CARSON, Calif. (Monday, August 19, 2013) – LA Galaxy forward Robbie Keane was selected as the MLS Player of the Week today by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). Keane won the first Player of the Week award of his MLS career by recording his second hat trick of the season in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Real Salt Lake, scoring three times in the second half of that game. Keane now has 10 goals on the season and is just the fourth player in Galaxy history to score 10 or more regular season goals in consecutive seasons.
Just three minutes after Real Salt Lake had gone in front, Keane equalized for the Galaxy, fighting off RSL defender Carlos Salcedo to collect a long ball from Juninho before cutting past the Salt Lake center back and placing a right-footed shot just inside the post from the top of the box, tying the score at 1-1.
Keane gave the Galaxy their first lead of the game in the 67th minute, beating Salcedo to the near post and volleying a Sean Franklin cross past Nick Rimando from six yards out, making the score 2-1. After Omar Gonzalez had extended LA’s lead to 3-1 in the 75th minute, Keane completed his hat trick in the 86th minute, racing between RSL’s two central defenders to get onto the end of a Franklin through ball before lobbing Rimando from the edge of the area to make the score 4-1 in favor of the Galaxy. This was Keane’s second hat trick of the season and seventh multi-goal regular season game in a Galaxy shirt.
By winning the award for Week 25 of the MLS regular season, Keane is the second consecutive Galaxy player to be selected as the MLS Player of the Week. Landon Donovan won the award for Week 24 after scoring all three goals in LA’s 3-3 road draw with FC Dallas August 11.
Keane and the Galaxy will be back in action on Tuesday, August 20 when they open CONCACAF Champions League play against Costa Rican side Cartagines at StubHub Center. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. and can be seen live in English on FOX Soccer Plus and in Spanish on Univision Deportes on tape delay at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 21. For more information about this game or to purchase tickets, please visit the club’s official website www.lagalaxy.com or call 877-3GALAXY (342-5299).
