Yuya Kubo scored his first career MLS hat trick in FC Cincinnati's 4-2 comeback win at the San Jose Earthquakes, earning Player of the Matchday honors for Matchday 20.
Entering as a second-half substitute with the Orange & Blue down 2-1 in the 64th minute, Kubo turned the game on its head by striking three times in a nine-minute-and-10-second span. His was the fastest hat trick in club history and the fourth-fastest in league history.
The 30-year-old, assisted in all three goals by captain Luciano Acosta, helped Cincinnati become just the seventh team in MLS history (excluding the shootout era) to earn five consecutive road wins. They're now just two shy of CF Montréal's record of seven, set during the 2022 season.
Kubo is the first Japanese player to earn MLS Player of the Matchday honors and is Cincy's second honoree of 2024, following wingback Luca Orellano in Matchday 16.
FC Cincinnati, first in MLS in points per game (2.12), host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night in Matchday 21 (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV - Free; FS1, FOX Deportes).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday 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 an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
