Vancouver Whitecaps forward Kekuta Manneh went into Sebastian Giovinco's house and stole the show in a Saturday night thriller. Now he's being recognized by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) as the MLS Player of the Week for Week 11 for his exploits.
Manneh turned in an electric two-goal, one-assist performance in the Vancouver Whitecaps' 4-3 victory over Toronto FC at BMO Field. He opened the scoring in the first half, then added a goal and an assist in the second to overcome everything Giovinco and TFC threw at them, enabling the 'Caps to claim a huge three points on the road.
The 21-year-old Manneh, who is currently pursuing his US citizenship, opened the scoring in the 12th minute of the encounter when he stole a loose pass and sped forward to slot the ball between goalkeeper Clint Irwin's legs.
He was also involved in the 'Caps second goal six minutes later, when his rebound fell to Cristian Bolanos for a straightforward finish.
Manneh got back on the scoresheet in the second half after Toronto had fought back to make it 2-2, when he left three TFC defenders in his wake before firing to the far post for another Vancouver lead. He would then finish off his night with an assist on the game-winner, a through ball to set up a curling finish from Pedro Morales.
Manneh and the Whitecaps return to action next Sunday in a nationally-televised Heineken Rivalry Week showdown with the Portland Timbers at Providence Park (4:30 pm ET, ESPN).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
