San Jose Earthquakes forward Darren Huckerby was voted MLS Player of the Month for September. He netted three goals and tallied one assist during the month and led the Earthquakes to a 1-1-1 record, while helping keep alive a nine-game unbeaten streak that lasted until the Quakes final game of the month. Huckerby and the San Jose Earthquakes (7-10-8) are vying to become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in 10 years.
Huckerby scored crucial goals in two of his club's three league matches in September, including the game-winning goal, a powerful blast inside the left post, in a 2-1 victory over a visiting D.C. United squad. Huckerby assisted on the first goal scored by Arturo Alvarez. The win on Sept. 6 put the Quakes unbeaten streak at eight games.
Huckerby had a strong performance in San Jose's match on Sept. 13 versus the Houston Dynamo at Buck Shaw Stadium in which he created several scoring opportunities forcing key plays from Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad and defender Wade Barrett. The game ended 1-1, sending San Jose's unbeaten streak to nine games in League play.
In the San Jose Earthquakes final game of September, Huckerby delivered a two-goal performance, however it was not enough to fend off visiting Real Salt Lake who came away with a 3-2 victory. The 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake was the first in ten games for the Quakes. Capitalizing on a Ryan Cochrane pass, Huckerby found himself alone on goal and easily finished on the inside of the right post. Just after halftime, Huckerby took a back-heel pass from Alvarez and cleanly struck the ball from 20 yards out, beating goalkeeper Nick Rimando on the inside of the left post.
This is Huckerby's first Player of the Month award. Since joining the Earthquakes in July 2008, he has appeared in and started nine games and has recorded six goals and four assists. The Earthquakes have lost only once (4-1-4) since he made his debut in the July 19 game against Toronto FC. Prior to his arrival in San Jose, Huckerby played in more than 200 matches and scored 32 goals for the Norwich City Canaries between 2003 and 2008. He is a two-time Norwich City player of the year and was named to Norwich City's all-time Best XI. In his professional soccer career, which spans back to 1993, he appeared in matches for Lincoln City, Newcastle United, Millwall, Coventry City, Leeds United, and Nottingham Forest. Huckerby is back in action with the Earthquakes on Thursday, Oct. 2 when they travel to Pizza Hut Park to take on FC Dallas in the MLS Primetime Thursday match (9 p.m. ET - ESPN2/ESPN Deportes).
The Major League Soccer Player of the Month is selected following the last regular season game of each month by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership guidelines can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.
2008 MLS Player of the Month Awards
April:
Landon Donovan - Los Angeles Galaxy
May:
Cuauhtémoc Blanco - Chicago Fire
June:
Luciano Emilio - D.C. United
July:
Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake
August:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Columbus Crew
September:
Darren Huckerby - San Jose Earthquakes
