SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, October 28, 2009) - Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley, Major League Soccer's reigning Player of the Week for Week 32, earned an additional accolade today, as his 33rd-minute blast has been named the League's Goal of the Week for the final matchday of the 2009 regular season. The "sombrero," where Findley popped up MF Andy Williams' 40-yard service over Colorado GK Preston Burpo before one-timing a left-footed blast into the back of the net, was the second of Findley's two goals last Saturday night in RSL's 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Rio Tinto Stadium, a result that clinched a playoff spot for the Utah side for the second straight year.Findley's final strike of the regular season marked the third time in as many campaigns he earned an MLS Goal of the Week award, having collected the honor once in 2007 (Week 18) and 2008 (Week 10). To watch Findley's fantastic strike, visit RSL's Behind the Shield blog at www.RSLtotheCore.com or head over to MLSnet.com and click on the "Goal of the Week" link under the "Video" menu.
Findley's brace on Saturday night gave the Phoenix-native a new single-season high of 12 goals, eclipsing the mark of eight set during his rookie season in 2007. The dozen tallies also earned Findley his second RSL Golden Boot award as the team's scoring leader and put him in a five-way tie for third place in the chase for the League's scoring title. Findley joins RSL teammate Clint Mathis as the team's second Goal of the Week honoree in 2009, as Mathis' Week 6 recognition came after the former U.S. international slammed a left-footed volley into the upper corner of the net in RSL's 6-0 home win over the visiting New England Revolution. Mathis' stellar bomb is expected to be a front-runner for Major League Soccer's annual Goal of the Year race, with the man known as "Cleetus" hoping to follow in the footsteps of RSL midfielder Will Johnson, the recipient of the 2008 MLS Goal of the Year.
"It was a great feeling to score some goals, and they were the result of some great balls played into me. The first goal started with Andy Williams and then good recognition by Fabian Esp=EDndola to play it across the goal, and on the second one it was another great pass by Andy on a through ball," said Findley. "We knew it was a big game we were getting into, so we knew what we had to do to give ourselves a chance to keep the season going. We were all over them from the first minute through the 90th minute, and everybody stepped up and did their job, which is what it took to win."
The 24-year-old Findley was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy with the 16th overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft and scored twice for the SoCal side in nine games before being acquired by RSL in a midseason trade. The Oregon State product has been a game-changer for the Claret-and-Cobalt in the 72 games since, establishing a new franchise scoring mark with 24 goals while also adding nine assists. This marks the second Player of the Week award for Findley, who also won the honor in Week 10 of the 2008 season, and the fourth for an RSL player in 2009, tying the Utah club with Colorado, FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC for the most weekly award recipients this season.
Thanks in part to Findley's team-high three game-winning goals, Real Salt Lake finished the regular season 11-12-7 with 40 points, earning the squad the fourth and final Wild Card slot and a spot opposite the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference bracket. Real Salt Lake will open its second straight trip to the postseason at Rio Tinto Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 31, in the first game of a home-and-home Eastern Conference Semifinal Series versus The Crew (live on KUTV 2.2. Digital / Comcast 111).
The Major League Soccer Goal of the Week is selected each week of the MLS season via fan voting on www.MLSnet.com.
2009 RSL Goal of the Week Winners
WEEK 6: Clint Mathis
WEEK 32: Robbie Findley
2009 RSL Player of the Week Winners
WEEK 6: Javier Morales
WEEK 19: Yura Movsisyan
WEEK 24: Pablo Campos
WEEK 32: Robbie Findley
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