SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC forward Raúl Ruidíaz has been voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 20 of the 2021 MLS season (covering the midweek games only), his second consecutive Player of the Week award. The Golden Boot leader added his 14th strike of the season, a game-winning goal seconds after coming onto the pitch in a midweek match at FC Dallas. This marks the third MLS Player of the Week award this season for the Peruvian, who previously won in Week 14 and Week 19. Ruidíaz is the second player to be named Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks this season (Javier Hernández, Weeks 1-2).
After coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute on Wednesday in Dallas, Ruidíaz scored the game’s lone goal less than 30 seconds after entering the pitch. Nicolás Lodeiro – also a 63rd-minute sub – fed Ruidíaz in a dangerous position inside the area, where the Peruvian’s first attempt was blocked by a Dallas defender. After the ball bounced back to his feet, Ruidíaz chipped a shot into the top corner, hitting both the crossbar and post before bouncing into the goal. With four goals in his last three games, Ruidíaz has now tied Clint Dempsey for second all-time in club history with 57 goals across all competitions.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
After away wins in Portland and Dallas this week, Seattle concludes its three-game road swing in Columbus on Saturday, August 21 against the Crew. A rematch of the 2020 MLS Cup, the contest is being carried nationally on network FOX, and regionally via Sports Radio 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.
