Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto was voted as Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 22 of the 2008 season, after scoring a goal and tallying two assists in the Crew's decisive 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake last Saturday, Aug. 23, at Crew Stadium.
The Crew took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute thanks to Schelotto when he drew a foul from 25 yards left of goal. Schelotto placed the ensuing free kick with pinpoint accuracy, finding defender Chad Marshall at the back post for an easy header past Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Then, just 10 minutes later, midfielder Eddie Gaven was taken down by a RSL defender as he tried to cut back on the right side of the box. The referee emphatically pointed for a penalty kick, and Schelotto confidently stepped up and converted his fourth penalty goal in as many tries this season, to double the lead.
Schelotto was at it again in the 55th minute, sending a leading pass down the right flank to Gaven. After controlling the service, Gaven drove a seeking cross into the box which found Brad Evans at the penalty spot for a crisp header to give the Black & Gold a winning margin of 3-0 and Schelotto his league-leading 14th assist, which leaves him one shy of the Crew's single-season record of 15 set by John Wilmar Perez in 2001.
The Crew signed Schelotto in April 2007 and he joined the club after spending more than a decade in Argentina with legendary club Boca Juniors. In 2007, he tallied five goals and a team high 11 assists. He was the Crew's Most Valuable Player last season and was named to the league's Best XI team. This marks the fifth MLS Player of the Week award for Schelotto since joining the Crew. He previously won the honor in Weeks 16 and 28 of the 2007 season and Weeks 3 and 17 of this season.
The Major League Soccer Player of the Week is selected each week of the MLS regular season 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 information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.
2008 Player of the Week Winners
Week 1: Terry Cooke (Colorado Rapids)
Week 2: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 3: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 4: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 5: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 6: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 7: Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Week 8: Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 9: Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire)
Week 10: Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
Week 11: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
Week 12: Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 13: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Week 14: Steve Ralston (New England Revolution)
Week 15: Adam Cristman (New England Revolution)
Week 16: John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
Week 17: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
Week 18: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
Week 19: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas)
Week 20: Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)
Week 21: Ronnie O'Brien (San Jose Earthquakes)
Week 22: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
