Tweet
Cummings runs away with Player of Week
Rapids striker rides two goals, one assist in win over D.C. to honor
06/22/2009 4:02 PM
$(document).ready(function () {simpleDateTime('2009-06-22T16:02:00Z');})Major League Soccer Communications
Omar Cummings becomes the second Rapids player to win after Conor Casey (twice). (Ellwood/Getty Images)
NEW YORK -- Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 14 of the 2009 season. Using blistering pace and deft dribbling, Cummings notched two goals and added an assist in the Rapids' decisive 3-0 victory over D.C. United, which helped extend the Rapids' home unbeaten streak against D.C. to 10 games.
After enjoying a breakout season in 2008, recording career highs in games played (26), starts (17), goals (6) and assists (4) the Jamaican international has continued to score goals and develop within the Rapids' system. The 31st overall selection in the 2007 SuperDraft scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season and added his sixth assist as the Rapids improved to 5-2-5 with 20 points on the season.
With the Rapids beginning a stretch in which they will play nine of their next 12 games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Cummings put the Rapids up and the team never looked back. In the 11th minute, Cummings sped through the D.C. United midfield onto a through ball from Pablo Mastroeni, skipped over United defender Greg Janicki's slide tackle and calmly curled a right-footed blast past United goalkeeper Josh Wicks to give the Rapids a 1-0 advantage.
Cummings increased the Rapids' lead in the 45th minute when he pounced on Avery John's back pass. He intercepted the pass, touched the ball around Wicks and fired home his second goal of the day from a difficult angle on the right side of the penalty area. Cummings' work on the left side paid off again in the opening minutes of the second half. In the 49th minute, Cummings roundedthree defenders and sent a cross in to a wide open Colin Clark, who capped the scoring, giving the Rapids their first three-goal win of the season and extending their unbeaten streak to seven games.
Cummings, and two-time MLS Player of the Week Conor Casey, have teamed to become the most prolific strike duo in MLS this season. The two Rapids forwards have combined for 14 goals and seven assists in just 12 games. The Rapids sit alone in fourth place in the Western Conference, with two games in hand on Western Conference leaders the Houston Dynamo, and three games in hand on the second and third place Chivas USA and Seattle Sounders FC. Cummings' inspired play has led to a call-up with the Jamaican national team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
This is Cummings' first MLS Player of the Week Award. The Bodles Crescent, Jamaica product starred for two years at the University of Cincinnati before being drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rapids in 2007. He made his international debut with the Reggae Boyz in July of 2008, scoring one goal in their qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Cummings and the Rapids next face FC Dallas at home on Wednesday night June 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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.
2009 MLS Player of the Week Winners
WEEK 1: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 2: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 3: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 4: Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)
WEEK 5: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 6: Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake)
WEEK 7: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
WEEK 8: Macoumba Kandji (New York Red Bulls)
WEEK 9: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 10: Amado Guevara (Toronto FC)
WEEK 11: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 12: Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
WEEK 13: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
WEEK 14: Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids)
Rapids striker rides two goals, one assist in win over D.C. to honor
06/22/2009 4:02 PM
$(document).ready(function () {simpleDateTime('2009-06-22T16:02:00Z');})Major League Soccer Communications
Omar Cummings becomes the second Rapids player to win after Conor Casey (twice). (Ellwood/Getty Images) - Week in Review: All-Star coach set
- Cummings runs away with Player of Week
- Davis: MLS starting to heat up
- Fire host Chivas in SuperLiga 2009
NEW YORK -- Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 14 of the 2009 season. Using blistering pace and deft dribbling, Cummings notched two goals and added an assist in the Rapids' decisive 3-0 victory over D.C. United, which helped extend the Rapids' home unbeaten streak against D.C. to 10 games.
After enjoying a breakout season in 2008, recording career highs in games played (26), starts (17), goals (6) and assists (4) the Jamaican international has continued to score goals and develop within the Rapids' system. The 31st overall selection in the 2007 SuperDraft scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season and added his sixth assist as the Rapids improved to 5-2-5 with 20 points on the season.
With the Rapids beginning a stretch in which they will play nine of their next 12 games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Cummings put the Rapids up and the team never looked back. In the 11th minute, Cummings sped through the D.C. United midfield onto a through ball from Pablo Mastroeni, skipped over United defender Greg Janicki's slide tackle and calmly curled a right-footed blast past United goalkeeper Josh Wicks to give the Rapids a 1-0 advantage.
Cummings increased the Rapids' lead in the 45th minute when he pounced on Avery John's back pass. He intercepted the pass, touched the ball around Wicks and fired home his second goal of the day from a difficult angle on the right side of the penalty area. Cummings' work on the left side paid off again in the opening minutes of the second half. In the 49th minute, Cummings roundedthree defenders and sent a cross in to a wide open Colin Clark, who capped the scoring, giving the Rapids their first three-goal win of the season and extending their unbeaten streak to seven games.
Cummings, and two-time MLS Player of the Week Conor Casey, have teamed to become the most prolific strike duo in MLS this season. The two Rapids forwards have combined for 14 goals and seven assists in just 12 games. The Rapids sit alone in fourth place in the Western Conference, with two games in hand on Western Conference leaders the Houston Dynamo, and three games in hand on the second and third place Chivas USA and Seattle Sounders FC. Cummings' inspired play has led to a call-up with the Jamaican national team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
This is Cummings' first MLS Player of the Week Award. The Bodles Crescent, Jamaica product starred for two years at the University of Cincinnati before being drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rapids in 2007. He made his international debut with the Reggae Boyz in July of 2008, scoring one goal in their qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Cummings and the Rapids next face FC Dallas at home on Wednesday night June 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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.
2009 MLS Player of the Week Winners
WEEK 1: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 2: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 3: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 4: Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)
WEEK 5: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 6: Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake)
WEEK 7: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
WEEK 8: Macoumba Kandji (New York Red Bulls)
WEEK 9: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 10: Amado Guevara (Toronto FC)
WEEK 11: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 12: Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
WEEK 13: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
WEEK 14: Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids)
