Cristian Techera had never scored a Major League Soccer hat trick before he stepped on the turf at BC Place Saturday afternoon.
The Uruguayan midfielder needed little time to accomplish the feat, scoring three times in 25 minutes to help Vancouver Whitecaps FC rally for a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution.
It was the first Whitecaps hat trick since 2013 and the 28th quickest scored in MLS history. And for that, Techera was named the Alcatel MLS Player of the Week award of the year, as voted on by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR).
With his team trailing 2-0, the 25-year-old midfielder opened his account in the 49th minute, taking Marcel de Jong’s service from the left touchline off the bounce and hammering past Matt Turner with his left foot.
Two minutes later, Techera netted the equalizer, heading in the rebound of his own saved shot after again beating his defender to service at the back post.
Nicknamed “The Bug,” Techera completed his hat trick in the 74th minute, completing a counterattack by smashing in a Yordy Reyna cross following a long ball from Felipe.
Techera now has five goals on the season, two off his single-season high set in his first year with the ‘Caps in 2015.
Vancouver is back in action Friday night in Commerce City to take on the Colorado Rapids (9 pm ET | TSN — Full TV & Streaming info).
The Alcatel MLS Player of the Week is chosen each week of the regular season by members of the North American Soccer Reporters. The organization includes print, television, radio and online journalists who cover domestic men's soccer in the United States and Canada.
