Player of the Matchday

Real Salt Lake's Chris Schuler becomes first defender to win MLS Player of the Week in 2014

For the first time this season, a defender has won MLS Player of the Week honors.


All it took was getting forward to score two goals.


Real Salt Lake center back Chris Schuler was voted by the North American Soccer Reporters as Week 22's best player for his two-goal performance in the club's 3-0 blanking of D.C. United. Schuler not only scored in regular-season play for the first time in almost three years, but he also helped RSL pitch a shutout against the Eastern Conference's second-place team.


Schuler beat out a group of players that included Luke Moore, Sebastien Le Toux, Chris Wondolowski, Diego Valeri, Michel and Mike Magee. The central defender is now the third Real Salt Lake player to claim the award this season, joining Nick Rimando (Weeks 1 and 7) and Joao Plata (Week 9).


2014 MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK