SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)– Real Salt Lake, in conjunction with Major League Soccer, has announced forward Rubio Rubin has won the 2021 AT&T Goal of the Year with jaw-dropping bicycle kick against San Jose Earthquakes on May 7, 2021.
Rubin’s award-winning AT&T Goal of the Year came in the 43rd minute of the contest at Rio Tinto Stadium, as he took a controlling touch with his chest, then launched a right-footed bicycle kick that left Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski with no chance. (WATCH GOAL HERE)
In his first season with the Club, Rubin has scored eight goals and added five assists in 34 appearances. In the last regular season match against Sporting Kansas City, Rubin, along with Albert Rusnak, became the first players in RSL history to appear in 34 matches.
Rubin is the second RSL player to win the award, joining Will Johnson who earned the honor for his goal in the second-ever game-winner at Rio Tinto Stadium on October 18, a 3-1 win over FC Dallas.
The 2021 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year was determined by fan votes on MLSsoccer.com and has been awarded since the league’s inaugural 1996 season.
All-Time MLS Goal of the Year winners:
2021: Rubio Rubin – Real Salt Lake | 5/7/21 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 43rd minute
2020: Darlington Nagbe – Columbus Crew SC | 8/20/20 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 81st minute
2019: Josef Martínez – Atlanta United | 9/18/19 vs. FC Cincinnati, 65th minute
2018: Zlatan Ibrahimović – LA Galaxy | 3/31/18 vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 77th minute
2017: Héctor Villalba – Atlanta United | 7/21/17 vs. Orlando City SC, 86th minute
2016: Shkëlzen Gashi – Colorado Rapids | 9/24/16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 75th minute
2015: Krisztián Németh – Sporting Kansas City | 10/4/15 vs. Portland Timbers, 83rd minute
2014: Obafemi Martins – Seattle Sounders FC | 5/23/14 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 8th minute
2013: Camilo Sanvezzo – Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 10/6/13 vs. Portland Timbers, 78th minute
2012: Patrick Ianni – Seattle Sounders FC | 6/20/12 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 15th minute
2011: Darlington Nagbe – Portland Timbers | 7/2/11 vs. Sporting Kansas City, 45th minute
2010: Marco Pappa – Chicago Fire | 4/10/10 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 52nd minute
2009: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy | 8/8/09 vs. New England Revolution, 21st minute
2008: Will Johnson – Real Salt Lake | 10/18/08 vs. FC Dallas, 54th minute
2007: Cuauhtémoc Blanco – Chicago Fire | 8/18/07 vs. Real Salt Lake, 43rd minute
2006: Brian Ching – Houston Dynamo | 9/30/06 v D.C. United, 86th minute
2005: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 10/15/05 vs. LA Galaxy, 45th minute
2004: Dwayne De Rosario – San Jose Earthquakes | 8/7/04 vs. D.C. United, 82nd minute
2003: Damani Ralph – Chicago Fire | 8/13/03 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 90th minute
2002: Carlos Ruiz – LA Galaxy | 7/27/02 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 75th minute
2001: Clint Mathis – MetroStars | 4/28/01 vs. Dallas Burn, 60th minute
2000: Marcelo Balboa – Colorado Rapids | 4/22/00 vs. Columbus Crew SC, 55th minute
1999: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 5/22/99 vs. Miami Fusion, 90th minute
1998: Brian McBride – Columbus Crew | 7/9/98 vs. Chicago Fire, 68th minute
1997: Marco Etcheverry – D.C. United | 8/27/97 vs. New England Revolution, 39th minute
1996: Eric Wynalda – San Jose Clash | 4/6/96 vs. D.C. United, 88th minute
