There were no Chad Marshalls this week, and with apologies to Diego Fagundez, who scored twice the first half of New England’s rout, nobody else stepped forward to compete with the obvious three. This week the leading goal scorers were the entire competition, with three players putting hat tricks forward as their case for PST Player of the Week.
On play alone, Javier Morales would be the obvious choice, but everybody’s play comes with context. Morales’s context was a 10-man Dynamo, and while the Real Salt Lake creator scored two of his three goals before Servando Carrasco went to the locker room, his third was from a penalty he didn’t force. Ultimately, it’s difficult to say the week’s best player was somebody who played most of his minutes against 10-men.
Then there’s Bradley Wright-Phillips, whose second hat-trick of the season vaulted the former Addick to the top of the league’s scoring chart. His team fell short in its shootout against Chicago, but Wright-Phillips did his part. Unfortunately, in addition to one of his scores coming from the spot, his part didn’t include much beyond his goal-scoring contributions.
Harry Shipp’s case had more depth. Though his first goal was less attacking brilliance than officiating error, the Chicago rookie’s hat trick in New York is the one that claims this week’s PST Player of the Week honor.
Not only was Shipp the only three-goal scorer to tally all of his from open play, but he did so against 11 men, two parts of the fine print that distinguish his performance from his competition. Also contributing in a midfield that helped produce a five-goal day, Shipp’s performance provided a dimension Wright-Phillips’s didn’t. According to Opta, the Notre Dame product led Chicago in chances created (key passes, 3), one of which was the assist on Patrick Nyarko’s second half goal.
It’s not romantic, but combing through the margins rarely is. As much as Shipp’s goals in the 4th, 53rd, and 58th minutes made his case, it’s how the other hat trick heroes collected their goals that make the choice clear. Between his assist, open play goals, and other contributions from midfield, Shipp -- the league’s Player of the Week -- ended up PST’s winner, too.
| PST Award | MLS Award | |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Will Bruin, Houston Dynamo 2g, 1a vs. New England | Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake 8 saves, PK save at LA |
| Week 2 | Víctor Bernárdez, San Jose Earthquakes 2g, 1a vs. Real Salt Lake | Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC 2 goals at Seattle |
| Week 3 | Fabian Castillo, FC Dallas 1 goal vs. Chivas USA | Bernardo Añor, Columbus 2 goals vs. Philadelphia |
| Week 4 | Álvaro Saborío, Real Salt Lake 2 goals vs. Toronto FC | Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City 1 goal, 2 assists at Colorado |
| March Player of the Month | Michael Bradley, Toronto FC 3 games, 0 goals, 0 assists | Mauro Díaz, FC Dallas 4 games, 2 goals, 0 assists |
| Week 5 | Diego Chara, Portland Timbers 2 goals vs. Seattle | Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders 3 goals at Portland |
| Week 6 | Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders 2 goals at Dallas | Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders 2 goals at Dallas |
| Week 7 | Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake 4 saves vs. Portland | Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake 4 saves vs. Portland |
| Week 8 | Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls 4 goals vs. Houston, at Columbus | Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls 4 goals vs. Houston, at Columbus |
| April Player of the Month | Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders 4 games, 7 goals, 2 assists | Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders 4 games, 7 goals, 2 assists |
| Week 9 | Chad Marshall, Seattle Sounders 1 goal vs. Philadelphia | João Plata, Real Salt Lake 2 goals at Chicago |
| Week 10 | Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire 3 goals, 1 assist vs. New York Red Bulls | Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire 3 goals, 1 assist vs. New York Red Bulls |