Player of the Week
NEW YORK
(Tuesday, May 9, 2017)
– Philadelphia Union forward CJ Sapong was voted the Alcatel MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 10
th
week of the 2017 MLS season.
Sapong recorded his first career hat trick, and the third ever in Union history, in a 3-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday. The 28-year-old now sits tied atop the Golden Boot standings with seven goals scored this season, already matching his 2016 total. Philadelphia captured its first victory of the campaign and snapped a 15-match regular season winless streak behind Sapong’s efforts, with the club currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings (1-4-4 overall record, seven points).
With both teams scoreless well into the second half, Sapong fired a shot from inside the box that deflected off Red Bulls defender Aaron Long and soared past goalkeeper Luis Robles for a 1-0 Union advantage in the 74
th
minute (
Watch Goal
). Sapong would double Philadelphia’s lead to 2-0 in the 81
st
minute with a spiking header from close range (
Watch Goal
).
Sapong completed his hat trick in the 85
th
minute with a right-footed penalty kick shot past Robles to give Philadelphia the 3-0 lead (
Watch Goal
).
The Philadelphia Union return to action this Saturday, May 13 when it travels to take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium (7 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
